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Each week we set out to solve one of the world's weirdest, wackiest, funniest and funkiest scientific puzzles. And along with the answer there's a brand new question to think about for next time...... more
FAQs about Question of the Week:How many episodes does Question of the Week have?The podcast currently has 176 episodes available.
June 23, 2021Why do crocodiles have such bumpy skin?Johan aged 5 got in touch to ask: "Why are crocodiles' skin so bumpy and not smooth?" Sally Le Page reached out to James Hennessy from Ireland's National Reptile Zoo for the answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...more4minPlay
June 14, 2021Will a can in the ocean float or be crushed?This week, Phil Sansom has been thinking deeply - or rather, sinking deeply - about this question from listener Richard. "Will a can of soda dropped in the ocean sink until it implodes, or float once it reaches equilibrium?" Here's the answer, with help from the Cambridge Science Centre's Mia Foulkes... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...more4minPlay
June 07, 2021Is every snowflake unique?This week, Charlotte Birkmanis is chilling out, as she answers Alan's cool question: "I have heard it said many times that no two snowflakes are the same. Given the billions and billions of them that have fallen to Earth, this really does seem unlikely. Since nobody has looked at them all, would you agree with me that the only thing to be said with any certainty, is that no researcher has ever found two the same?" Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...more4minPlay
May 24, 2021Can overcooking junk food make it healthyThis week, we're turning up the heat, as Adam Murphy's been looking into Kelvin's question: "We are told not to overcook our vegetables because this kills the nutrients. Now if that's the case, why don't we just overcook the food we enjoy and not run the risk of putting on weight?" Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...more4minPlay
May 17, 2021Can dog wee dissolve rubber tyres?This week, urine for a treat - Phil Sansom tackles this question from listener Trent. "Every time I walk my dog, it pees on the tyre of a particular trailer. It got me thinking: urine contains uric acid. Is that strong enough to eat through the rubber of the tyre? If so, how long would it take?" Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...more4minPlay
May 10, 2021Can flies survive the winter?Jeffrey got in touch to ask: "We've had a cold and snowy winter, and I've had to shovel my driveway every few days. We had a fly in our house, and I was curious if it survived the cold somehow, or recently hatched?" Adam Murphy got in touch with Erica McAlister, fly specialist and Senior Curator from the Natural History Museum in London to fly in an answer... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...more4minPlay
April 26, 2021How do ZIP files work?Listener Ellie wanted to know: "how do ZIP files work on my computer?" Phil Sansom unzipped the question - with an answer from research data scientist Peter Foster... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...more6minPlay
April 19, 2021Why are electrons never in between orbitals?Quantum hats on for this week's 'exciting' question! Listener Mejnun says: "I have learned at school that when an electron excites it jumps to another orbital around the nucleus. If an electron jumps an orbital you would expect that at that moment it can be found between the two orbitals. My teacher told me that this is never the case. I can not wrap my head around it. Does the particle just disappear in one orbital and appear in the other? Is this instant, is the particle in the other orbital the same? Can you please help me to understand this?" Phil Sansom asked physicist Ankita Anirban to... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...more5minPlay
April 12, 2021Why do chillies stay on your hands?Nancy asked: "Why does chilli stay on your fingers for so long after cooking with them, even after you wash your hands multiple times it can still hurt if you touch your eyes?" So what's the answer to this burning question. Adam Murphy asked chemist Tim Woodman, from the University of Bath... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...more5minPlay
March 29, 2021How did varying chromosome numbers evolve?Listener Mattie asked "If humans have too many or too few chromosomes it can cause them to be infertile. So how did different creatures get different numbers of them? For example, humans have 46 chromosomes, but mice have 40." Eva Higginbotham asked genome evolution expert Hugues Roest Crollius... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...more5minPlay
FAQs about Question of the Week:How many episodes does Question of the Week have?The podcast currently has 176 episodes available.