Women in Science
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 people in 2010 will need to support 43 by 2050.
In the hopes of meeting the food needs of billions of people around the world, scientists have...

Nikol Lambeva
I am a DPhil student in Condensed Matter Physics, part of the Physics and Application of Soluble Semiconductors group working with Prof Donal Bradley. My main research interests include (i) probing the electronic structure and transport in novel materials for applications in the solar cell, lighting and display technologies, and (ii) studying...

Tess Johnson
As a DPhil candidate in Philosophy, I am based at the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics. During my undergraduate studies in biology and anthropology at the Australian National University, I took an amazing class in bioethics, and discovered a love for asking the big “should” questions about scientific developments—from new reproductive...

Anna Brookfield
Describe yourself in three words: Enthusiastic, forgetful, determined.

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...

Bryony Sheaves
Bryony is a clinical researcher who investigates the experience of hearing voices. One of the most fascinating aspects of voices for Bryony is the variety of forms that they can take. Some people for example hear voices that say helpful, interesting or even inspiring things, whilst other voices can be threatening or critical to the hearer and...

Protecting elephants, protecting humans
How do we find ways for people and wildlife to co-exist? Elephants pose a particular problem as their large size means they need to roam over large areas to find food, water and refuge.
The Mali elephants might provide some clues.
Morgan Wade
I am a PhD student studying plant immunology and agricultural biotechnology. My work focuses on the use of essential oils as biocides against bacterial plant pathogens. I am also passionate about science education, communication, and outreach.

How big a deal is that picture of a black hole?
By now you have probably seen that picture of the BLACK HOLE! But we have some questions….in this episode of the Big Questions podcast we are asking: how big a deal is that picture of a black hole?
To find out we visited the Department of Physics, University of Oxford, and met with astrophysicist, Dr Becky Smethurst...
