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Women in Science
Electric Vehicles and the Future
What does the future hold for electric vehicles? We know that they represent a cleaner, greener way of getting from A to B, but what else could they be used for? Could they actually be used to give power TO the energy grid? And what about charging them - one day, will we all have access to convenient charging points? Dr...
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...
Susan Canney
I’ve always loved the beauty and mystery of the natural world, and fascinated by the history of our planet, with its strange past environments and creatures. However as much as I was curious I was also horrified by its destruction and driven to understand why and how it could be prevented.
Understanding COVID-19 transmission, informing control
Tackling a previously unseen pathogen - like the one that causes COVID-19 - is like piecing together a puzzle. There are many different parameters to investigate before the pathogen can be fully understood, and before effective control measures can be put in place. So how do scientists go about solving the puzzle, and why is modelling so...
Ritwika (Ricky) Sengupta
Describe yourself in three words: Excitable, organized, slight-worrier.
Alex Jamieson
Ever since I was little, I have wanted to be an archaeologist. As soon as I was old enough, I went on archaeological excavations uncovering artefacts buried deep in the ground for hundreds of years. In secondary school I began to really enjoy science, and I even wrote a book review on genetics in archaeology. I then went on to study...
How did Mary Somerville get on the Scottish £10 note?
Who is Mary Somerville?
If you immediately thought ‘she was a scientist!’ you would be right! But she is so much more than that! Somerville college right here in Oxford was named in her honour.
In this episode of the Big Questions podcast we are asking: How did Mary Somerville get on the Scottish £10 note?
To find out we...
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...
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...
Lockdown Walks - Disappearing Bugs
During Barley Rose's lifetime, about 75% of the world's flying insects have disappeared. Join us for this episode of 'Lockdown Walks' where she explains some of the reasons behind this loss, and shows you some of the native UK insects that are under threat.
