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Oxford Sparks Big Questions

Dec 15, 2014

Dr David Wallace discusses the concept of the multiverse – a physical reality that contains lots of universes, each of which inhabited by different versions of ourselves. These parallel worlds sound like science fiction, but the theory is sound, even if we’re not able to actually interact with them.


Dec 15, 2014

Ruth Angus talks about the search for life outside our solar system. In our own solar system, we have rocky planets towards the centre and gas giant planets further out. Earth sits in the ‘habitable zone’, where it’s the right distance away from the star to have liquid water on its surface - it’s not too hot and...


Dec 15, 2014

Bruce Winney describes the influx of humans to the British Isles, including the Romans, Anglo Saxons and Vikings. By comparing and contrasting the genetic make-up of patients, researchers can explore how genetics can influence disease. The data can also reveal how much of an effect early settlers had on the...


Nov 20, 2014

Professor Ben Sheldon describes one of the World’s longest-running ecological studies, into birds in their natural environments. Starting in 1947, the study of the Great Tit explores basic data including numbers, life spans and productivity from over 1,200 nest boxes.


Oct 8, 2014

Dr Sonia Trigueros explains how she is using nanotechnologies to create targeted drug delivery systems. Chemotherapy is a particularly harmful treatment, with patients losing their hair and suffering from infections due to damage to their immune systems. By using the unique properties of cancer cells, they can be used...