Chris Smith isn't afraid to shed a little clothing in the name of science. A clinician and Cambridge virology lecturer by day, he moonlights as a popular radio personality turned podcaster: the original Naked Scientist and the voice behind the Nature podcast.
It all began at a Cambridge science festival in early 1999, where Smith gave a public demonstration on how to extract DNA from an onion using pineapple juice and a coffee filter. Smith, who was completing a PhD and a medical degree at the time, was noticed by a local station and recruited to promote science to the public during regular radio appearances. With the help of a grant, he and some graduate student friends bought their own airtime to do the same while entertaining audiences-with a weekly, live talk show, "ScienceWorld."
After a year's break to finish school, Smith's revamped show - dubbed "The Naked Scientists"- caught ...