5 Live Science Podcast

Dr Chris Smith and the Naked Scientist team present the latest science news, analysis and breakthroughs. This week, as AstraZeneca acknowledged that their COVID vaccine is linked to a rare blood clotting side effect, we find out more about it. Plus how scientists are getting closer to cracking nuclear fusion, and how adding bacteria could be key to breaking down plastic. We also discover how zero gravity affects the body, and how science is looking at the future impact of long journeys away from Earth ahead of further exploration into space. Get the podcast from the BBC Sounds app.

Dr Chris Smith and the Naked Scientist team present the latest science news, analysis and breakthroughs. In this week's programme: scientists give mice a rat's sense of smell; we find out why some of China's biggest cities are sinking; and 14 years after disaster struck in the Gulf of Mexico, how laser-treated cork may be able to help us to clean up oil spills in future. Plus, a special look at ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, as we find out what it is, who's got it and how science can help us to better manage it.

Dr Chris Smith and the Naked Scientist team discover: Why we need stricter smoking and vaping controls and will they work? The remains of what’s believed to be the largest reptile to have roamed our Severn Seas. A tribute to the BA pilot who saved his air passengers from a volcanic ash cloud – so why are volcanoes so disastrous for jet engines? Finally, a look at how food production will cope with climate change in the future.

Dr Chris Smith and the Naked Scientist team present the latest science news, analysis and breakthroughs. In this week's episode….Scientists invent artificial platelets to help us clot blood better, why it might be time to reappraise the peace loving nature of Bonobos, why the moon apparently turned itself inside out in the past. Plus as a special tribute to the revered British Scientist Peter Higgs who died this week aged 94, his friend Lyn Evans tells us about the 40 year search for the Higgs boson particle that provides some answers to life, the universe and everything… Get the podcast from the BBC Sounds app.

Dr Chris Smith and the Naked Scientist team present the latest science news, analysis and breakthroughs, In this week's episode we discuss why our belly fat could be key to helping people with spinal injuries, a breakthrough in understanding why the BRCA genes lead to breast cancer in some people and we look at the new breed of synthetic opioids making their way on to the streets of Britain, and find out why they’re so deadly. Get the podcast from the BBC Sounds app.

Dr Chris Smith and the Naked Scientist team find out how climate change is making the earth turn more slowly, whether vaccines can combat bovine tuberculosis, and take an in depth look at our understanding of Alzheimer’s.

Dr Chris Smith and the Naked Scientists look at what's behind a spike in whooping cough cases occurring across the UK and Europe.

Dr Chris Smith and the Naked Scientist team present the latest science news, analysis and breakthroughs, In this week's episode……four years after they declared COVID 19 a global pandemic, we speak to the World Health Organization to get their recollections and perspectives. A surprising finding about the particles shed from the brake pads on our cars, we look back at the remarkable life of Paul Alexander, the man in the iron lung, who’s died aged 78. And we look at the long term effects of COVID 19. Get the podcast from the BBC Sounds app.

The team discuss the gene that turns Labradors into gluttons, migratory birds and the oldest known dead galaxy.

Off the back of cyber-attacks on the British Library and Cambridge University, Dr Chris Smith and the Naked Scientist look at the how they happen, who is responsible, and how can we protect against them. Plus the team find out why a gene might be responsible for a Labrador's weight, how early springs are affecting migratory birds, and hear from the Cambridge team who have found the oldest known dead galaxy in the universe.

Dr Chris Smith and the Naked Scientist team present the latest science news, analysis and breakthroughs, In this week's episode……as the UK re-joins the EU horizon research programme we hear from the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology on what she sees as the main benefit from this new deal. Also, scientists discover a way to get lithium batteries charging faster and performing better in the cold, and how and why did we humans lose our tails back in history? Plus we’re looking into potholes, what’s causing them and the research drive to try and fix them permanently. Get the podcast from the BBC Sounds app.

Dr Chris Smith and the Naked Scientist team present the latest science news, analysis and breakthroughs, In this week's episode...scientists unveil prehistoric cases of Down’s syndrome, but how did they find them? How whales really produce whale songs and the famous fake fossil that foxed palaeontologists for the best part of a century. Plus we’re taking a look at the so called “Forever Chemicals”…what are they? And how they might be damaging for us and the environment. Get the podcast from the BBC Sounds app.

Dr Chris Smith and the Naked Scientist team present the latest science news, analysis and breakthroughs, In this week's episode...a huge outbreak of dengue fever in Brazil so should we be worried here in Europe? Also scientists discover the types of microbe that drive the decomposition of animal flesh and they do it in a pretty gruesome way. And where do we get our sense of humour from? Plus we find out how fish skin is fighting infection on the battlefield and take a look at the origins of medics in conflicts. Get the podcast from the BBC Sounds app.

Dr Chris Smith and the Naked Scientist team present the latest science news, analysis and breakthroughs, In this week's episode... why cancer waiting lists have lengthened and the importance of catching the disease early? Also how pollution is blinding insects to plants they might want to pollinate? And how do blueberries come by their colour? It’s not as simple as it sounds, squash one and you’ll see they are not blue inside. Plus we’re looking at the debate at around assisted dying after Dame Esther Rantzen told the BBC she’s decided to join an assisted dying clinic in Switzerland. Get the podcast from the BBC Sounds app.

Dr Chris Smith and the Naked Scientist team present the latest science news, analysis and breakthroughs, In this week's episode...a human receives one of Elon Musk’s brain implants, but why? Also scientists unlock part of the puzzle of why fasting can cut inflammation and slow down the gaining process, and a brief history of spine – we explore a new exhibition on vertebrates. Plus The science of shipping – we go to sea on a ship of the future to hear how the industry is trying to cut it’s carbon footprint. Get the podcast from the BBC Sounds app.

Dr Chris Smith and the Naked Scientist team present the latest science news, analysis and breakthroughs, In this week's episode...what the structure of your retina reveals about your risk of developing a range of different diseases, have we finally cracked how the first biological cells appeared 4 billions years ago? And how pond skater insects survive potentially lethal run-ins with large raindrops. Plus we’re continuing our “Titans of Science” series, this week we interviewing Wales former Chief Scientist and Alzheimer's guru, Julie Williams. Get the podcast from the BBC Sounds app.

Dr Chris Smith and the Naked Scientist team present the latest science news, analysis and breakthroughs, In this week's episode...did the black death really kill so many in Europe that if left an indelible mark in the population’s DNA? New research suggests that might be a myth. Also could smaller wine measures in pubs help to tackle our unhealthy relationship with alcohol and later on, the Cambridge engineers who are using science to plug the gaps in the UK pot-holed roads. Plus we continue our Titans of Science series, this week featuring the cosmologist, astrophysicist and member of the House of Lords, Martin Rees. Get the podcast from the BBC Sounds app.

Dr Chris Smith and the Naked Scientist team present the latest science news, analysis and breakthroughs, In this week's episode...why a dose of old drugs might be a new way to beat depression. With many countries gearing up for general elections in the year ahead, why AI generated deepfakes have got politicians very worried. We look back at the life of the pioneering British transplant surgeon, Professor Sir Roy Calne and we continue our Titans of Science series with the psychologist and new Vice Chancellor of Cambridge University – Professor Deborah Prentice. Get the podcast from the BBC Sounds app.

Dr Chris Smith and the Naked Scientists investigate why the world is seeing a surge of measles, look into how Japan prepares for earthquakes, asks if AI glorifies terrorism, and whether space junk is worth recycling. Plus they delve into the microbiome including how a "transpoosion" can reverse antibiotic resistance.

Dr Chris Smith and the Naked Scientist team present the latest science news, analysis and breakthroughs. This week, Chris Smith and Will Tingle look back on some of 2023’s most important scientific discoveries and ponder what we should expect in 2024. Get the podcast from the BBC Sounds app.