Episodes

  • Virologists on hantavirus, and extreme heat at the World Cup

    Virologists on hantavirus, and extreme heat at the World Cup
    May 15 2026
    Coming up, a virological voyage through what is known about the hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius. Plus, scientists create the first detailed map of the smell receptors in the nose; how footballers can cope with extreme temperatures at the FIFA World Cup; and the Trump administration releases a tranche of UFO files... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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    30 mins
  • Hantavirus outbreak: cruising for a biological bruising

    Hantavirus outbreak: cruising for a biological bruising
    May 12 2026
    This week, we explore an outbreak of hantavirus aboard the MV Hondius. Cambridge virologist Colin Crump explains how the outbreak of this viral disease may have occurred; Emory University's Boghuma Titanji explores the clinical impact of hantavirus infection; Amesh Adalja at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security explains how the disease passes into humans; and the World Health Organization's Maria van Kerkhove on the international response... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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    35 mins
  • Hantavirus outbreak, and salmon on cocaine

    Hantavirus outbreak, and salmon on cocaine
    May 8 2026
    This week, we discuss the hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius. What are we beginning to learn? Plus, how potatoes were the driving force for advantageous gene selection in the Indigenous Andean population, the salmon being exposed to cocaine in polluted rivers, and what newly discovered molecules are teaching us about ancient life on Mars... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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    33 mins
  • Meningitis under the microscope

    Meningitis under the microscope
    May 5 2026
    Today, we put meningitis under the microscope. Robin May at the UK Health Security Agency explains this group of conditions and how his team might respond to an incident; Kat Sharrocks at Addenbrooke's Hospital details a range of symptoms associated with meningitis; and the Oxford Vaccine Group's Andrew Pollard on the protection that inoculation offers... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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    28 mins
  • Chernobyl 40 years on, and countering ash dieback disease

    Chernobyl 40 years on, and countering ash dieback disease
    May 1 2026
    Forty years on from the Chernobyl disaster, we discuss radioactive fallout and our relationship with nuclear risk. In sport, researchers suggest repeated head impacts may disrupt the blood-brain barrier, potentially increasing dementia risk in retired athletes. And a new approach offers hope for speeding up recovery from ash dieback in affected woodlands... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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    28 mins
  • Giant leaps in astronomy: the telescopes taking us further

    Giant leaps in astronomy: the telescopes taking us further
    Apr 28 2026
    Today, we are taking a journey through the evolution of space telescopes and observatories. They are continuing to drive our understanding of the Universe, and the latest iterations - the Vera Rubin Observatory and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope - are hoping to go even further. But what are these ambitious eyes on the sky revealing? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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    31 mins
  • Microbiome links to Parkinson's, and a massive laser boost

    Microbiome links to Parkinson's, and a massive laser boost
    Apr 24 2026
    This week scientists confirm the link between changes to the microbiome and later development of Parkinson's Disease, a super speedy microfluidic way to diagnose infection and probe antibiotic susceptibility, how many infections does daycare cause in your toddler, and the breakthrough capable of boosting laser power by orders of magnitude... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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    32 mins
  • What is flooding? And how do we tackle it?

    What is flooding? And how do we tackle it?
    Apr 21 2026
    We dive into the science and impact of flooding and coastal change. In partnership with UK Research and Innovation, this podcast explores what flooding is, how we measure tides, the dangers flooding presents to people and places, and how computing and AI are helping us predict, manage, and reduce its impact... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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    29 mins