Ask The Naked Scientists SA

Why won't water burn?

This week, the Covid-19 crisis in India and why it's happening, we discuss why water, despite being replete with hydrogen and oxygen which burn readily, is incombustible, we talk through the safety profile of the coronavirus vaccines, find out why shaking the remote control can apparently bring dead batteries back…

8 May 2021 16 min

Why don't animals have green fur?

This week, why it's more comfortable to look at the Sun on the horizon compared with when it's directly overhead, why dogs pee on upright objects, where mosquitoes go in winter, is it normal to have one foot bigger than the other, and what's the best way to breed tall…

29 Apr 2021 21 min

Low platelets, but blood clots. Why?

If the AZ vaccine causes blood clots, why do affected individuals have low platelets, which should make clotting less likely? Also, when the Earth wobbles on its axis, does the Moon's orbit also change? How many genes of mine will my offspring carry? Could we dump nuclear waste in space?…

18 Apr 2021 19 min

Why halt the Johnson and Johnson Vaccine?

Chris Smith and Kieno Kammies discuss the latest on blood clots and Covid-19 vaccines, including the US and South Africa decisions to halt use of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. Also, are the vaccines a risk for people with aneurysms, what causes recurrent nosebleeds, can we mix flu and coronavirus…

16 Apr 2021 28 min

Flu and Covid-19 vaccines together?

Should I get vaccinated despite previous Covid-19 infection? Can I get a combined flu and Covid-19 shot? Why can't my pharmacist give me a Covid jab in South Africa? Is a Covid-19 vaccine safe for someone with a history of Guillain-Barre syndrome? Can you find out what Covid-19 variant has…

14 Apr 2021 26 min

Why do masks stop Covid-19 but not smells?

The people that don't believe Covid-19 is real, how ants smell out sources of food, how soda water makes you burp, a way to banish ants, what would you change about the human body, why masks stop Covid-19 but not smells, and how long is the recovery time from bone…

26 Mar 2021 22 min

If I've had Covid-19, do I need a vaccine?

Why are the EU posturing around AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine, and what will be the consequences? And if you've already caught coronavirus, should you still get vaccinated if you are already immune? What is ataxia and how can it be treated? What causes rigor mortis and how long does it last?…

21 Mar 2021 22 min

Do catwalk models have more neck bones?

Why is the Moon moving away from the Earth, and what would have been the consequence of it being closer to us millions of years ago? Also, why does Covid-19 anosmia stop me smelling Vick's Vapour rub but I can still feel its effects? Do models have more neck bones…

12 Mar 2021 24 min

Will not having sex harm my health?

Why do we fall asleep when we don't want to? Will going without sex harm your health? Why do aircraft resort to black boxes when they could send data to satellites? Why don't brakes overheat and lock on? Can you create a 1 degree angle? And why does Earth look…

7 Mar 2021 25 min

Why haven't we evolved not to age?

Good news on the Covid-19 vaccine front from the UK, why South Africa isn't using AstraZeneca's vaccine, is the Universe under threat from "strangelets", why has evolution not solved the ageing problem, why ice sticks to an empty glass, the PCR test for Covid-19, and how to stop cats killing…

27 Feb 2021 26 min

Why does Covid come in waves?

Will loud music deafen my dog? Why are some dog breeds more docile than others? Why do Covid-19 outbreaks follow cycles of boom and bust? What gives a person their "second wind"? Why do ants invade my kettle and other electronic devices ? Is ant invasion in you home a…

14 Feb 2021 19 min

Can teeth fillings tune in to radio waves?

This week we talk vaccines for Covid-19, especially the Novavax trial results, and hear why it might be possible to tune into radio waves with your teeth. We also discuss Covid and cytokine storms, bubbles in the Milky Way, where the sharks go during a tsunami and how radioactivity is…

5 Feb 2021 23 min

Are the Covid-19 vaccines safe?

This week, Dr Chris and Kieno Kammies talk Covid-19 vaccinations, explore whether ivermectin might be a helpful coronavirus drug, explain how maggots get into wounds, unpick what's in the Covid-19 vaccine, and talk nanoparticles... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

25 Jan 2021 22 min

Am I a snake: my yawns spray saliva!

This week, journey times to Mars, how stars come by the matter inside them, why some people feel compelled to eat paper, how coronavirus antibody levels correlate with Covid-19 severity, whether water really goes down the drain in different directions on opposite sides of the Earth, and why a yawn…

22 Jan 2021 21 min

Can you swallow upside down?

This week, Aza catches coronavirus, Covid-19 vaccines, viral variants and where are the mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 genome, can you still swallow when you're upside down, how was Einstein proved right, and what causes cramp? Dr Chris Smith has the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the…

17 Jan 2021 20 min

Why do you float on the Dead Sea?

How do energy drinks give you a buzz? Why do planets orbit on a plane? Should we test for Covid-19 infection before we vaccinate? Do energy drinks cause diabetes? Why do you float on the Dead Sea? How does the Plimsoll Line on a boat work? When does Covid infectivity…

11 Jan 2021 27 min

Why car indicators flash at different rates

How do point of care tests for Covid-19 work? Are they any good? How infectious are people asymptomatically infected with Covid-19? Why do different car indicators flash at different rates? How do accents work and where do they come from? How many Earths could fit inside Jupiter, and what is…

18 Dec 2020 16 min

Why is it dark in space?

An update on the Pfizer vaccine for Covid-19, the lotto likelihood of sequential winning numbers, why swallows congregate around motorway bridges, the logistics of keeping the Covid-19 vaccine cold, and why is it dark in space? Also, why is there a Covid-19 vaccine in 10 months but no HIV vaccine…

8 Dec 2020 24 min

Why shave sheep in winter?

Why shear a sheep in winter when it's cold? And can animals count? Why do geese and turkeys chase people? Also, how does coronavirus infection alter our sense of smell and taste? How do artificial sweeteners work? And when it comes to survival of the fittest, what constitutes "the fittest"?…

4 Dec 2020 24 min

Can we taste through our fingers?

Why did touching something make me taste metal? Also, what's the best liver detox, why does listening to loud music stop a stammer, does music help attention deficit disorder and is sunrise to the south even in the southern hemisphere. We also wonder whether perpetual motion is possible, why the…

27 Nov 2020 21 min