Van writes in with, 'A friend is encouraging me to take a cancer screening test that screens for many different cancers. A review of one test says: "While overall it picks up 90% of stage 4 cancers, it only detects an average of 17% of stage 1 cancers. Yet it is being touted as a test that can detect cancer early." Are these tests worthwhile?' Jame…

Dr Chris and Clarence take on another selection of topics from across the scientific spectrum: Who were the victims of the Mount Vesuvius eruption? How does one get rid of ringworm? What are the effects of a low heart rate? If our internal body temperature is 37 degrees, why do we feel warm when it's 35 degrees outside? What is an eating disorder? …

New NICE guidance urges HRT as a first-line treatment for menopause symptoms, the enormous black hole that doesn't obey our existing laws of physics, and what DNA analysis is revealing about the people who inhabited Pompeii... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists由The Naked Scientists

This month, signs that cancers communicate with the brain to alter mood, why antibodies are unreliable in research, evidence that social training can cut stress and boost brain volume, and agents derived from birth products that suppress inflammation and kill pain... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists…

In this episode of Naked Genetics: How much of your personality is down to your DNA; we also look at synthetic DNA, and why we'd want to make it; plus, the spiders that turn one species of insect against its own kind... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists由Will Tingle

In this episode of Naked Neuroscience, James Tytko takes us in depth on traumatic brain injuries: assessing the risks of repeat head knocks, and shining a light on key developments in treating them. We hear from Dawn Astle, daughter of former England footballer Jeff Astle, on his dementia following a career of heading footballs. Then, we hear from …

Initially, the upside to children having access to a supercomputer in their pockets seemed obvious: immediate access to the reams of educational information on the internet, seamless communications with their friends, a source of constant entertainment. But as mental ill health amongst our youngsters continues to rise, many are pointing to smartpho…

If dinosaurs hadn't been wiped out by a mass extinction event, would there have been room for humans to grow into the successful species we are today? That's what Colin wants to know, and James Tytko has promised to find the answer. He spoke with Dr Charlotte Kenchington from the University of Cambridge's Department of Earth Sciences... Like this p…

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: The UK detects its first case of the new Mpox variant, but some are saying what took us so long; also the discovery of a lost city beneath the jungle canopy in Mexico; and the robots helping Cambridge scientists understand the evolution of fish... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Sci…

Do animals lower their mating standards when drunk? Why do different farts make different noises? What should you do if your lift cable snaps? Were there two Earths at one point? Where do mosquitoes go during the day? Is tinnitus always a ringing sound? Is Teflon safe to use? Is there such thing as a universal frame of reference? Dr Chris Smith and…

The US election between Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump is going down to the wire. Indeed, this has been described by many as the closest presidential election ever seen. Inevitably, with tensions so high on either side, the cry of electoral interference is a common one. But just how is today's technology being …

In this episode of Ask! The Naked Scientist, Dr Chris explains how our eyesight changes as we age, what the difference is between a brown and white egg shell, and the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists由Dr Chris Smith

Pamela wants to know whether the distribution of chemical isotopes is the same on other planets as it is on Earth. Take carbon, for example, 99% of which is carbon-12 on Earth while 1% is carbon-13? To find the answer, James Tytko asked Xander Byrne from the University of Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy... Like this podcast? Please help us by su…

In this episode, why approaches to cancer care need a pro-active approach in future, the opportunities arising for the cancer vaccine space, competency-based medical training, the environmental costs of losing large animals, and why water resilience needs careful planning now... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists…

In this edition of The Naked Scientists: Sir Chris Hoy goes public with his terminal prostate cancer diagnosis; the World Health Organization has declared Egypt malaria-free; also, it's time to change the clocks in some countries. But what impact does it have on our perception of time? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scien…

In this edition of The Naked Scientists, as NASA's Europa Clipper mission successfully blasts off towards Jupiter's moon, we look at how it leads the search for life in our solar system... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists由The Naked Scientists