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Scientists
How do you measure pain?
We all feel pain differently. What to one person may be the worst pain in the world, might be a mild irritation to another person; but why? At the moment, we don’t have a thorough understanding of how pain is processed, meaning it is difficult to devise treatments for chronic (long-term) pain.
Are bats superheroes or villains?
The Big Questions podcast is back with a new series, and we start with a special Halloween edition! Join University of Oxford evolutionary virologist Emilia Skirmuntt as we learn all about the weird and wonderful world of bats, and ask the question 'Are bats superheroes or villains?'
Professor Richard Dawkins ‘Brief Candle in the Dark : My Life in Science'
This event is now soldout
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. And last year the new discovery about the seventh planet’s odour – or, more precisely, the chemical composition of its atmosphere – has not helped the comic...
Blog - ramblings on academic related matters from Dorothy Bishop, Professor of Psychology
By following the external link at the bottom of the page, you can visit the blog of Dorothy Bishop, an Oxford pyschologist who specializes in developmental neuropyschology, specifically in understanding how lanugage impairments in children are caused and what can be done to assist them. Her lively and interested discussions are not limited to...
How garlicky is your garlic?
When it comes to mass-producing food, it’s important to make sure the taste is consistent, and good! But how can we detect the taste of something without eating it ourselves? Prof Richard Compton and his team in the Department of Chemistry are experts in electrochemical sensors, and in this episode of the Big Questions podcast he tells us all...
Using your science to explore the climate history of Mars
Mars today is colder than Antarctica and drier than the Sahara — but scratch just beneath its dusty red coating and tales of a different planet emerge. The young Mars of three billion years ago was an Earth-like place of rain, rivers, and perhaps even oceans. Though long-gone, the rocks remember. In the lab, and through a simple understanding...
Min Chen
I was born in Shanghai, China. The majority of my school education took place during the infamous Cultural Revolution. There was no encouragement of academic achievement. Fortunately, the Cultural Revolution ended in 1976, when I was 16, and it became normal again for teenagers to study and apply for university places.
Why do diets fail?
It's a new year (and a new decade!) and many of us will be looking to turn over a new leaf when it comes to diet and lifestyle. But - as anyone who's tried one will know - diets are VERY difficult to stick to. In this episode of the Big Questions podcast, we ask Professor Heidi de Wet from the University of Oxford's Department of Physiology,...
Clara Barker
I am a thin-film material scientist who manages the Centre for Applied Superconductivity, in the Materials Science department at Oxford University. I am also the chair of the LGBT+ advisory group to Oxford University and in 2018 I won the first diversity role model award from the University. I run a youth group for LGBTI+ young people and give...
