A group of Cambridge scientists have taken to the airwaves with their own radio show broadcast weekly on Cambridge's Star 107.9FM

A group of Cambridge scientists have taken to the airwaves with their own radio show broadcast weekly on Cambridge's Star 107.9FM

Called The Naked Scientists, the show is a mixture of news and discussion aimed at bolstering public confidence in scientists and their work, and raising public awareness of scientific discoveries and achievements.

Each programme has an invited guest talking about their research - so far this term they have included Dr Leslie Noe, from the Sedgwick Museum, discussing dinosaurs, and Dr Kourosh Saeb-Parsey, talking about body clocks.

Listeners tuning in to the show in the next few weeks will be able to find out about subjects as diverse as tropical diseases and archaeology.

Show presenter Shibley Rahman recently completed his PhD at the University of Cambridge and is currently working as a medical house-officer at Addenbrooke's Hospital.

"The programme aims to bring science directly into people's homes in an informal and very lively way. We tackle an enormous range of topics and we encourage listeners to ring or write in to have their questions answered," he said.

The show is a sequel to the group's original project ScienceWorld, which began in February 2000. It is funded by a grant from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

Naked Scientists co-presenter Dr Chris Smith, is currently working as a surgical house-officer at Broomfield Hospital, in Chelmsford, Essex.

Other contributors include Dr Adel Abdelfattah, who recently finished his medical degree at Cambridge and is now working at Hinchingbrooke Hospital, and Drs Chandy Natha and Alison George, both scientists working at the British Antarctic Survey.

The show is broadcast on Star 107.9FM each Sunday evening between 8pm and 9pm. The team also has a website - www.thenakedscientist s.com - which is being developed with the University's Centre for Applied Research in Educational Technologies (CARET).

This new multi-media project is designed to maximize the educational potential, accessibility and impact of the radio broadcasts. It will use streaming technology to make available archive material from previous broadcasts. The website will also incorporate discussion forums, a guest book, a calendar of forthcoming events and links to other web-based educational resources.


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