How do Ants Count?

The Naked Scientists Podcast

Dr Chris Smith

Science Radio, Natural Sciences, Engineering, Science, Medicine, Life Sciences, Technology, Health & Fitness, Naked Scientists

4.6 • 893 Ratings

🗓️ 24 July 2010

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

How do we know that ants count their footsteps? We'll find out in this Naked Scientists Question and Answer show, as well as ask if rubber soles really protect you from electric shocks, if hair will clean itself when you don't, and why a layer of shaving foam stops the mirror from steaming up. Also, the spores that fly on smoke rings, new ways to capture carbon, pain free vaccine patches and the vaginal gel that could block HIV transmission. Plus, Meera investigates vintage computers and in Kitchen Science, Dave discovers how popping candy gets it's pop! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Transcript

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0:00.0	Boldly going where no science show has gone before.
0:05.0	The Naked Scientists.
0:10.0	On the naked scientists this week, pain-free vaccinations, a new way to take CO2 out of the
0:19.6	atmosphere and the spores that travel on smoke rings, plus a new microbicidal gel that helps to protect
0:27.0	women against HIV infection.
0:29.0	Hello, I'm Ben Valsler and with me this week for the naked scientists is Dave Ansel and here's Chris Smith.
0:35.6	Hello and greetings from Sunny Exeter. We're taking on your science questions this week so
0:41.5	stick around to find out how ants can count if
0:44.7	rubber soles can keep you safe from static shocks, if hair can clean itself, and
0:49.2	why shaving foam can keep mirrors frost free. We'll be answering all of those and if you've got a question
0:54.0	you'd like us to solve you. The details of how to get in touch are coming up.
0:57.2	Dave. Thanks Chris. Plus we'll be hearing from Mirror about a technology of
1:01.5	yesterday, how people are keeping retro computers going and even
1:04.4	doing things that they were never designed for.
1:06.3	And also this week I've got a really sweet kitchen science for you.
1:09.5	We're putting popping candy under the microscope to find out how it makes its distinctive popping sounds.
1:14.8	If you would like to get in touch with us through Twitter, it's at naked scientists, and our email address
1:19.6	is Chris at the Naked Scientists Naked Scientists. This Laying the facts bear.
1:27.0	The Naked Scientists This is the naked scientist with me Ben Valzler with Chris Smith and with Dave Ansel and as usual
1:39.8	we'll kick off with a look at this week's science news. Moss spores seem to get an extra lift
1:46.2	from the same process that generates smoke rings and mushroom clouds according to new
1:50.8	research published in the journal Science this week.
	...

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