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Could a light in your brain cure epilepsy, or send you to sleep? The Naked Scientists investigate the mysterious field of optogenetics, and the treatments it promises to bring. Plus, news of a cancer-detecting artificial intelligence and a vaccination to fight fake news.

The light bulb is a hundred-year-old technology whose time is finally up. This week, we shine a little light on its replacement to find out what makes it such a compelling alternative and look to the next revolution in lighting. Plus, how scientists are turning to robotics to treat heart failure, the death of NASA astronaut and last man on the Moon, Gene Cernan and do you really eat spiders in your are sleep?

This week, The Naked Scientists take a look at the science of laughter, asking why we like to laugh, hearing what babies find funny and meeting a joke-building robot. Plus, news of a gene editing technique taking on a deadly disease and a record-breaking knot.

Does being angry increase your risk of a heart attack? What's a psychopath? And how much does a single cell weigh? This week, Chris Smith answers your questions with Stuart Higgins, Maud Borensztein, Kyle Treiber and James Rudd.

The Naked Scientists celebrate the dawn of 2017 with a look at their best bits from 2016, including: the science breakthrough of the year, how to use psychology to get a date and why it pays to look on the bright side.

This week: is there anybody out there or are we alone in the Universe? Graihagh Jackson ponders one of the fundamental questions of humanity, from flying saucers and UFOs to why we haven't found any evidence and what it would mean to find ET.

The Naked Scientists celebrate the holidays with the 12 scientific days of Christmas. From why 9 ladies like to dance to making those 6 geese eggs into bouncy balls...

Chris is joined by Giles Yeo, Roger Buckley, Andrew Pontzen and Kerstin Goepfrich, and they enjoy a mince pie or two while answering listener questions, including: why isn't love blinding; are glasses or contacts better for your eyes and what would happen if you brought a thimble of neutron star to earth? Plus, the team discuss the supposed benefits of the Mediterranean diet and debate the worst science movie mistakes.

Antibiotics are chemicals that kill bacteria but leave us unharmed. However, bacteria are evolving so that our drugs no longer kill them. If this trend continues, the treatable are going to become untreatable... How serious would this scenario be, though? We'll be putting the problem under the microscope this week. Plus in the news, the UK's new Snooper's Charter, the man modelling vascular diseases in a dish, and what happens in your brain when you talk to God...

This week: alien hunting! Life here on Earth uses DNA, but why, and would aliens be made of the same stuff? Plus, news of how your gut microbes are controlling your genes, a new way to fight phobias, and we get a sneak peek at where the first human colonists of Mars might live...