Naked Scientists Quick Fire Science

Quick Fire Science

Quick fire facts on hot science news stories...
English United Kingdom Science
37 Episodes
12 – 32

Keeling Curve Crowdfunding

Crowd funding programmes like Kick-starter have been used to raise money for music projects and Hollywood films, but now it could even be used to raise funding for long running scientific projects. The so-called Keeling Curve is the world's longest unbroken record of how much carbon dioxide is in the…
Season 1 / Episode 13 2 min

Purple Tomatoes

Purple tomatoes might soon be making their way onto our dinner plates as the genetically modified fruit is currently being mass produced in Canada. The tomatoes which contain anthocyanin compounds normally found in deeply coloured berries are hoped to place the potential health benefits of blueberries and cranberries in a…
Season 1 / Episode 14 2 min

Medically Induced Comas

This week doctors are trying to bring Formula One Racing Star Michael Schumacher out of a coma which was medically induced following a skiing accident.To find out more about why medically induced comas are thought to help people with brain injuries Here's your Quickfire Science with Kate Lamble and Hannah…
Season 1 / Episode 15 1 min

Maurice the Giraffe

Last week a young, physically healthy giraffe called Marius in a zoo in Copenhagen was put down, amidst an uproar from animal lovers. The zoo argued that it had to be done to prevent inbreeding, and produce a healthier population of giraffes. Here's your Quick Fire Science on the subject…
Season 1 / Episode 16 2 min

Winter Olympics

The Winter Olympics are finishing in Sochi, Russia this week. But it's not just the athletes who've spent the last four years training for the event. Engineers and designers have also been working to reduce times and grab golds on the slopes. In fact, when asked about her gold medal…
Season 1 / Episode 17 2 min

Northern Lights

Last week much of the UK witnessed the spectacular displays of the Northern Lights, but what causes this phenomenal natural light show? Here's your quick fire science on the aurora borealis…
Season 1 / Episode 18 2 min

Air Traffic Communication

With the Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 still missing after nearly two weeks, some people are asking how you can lose a plane? But with over 6000 aeroplanes flying above us every day it's essential that air traffic control keeps in contact with them all. Here's your Quick Fire Science on…
Season 1 / Episode 19 2 min

Black Box Recorders

Now that Malaysian Airways Flight MH370 has officially been acknowledged to have ended in the southern Indian Ocean with all lives lost, attentions have turned to recovering wreckage and piecing together what events might have lead to its crash. It's the aircraft's black box recorder which might hold the most…
Season 1 / Episode 20 3 min

World Autism Awareness Day

Wednesday, the 2nd of April was World Autism Awareness Day so to help you get to grips with this often misunderstood condition here's your Quick Fire Science with Hannah Critchlow and Kate Lamble
Season 1 / Episode 21 2 min

Plane Stowaway

This week, a teenage boy survived the 5 hour flight from California to Hawaii, hidden in the wheel well of a plane. Experts are astonished that he seems to be unharmed- but just how amazing is his survival? Here are Kate Lamble and Dave Ansell with your Quick Fire Science…
Season 1 / Episode 22 2 min

Asthma

This week the Royal College of Physicians have issued a report looking at the standard of asthma care in the UK. There are over 5 million asthmatics in Britain, and last year there were more than 1000 deaths from the condition, one of the highest rates in Europe. Medical staff,…
Season 1 / Episode 23 2 min

Coal Mining Dangers

This week news broke that Turkey had suffered its worst ever mining disaster after an explosion and fire in a mine in Soma claimed almost three hundred lives. But why are explosions such a risk when mining? Dave Ansell and Kate Lamble have your Quick Fire Science
Season 1 / Episode 24 2 min

World's Largest Dinosaur

This week, a farm worker in Argentina stumbled upon what has turned out to be a bone belonging to the largest known dinosaur to have ever walked the planet. Here's your Quick Fire Science on the find, with Kate Lamble and Dave Ansell…
Season 1 / Episode 25 1 min

Ecstasy

This week, Alexander Shulgin, the so called 'Godfather of ecstasy' died peacefully in his sleep. The 88 year old is best known for introducing MDMA, the active molecule in ecstasy, to psychologists in the 1970s, and also synthesised and tested over 200 psychoactive substances during his lifetime. Here is your…
Season 1 / Episode 26 2 min

The Turing Test

This week a computer program reportedly passed the 'Turing test' for the first time, tricking people into believing it is human. This was part of a competition run by Reading University to commemorate the 60th anniversary of death of the test's creator: Alan Turing. Here is your Quick Fire Science…
Season 1 / Episode 27 2 min

The Lethal Injection

Capital punishment hasn't been used in the UK since 1964, however many countries, including the USA and China, still execute prisoners ever year. This week the USA has carried out its first lethal injections since the botched execution of convict Clayton Lockett in April, who died from a heart attack…
Season 1 / Episode 28 2 min

Captive breeding

Last week, the 2nd to last to last wild born Spix's Macaw died. The 40 year old parrot, named Presley, was thought to have inspired the film Rio- about a pet parrot who is discovered and taken to join a captive breeding programme. Spix's Macaws are thought to be extinct…
Season 1 / Episode 29 2 min

Supermoon

Last weekend, many people will have noticed the moon looking especially bigand bright. This is because of a phenomenon known as the supermoon.
Season 1 / Episode 30 1 min

Diverless Cars

It has been announced by the government that driverless cars will be trialled on the roads of the UK by January 2015. The Ministry for Transport has invited cities to compete to host one of 3 trials. But the UK aren't the first to allow testing on public roads- California,…
Season 1 / Episode 31 2 min

HIV: Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Worldwide, nearly 40 million people are infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Here's the Quick Fire Science, with Phil Sansom... HIV is the human immunodeficiency virus, and around one in 650 people have it in the UK. Often the only symptom is a short flu-like illness a few…
Season 0 / Episode 1 min
12 – 32