This week, Dr Chris and Relebongile find out how dietary salt affects the body, how loneliness and loss of a loved one can cause ill-health, what a blind person "sees" in their mind's eye, how broken fingers heal, how many cigarettes does it take to get hooked, and why does alcohol withdrawal cause shaking and tremors... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Christine emails in with this message: 'Does bacteria contained in probiotics become part of the microbiome; in other words can one stop taking probiotics after 30 days of taking probiotic-containing capsules?'James Tytko sought to find the answer with the help of Alex Almeida, microbiologist at the University of Cambridge. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Anne writes in with this question, which James Tytko took on with the help of the University of Cambridge's Public Astronomer, Matt Bothwell... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Questions for Dr Chris Smith on this week's Ask! include: What are the health benefits of exercise? How do you explain deja vu? Can you be in two places at once? What factors influence the weather? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This month, evidence that the microbiome is controlling blood pressure - so will we treat hypertension with probiotics in future? Also, plastic is everywhere and an urgent environmental threat, but is the public aware, or do they care? We also consider the economics of animal extinction and species conservation, the price we pay for water, and the role of the "blue carbon" in keeping CO2 in check... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Elizabeth with a transatlantic teaser for this question of the week: "I heard that people in the UK can't smell when it rains, but us Americans can. If I went to the United Kingdom, would I be able to smell the rain there? Would someone from the UK be able to smell rain here? What is going on?" James Tytko sought the answer with the help of Anne Jungblut from the Natural History Museum... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Dr Chris answers a wide range of listener science questions. What is entropy and how does it reconcile with equilibrium? What happens when they put dogs to sleep? Why can I read words when the vowels are removed? How do hair implants work? How does a bird find worms? Can birds see their own tails? Why do I cry when I have a bad cold? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why does your washing sometimes smell bad? What is the difference between forecast temperature and 'real feel'? Why can't other apes grow long head hair? What is the difference between a sprinter and a marathon runner? Why do Greenland sharks live so long? Can parrots see themselves in the mirror? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have all the answers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Join James Tytko in the hunt for ancient DNA thanks to this question from listener Phil. Jack Lovegrove from the Natural History Museum was on hand to help with the answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the latest Naked Neuroscience, James Tytko brings you two new pieces of research involving the use of AI. First, how machine learning has been deployed to map out the visual system of a fruit fly in all its complexity, and how feeding a neural network a diet of quips from popular TV shows has produced the most effective sarcasm detector yet. Plus, David Robson outlines the strategies that will ensure you maintain strong social bonds, the topic of his latest book, 'The Laws of Connection.' Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists