Navalny's dart frog poisoning, and cat cancer genomics

The Naked Scientists Podcast

Dr Chris Smith

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

4.6 • 958 Ratings

🗓️ 20 February 2026

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This week, we look into the science behind Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's death, caused by dart frog poison, and why Russia resorted to such an exotic means of dispatch at all. Also, how cat cancer genomics can provide new insights into human malignancies, and - more with a whimper than a bang - how a dying star skipped the supernova and became an instant black hole. Plus, Barack Obama's stance on aliens sends conspiracy theorists into a frenzy... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Transcript

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0:00.0	All engine running.
0:03.4	Absolutely genius.
0:04.2	Welcome.
0:05.1	Welcome.
0:06.0	This is the show where we bring you science.
0:07.8	What that essentially means is...
0:09.4	Discovery is...
0:09.9	Advances.
0:10.9	Research.
0:11.6	Technology.
0:12.6	Unbelievable.
0:13.5	Without further ado, this is the Naked Scientists.
0:16.9	Hello, welcome to the Naked Scientist.
0:18.7	This is the program that brings you the biggest
0:21.4	breakthroughs and also talks to the major movers and shakers in the worlds of science, technology
0:26.2	and medicine. I'm Chris Smith and coming up, Russia stands accused of murdering opposition
0:31.7	leader Alexei Navajani with dart frog poison. But how might it have killed him? Also, the first
0:37.4	comprehensive study of cancer in domestic cats and what this reveals about
0:41.7	our understanding of the human disease, and the former US President Barack Obama sparks
0:47.0	controversy with his views on UFOs.
0:49.5	We get the alien perspective.
0:59.6	Thank you. the alien perspective. In August 2020, the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny
	...

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