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Thursday 19th Sep 2019, 09.00am

Positioning in challenging environments

From driving, to crop harvesting and timing in the financial markets, many aspects of our modern lives are reliant on GPS.

But, although they are everywhere, high frequency radio waves have a flaw. They are blocked by solid objects – like buildings – so they can’t reach everywhere. 

Why are athletes using ketones?
Wednesday 19th Jun 2019, 09.00am

Why are athletes using ketones?

It’s considered one of the hardest athletic challenges. 21 day-long stages covering around 3,500 kilometres (2,200 miles) - it’s the Tour De France.

Hardy Crops To Tackle Food Insecurity
Thursday 6th Jun 2019, 09.00am

Hardy Crops To Tackle Food Insecurity

Our world is getting more and more densely populated. By 2050 there’ll be nearly 10 billion people on our planet and agricultural demand is predicted to rise by 70%. So how will we ensure that every human alive gets the food they need?

 

how big a deal is that picture of a black hole?
Wednesday 22nd May 2019, 09.00am

How big a deal is that picture of a black hole?

By now you have probably seen that picture of the BLACK HOLE!

Wednesday 8th May 2019, 09.00am

Did volcanoes help kill off the dinosaurs?

Earth formed over 4.5 billion years ago. We should take a moment to realise how much history that is!

: What do nerves sound like?
Wednesday 24th Apr 2019, 09.00am

What do nerves sound like?

Our nerves don’t stop talking. They’re 24-7 communication systems for our bodies. But does all this cellular chitta-chatta actually make a noise?

What did Hollywood get right and wrong in these movies?
Wednesday 27th Mar 2019, 09.00am

What did Hollywood get right and wrong in these movies?

King Kong, PI, Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind and Superman III. What do these 4 films have in common? SCIENCE! They caught attention of one film fan Edwin Davies.

Why do birds lay eggs?
Wednesday 13th Mar 2019, 09.00am

Why do birds lay eggs?

Most new-born mammals and some reptiles emerge from their mothers through the usual channels. But baby birds are stuck cracking open eggshells – but why?

Why should we cuddle?
Wednesday 13th Feb 2019, 08.30am

Why should we cuddle?

Who doesn’t love a cuddle? Whether it is from a pet or a person they just make us feel good. But, would you believe wrapping your arms around someone else can actually improve your gut health?

Why does Uranus smell like farts?
Wednesday 30th Jan 2019, 09.00am

Why does Uranus smell like farts?

Uranus, the seventh planet from the sun, has the poetic name of the Greek god of the heavens. In the English language, it is, unfortunately, the literal butt of every astronomy joke.

Can a machine pick a perfect Christmas gift?
Wednesday 12th Dec 2018, 09.00am

Can a machine pick a perfect Christmas gift?

It is that time a year again where our relationships are tested to find that perfect Christmas gift! Wouldn’t it be nice if there was an algorithm that could do it for you?

Can you hack an aeroplane?
Wednesday 28th Nov 2018, 09.00am

Can you hack an aeroplane?

35 million flights will take off and land this year. Each flight is tracked on the ground by air traffic control and there’s technology on the plane.

Why does my phone batter suck?
Wednesday 14th Nov 2018, 08.00am

Why does my phone battery suck?

Most people use their phones every single day for communicating with others, using the Internet, playing games via apps.

Where are all the Mangarahara cichlid hiding?
Thursday 11th Oct 2018, 04.00pm

Where are all the Mangarahara cichlid hiding?

In the early 2000s, Brian Zimmerman and his team at London Zoo received a donation from a private fish-breeder of some Mangarahara cichlids.

How do you grow rice faster?
Wednesday 11th Jul 2018, 10.00am

How do you grow rice faster?

Currently over three billion people depend on rice for survival, and, owing to predicted population increases and a general trend towards urbanisation, land that provided enough rice to feed 27 peo

Is there a faster way to diagnose Tuberculosis?
Tuesday 26th Jun 2018, 01.30pm

Is there a faster way to diagnose Tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis (TB) has influenced history. The disease was for centuries associated with poetic and artistic qualities in its sufferers, and was known as "the romantic disease".

How do you teach a robot social cues?
Monday 18th Jun 2018, 02.45pm

How do you teach a robot social cues?

Robots already perform many traditionally human tasks, from vacuuming to surgery—and they could soon help care for the sick and elderly.

What is a virus?
Wednesday 13th Jun 2018, 03.00pm

Facebook LIVE: What is a virus?

We filmed a Facebook LIVE from the Rehwinkel lab in the MRC Human Immunology Unit at the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine in Oxford.

Can you stop Alzheimer’s before it even starts?
Thursday 31st May 2018, 11.00am

Can you stop Alzheimer’s before it even starts?

A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s is life changing for the person with the disease, as well as their family and friends. The changes don’t happen overnight.

Materials for nuclear fusion: how do you confine a sun to a box?
Friday 18th May 2018, 03.30pm

Materials for nuclear fusion: how do you confine a sun to a box?

We face an energy crisis, so the idea of a clean, potentially limitless supply of energy is deeply appealing. Nuclear fusion, the same source of energy that makes the sun shine, could provide the answer, but there are some big obstacles to overcome. 

What is antimatter?
Thursday 17th May 2018, 03.00pm

What is antimatter?

Antimatter has fuelled many a supernatural tale, but it's also fascinating all by itself.

Can you cure HIV?
Wednesday 2nd May 2018, 02.45pm

Can you cure HIV?

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that weakens the immune system and hinders the body’s ability to fight disease.

What do water striders have in common with Game of Thrones?
Friday 20th Apr 2018, 11.30am

What do water striders have in common with Game of Thrones?

Game of Thrones, the world created by author George RR Martin, has gone from beloved book series to much watched box set; Murder, sex, dragons, incest and a battle for the throne!

Mandrakes! This plant is shrouded in myth, magic & witchcraft Famously featured in #HarryPotter. But it is a real plant & grows right here in Oxford!
Thursday 19th Apr 2018, 07.45pm

Facebook LIVE - all about Mandrakes!

We went live with Dr Chris Thorogood, from the 

How does he brain identify voices?
Wednesday 4th Apr 2018, 03.15pm

How does the brain identify voices?

166,000 visitors, 700 competition entries and 1 live experiment!

Heart - Nicola Smart
Wednesday 28th Mar 2018, 03.15pm

How do you mend a broken heart?

It’s the organ that pumps our blood around our body to keep us alive…the heart. But what happens after a heart attack?

Thursday 22nd Mar 2018, 09.00am

How does electricity flow through small objects?

Single molecules are small – really small! But what if we could harness some of their abilities to conduct and control electricity to create new electronic components? Researchers at the University of Oxford are investigating just this to find more energy efficient ways to transfer information.

Monday 12th Mar 2018, 01.00pm

How do you become an astronaut?

How do you become an astronaut?

Storm
Tuesday 9th Jan 2018, 11.15am

What happens after a storm?

Storm Eleanor was the latest name given to the extreme weather that hit the UK at the start of January 2018. This was just a week after Storm Dylan struck on New Year’s Eve.

How to read DNA
Thursday 23rd Nov 2017, 09.00am

How to read DNA

Reading DNA, the instruction book inside of all our cells, is an important way to learn about what makes us who we are. However, not every research group has the expertise and equipment necessary to do this, which is where the Oxford Genomics Centre come in.

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Find out about exciting research taking place at the University in these short videos

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Thursday 5th Dec 2019, 12.30pm

Our mysterious ocean floor

Oceans cover more than 70% of the Earth's surface, yet only 15% of the ocean floor has been mapped in detail. Much remains unknown, including the location of potentially hundreds of thousands of seamounts, which can be hazardous to navigation.

Title image: How do unborn babies and mothers communicate via the placenta?
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Thursday 7th Nov 2019, 12.30pm

How do unborn babies and mothers communicate via the placenta?

The placenta is a fascinating organ, which allows communication between mother and foetus through the release of bubble-like vesicles. Could the messages within these vesicles provide an early warning of diseases such as gestational diabetes and preeclampsia? Scientists at the University of...

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Thursday 3rd Oct 2019, 09.00am

Can we make a sensor that can match a sniffer dog?

When it comes to sensing potentially-dangerous vapours, sniffer dogs are still considered the gold standard. In this animation we learn about chemiresistive sensors, a new type of sensor that may be able to match the noses of our furry friends.

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Thursday 19th Sep 2019, 09.00am

Positioning in challenging environments

From driving, to crop harvesting and timing in the financial markets, many aspects of our modern lives are reliant on GPS.

But, although they are everywhere, high frequency radio waves have a flaw. They are blocked by solid objects – like buildings – so they can’t reach everywhere. 

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Explore The Big Questions with experts from around the University

A superconducting bulk hovers above a figure of eight track
Wednesday 27th Nov 2019, 12.30pm

Where is my hoverboard?

According to the much-loved 'Back to the Future' franchise, we should all be zipping around on hoverboards by now.

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Photo of construction site - Thames Tideway Tunnel project
Wednesday 13th Nov 2019, 12.30pm

How do you build a super sewer?

What do you do when a city outgrows its 150 year old sewer system? Build a super sewer of course! Join University of Oxford engineer Dr Brian Sheil as we go underground, and learn how his innovative sensors are revolutionising the Thames Tideway Tunnel Project – and the construction industry....

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