Can Smart Thermostats save you money on energy bills?

Temperatures are falling and conversations are already turning to whether or not the heating has been turned on! Although energy prices have come down a little since last year, the withdrawal of universal Government support to alleviate the cost could mean bills stay high for a lot of people.

Listener Wendy is already doing a lot to save money (having listened to a previous Sliced Bread episode on Portable Heaters - check it out on BBC Sounds!) but she's keen to know if the addition of a Smart Thermostat might make even more of a difference.

Are they as clever as they claim to be when it comes to controlling the heating in your home?

If you’ve seen an ad, trend or fad relating to another consumer product and wonder if there’s any evidence to back up a claim, then email us: [email protected] or you can send a voice note to our WhatsApp number: 07543 306807

PRESENTER: Greg Foot

Greg Foot gets queasy in the name of science as he investigates the range of products promising to help with motion sickness.

Do the pills, wristbands or breathing techniques which claim to stop you from feeling sick on planes, trains and automobiles actually work?

To find out, Greg heads to Professor John Golding's laboratory at the University of Westminster where a spinning chair is used to induce symptoms of motion sickness.

Why don't scientifically-proven treatments always work for everyone?

If you’ve seen an ad, trend or fad relating to another consumer product and wonder if there’s any evidence to back up a claim, then email us: [email protected] or you can send a voice note to our WhatsApp number: 07543 306807

Sliced Bread is a BBC Audio North production for Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

PRESENTER: Greg Foot

Do weighted blankets reduce stress and help you sleep better?

They’ve gone from a middle-aisle fad to being a regular fixture in supermarkets and online stores. Weighted blankets can cost upto £200 and promise to give you a deeper, more restful sleep. But do they?

Listener Theresa wanted to know about the science behind them. What is it about the ‘deep touch’ or ‘deep pressure’ stimulation that the manufacturers claim helps us to sleep? They’re also often marketed as offering help with anxiety and autism. Listener Claire runs a support group for children with autism and is keen to know more, so I speak to the lead scientist of a big study into that. And listener Pauline wonders whether there are any health risks associated with weighted blankets?

Once again this series we’re testing and investigating your suggested wonder-products, so if you’ve seen an ad, trend or fad, and wonder if there’s any evidence to back up a claim, drop us an email to [email protected] or you can send us a voice note to our WhatsApp number: 07543 306807.

Presenter: Greg Foot

Induction hobs are not just a fashionable addition to a new kitchen, but are also sold as a more efficient choice than a gas hob. How do they compare? Is cooking on an electric induction hob better for the planet? And what about our health?

Listener Roisin wants to know if they are an economical choice but worries they might affect her mum's pacemaker, while listener Anna is concerned about indoor air pollution from gas cookers and wonders if induction hobs are a safer bet.

Greg Foot gets them some answers with expert help from Emily Seymour, the Energy Editor at Which? and Jonathan Grigg, Professor of Paediatric Respiratory and Environmental Medicine at Queen Mary University of London.

If you’ve seen an ad, trend or fad relating to another consumer product and wonder if there’s any evidence to back up a claim, then email us: [email protected] or you can send a voice note to our WhatsApp number: 07543 306807

PRESENTER: Greg Foot

Is vaping harmful to your health and to the environment?

I'm back with a new series of Sliced Bread and I'm kicking off with a topic many of you have suggested - vapes. They've become controversial largely because of the rise in single-use, or disposable, vapes. Nearly eight million are sold in the UK each week, a figure that's doubled in the past year. And according to the organisation Material Focus, which campaigns to increase recyling rates, five million of those are thrown away. Listener John has spotted them lying around on the pavement and is worried about their effect on the environment.

I'm joined by Scott Butler from Material Focus who takes apart a disposable vape and shows me just what's inside and explains why they're harmful to the planet and what can be done to improve recycling.

I'm also investigating the reason vapes were introduced in the first place over a decade ago - as a smoking cessation aid. Listener Sam wants to know if they really do help you stop smoking or whether the convenience of disposable vapes means they just prolong or even worsen the addiction?

I speak to Professor Anne McNeill, co-author of a landmark review into the health impact of vapes and their effectiveness when it comes to helping people stop smoking compared to previous treatments like nicotine patches or gum.

Presenter: Greg Foot

Greg Foot returns to investigate a whole new batch of so-called wonder products suggested by you, the listeners.

Sliced Bread is back for a new series from Thursday 28 September, 2023 on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds, with new episodes available weekly on Thursdays on BBC Sounds and wherever you get your podcasts.

If you are heading somewhere tropical this summer, or just want to protect yourself from bites in your own back garden, then which mosquito repellents can you trust?

Greg Foot gets up close and personal with a box full of hungry mosquitoes to find out.

Is it all about DEET or are there alternatives which are just as effective? What about citronella? And how well do bracelets, patches and candles perform?

And if you do get bitten, what is the best treatment for a mosquito bite?

Greg assesses the scientific evidence with Professor James Logan from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Dr Jane Wilcock, an indepedent researcher and GP.

If you’ve seen an ad, trend or fad relating to another consumer product and wonder if there’s any evidence to back up a claim, drop us an email to [email protected] or you can send a voice note to our WhatsApp number: 07543 306807

PRESENTER: Greg Foot

This is one of your most-requested topics and as a keen runner myself I couldn’t wait to get into it. Barefoot shoes claim to encourage you to run in a more ‘natural’ way, landing on your mid or forefoot rather than on your heel. Some brands say they’ll increase your speed and reduce the likelihood of injury. But will they?

Listener Sam runs marathons and wants to know if the science backs up the marketing hype. He also wonders whether the wider toebox in barefoot shoes really does allow for our toes to be separated out in a more natural way.

It’s not just runners who got in touch either; Jon is a dog walker and is interested in wearing barefoot shoes on a more casual basis. Is there any benefit to that?

And what about children? Listener Zoe already wears barefoot shoes herself but wants to know if they might be good for her son, too.

PRESENTER: Greg Foot

Owners clearing up after the UK's 11 million estimated pet dogs have a bewildering array of bags from which to choose.

Some are labelled 'degradable', others are called 'biodegradable', 'compostable and biodegradable' or 'recycled.'

So which ones are best for the environment? And what is the most environmentally friendly way of disposing of our dogs' doo?

Greg Foot is on the case on behalf of listeners including Nicola Jones and Craig Hart who are perplexed by the claims being made on dog poo bags.

If you’ve seen an ad, trend or fad relating to another consumer product and wonder if there’s any evidence to back up a claim, drop us an email to [email protected] or you can send a voice note to our WhatsApp number: 07543 306807

PRESENTER: Greg Foot

Which cycle helmets give you the best protection?

I’m a big fan of cycling and so when listener Migue got in touch wanting to know what cycle helmet he should buy next, I was really keen to investigate.

Migue wanted to know what factors make a cycle helmet the most effective when it comes to protecting your head: the shape, the material, the fit? He’s seen all sorts of neat tech, including collapsible helmets and ones that fit around your neck and act like airbags! To find out more I speak to an expert at one of the world’s leading helmet testing labs in Virginia, USA.

And in researching this episode I also discovered there is a hotly-contested debate about whether cycle helmets should be the focus at all when it comes to safety. Some - including the organisation Cycling UK and the charity Sustrans - argue that introducing tougher rules around helmets would mean far more lives lost through physical inactivity than would be saved in protecting from collisions, which are rare. That’s a view shared by Dr Ian Walker from Swansea University, who also features in this episode.

Once again this series we’re testing and investigating your suggested wonder-products, so if you’ve seen an ad, trend or fad, and wonder if there’s any evidence to back up a claim, drop us an email to [email protected] or you can send us a voice note to our WhatsApp number: 07543 306807

PRESENTER: Greg Foot

PRODUCER: Simon Hoban