Discover
Diet and Lifestyle
Did the pandemic make us moodier?
Lockdowns, social distancing, restrictions on 'normal' activities - we've all been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. But how has it impacted on our mood and mental wellbeing? We chat to Dr Max Taquet from the Department of Psychiatry about 'mood homeostasis' (the interplay between people's activities and the way they feel), and how this has...
Can we diagnose heart attacks faster?
With one person admitted to hospital every 5 minutes in the UK because of a heart attack, the ability to diagnose and treat them quickly is vital. In this episode of the ‘Big Questions’ podcast, find out how Dr Tingting Zhu is using a machine learning algorithm, trained on 15,000 ECGs, to diagnose heart attacks faster, potentially eliminating...
Can celebrities save the pangolin?
'Influencers' are here like never before...log on to social media, and there will be someone there to tell you what to cook or what to wear...But what about when it comes to wildlife conservation? For instance, how much impact can a celebrity have when it comes to saving an endangered species? In this episode of the Oxford Sparks Big Questions...
Susann Stritzke
Imagine a never-ending power-cut, or getting a sore throat because your light at home is coming from a kerosene candle. For over 600 million people in Africa, this is the daily reality as they do not have reliable access to electricity, especially in rural communities. I want to help to change that through my research, which is looking for...
Lauren Bandy
I did my undergraduate degree in Nutrition at King’s College London, and worked as a nutrition analyst for a private market research company for four years while I did my Masters in Food Policy at City University London. While working and doing my Masters I came up with a method that links food sales data with 'back of pack' nutrition...
Tingting Zhu
Dr. Tingting Zhu is a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow and Member of Faculty within the Department of Engineering Science, Oxford. She is an Associate Research Fellow of St. Hilda's College and a Stipendiary Lecturer at Mansfield College.
How are we using energy in lockdown?
Things have changed a lot over the past few months – including, for many of us, our daily routine. But how has this impacted our energy usage? In this week’s episode of the Big Questions podcast, we chat to Dr Philipp Grünewald from Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute about his ‘JoyMeter’ survey, which has given a fascinating insight into...
Lockdown Walks - How can I spot a badger?
Have you ever wondered how to spot a badger? Well you're in luck! In this episode of 'Lockdown Walks', Tanesha Allen shares her top tips on how to find these elusive creatures. Don't forget to check out the other episodes in our 'Lockdown Walks' series, which shows you some of the fascinating science that can be discovered just outside your...
Greger Larson
I received my bachelor's degree in 1996 from Claremont McKenna College, a small liberal arts college in California. I then read just about everything Stephen J Gould ever wrote over the following three years while wandering the deserts of Turkmenistan and working for an environmental consultancy in Azerbaijan. Deciding that evolution was cooler...
Lockdown Walks - What's the secret behind Autumn colours?
Woolly jumpers, pumpkin-picking, steaming mugs of cocoa - there are lots of things to love about Autumn (or Fall for our North American friends)! And surely nothing can beat those beautiful Autumn colours? But what's the secret behind those amazing hues of red, orange and yellow? We all enjoy kicking through piles of crunchy leaves, but why do...
