Question of the Week - From the Naked Scientists

Is it true that there are more earthquakes now than in the past, and that they are more intense? We explore the problem in this Question of the Week. Plus, we ask if non-coding DNA has a purpose.

Have you ever noticed how leaving bits of leftover breakfast cereal uneaten causes it to harden like cement to the side of the bowl? Why is this? We explore the science of cereal cement, with additional commentary from Dominic Ford. Plus, we ask if earthquakes are becoming more commonplace.

So you've felt those cold winds robbing you of your heat, but how fast do you have to go before they give it back? And why do planes stay cold when shuttles are hot? Find out in this QotW!

Does a full fuel tank waste cash? Is there an optimum level to which you should fill your car's petrol tank so it doesn't just use the excess energy simply to carry the petrol around? Do vehicle manufacturers make the capacity of the petrol tank the perfect size with this in mind? Plus, passenger jets arrive cold, but spacecraft burn up - when does wind chill give way to frictional heating?

If you've been to a whale acrobatics display at a tourist centre, you probably noticed some very loud music being played. But does it actually annoy the whales? Plus, we ask how much petrol is the optimum amount to fill the car with each time you visit the pump.

This week: what methods does our body use to keep itself warm? What does shivering actually do? Plus, we ask if whales like music.

Giraffes have very long necks indeed so how do they go about barfing? We find out how they revisit their dinner. Plus, we ask how the human body keeps warm.

Eye circles plague many of us at one time or another. Some of us have them all our lives! But what causes them? We have the answers... or a few of them. Plus, we ask if giraffes find it tricky to vomit...

How did you go about heating the water for this morning's shower? Did you leave the boiler on all night or just heat what you needed? Find out which is the most energy efficient in this Question of the Week! Plus, we ask why people get dark circles around their eyes.

Where do you have to go on the Earth to find the strongest pull of gravity? And where might one go to find the weakest? Plus, we ask which is the most efficient method of heating water: keeping a tank-full warm or just heating what you need.

In the absence of a giant ruler, how does one go about measuring how far the Earth is from a star? Simon Singh explains in this QotW. Plus, we ask where in the world gravity feels strongest.

Potato peelers are the staple of the kitchen drawer, but why don't they ever seem to need a good honing as ordinary knives do? We have the answer(s). Plus, we ask how the distance to a star is calculated.

This week, how do painkillers locate the bits that hurt? Do they have an inflammatory sat-nav or do they just numb your entire body? Plus, we ask why potato peelers never need sharpening.

This week, we discover the reasons for those aches and pains known as cramps. What causes them and how can they be prevented?

If you're hanging onto the back of a car, how fast would it have to go before you were lifted off the ground? Plus, we ask about muscle cramp and how to avoid it!