Science Oxford Podcasts

From the struggle to get up on a Monday morning to coping with jet-lag, the body has to carefully balance our need to be alert or to be at rest. Peter Oliver has worked in genetics research for 15 years and is interested in the way the genes and the environment influence sleep, particularly in human disease.

From the struggle to get up on a Monday morning to coping with jet-lag, the body has to carefully balance our need to be alert or to be at rest. Peter Oliver has worked in genetics research for 15 years and is interested in the way the genes and the environment influence sleep, particularly in human disease.

What is the universe made of? Atoms only make up a small proportion of what we think is out there, so cosmologists are trying to explain what the ‘missing’ 95% might be, and find ways to investigate its behaviour. Dr Jo Dunkley brings us up to speed on the latest research.

What is the universe made of? Atoms only make up a small proportion of what we think is out there, so cosmologists are trying to explain what the ‘missing’ 95% might be, and find ways to investigate its behaviour. Dr Jo Dunkley brings us up to speed on the latest research.An interview with Dy Jo Dunkley, astrophysics lecturer at Oxford University after a talk on The Dark Universe, at Science Oxford.

Life has existed on Earth for more than 3 billion years. Whilst we understand huge amounts about the life on our planet, the question of how life began in the first place is still unanswered. Professor Nigel Mason explores some of the possible explanations for one of the greatest mysteries in science.

The human body is teeming with life. There are ten times more bacteria in our body than human cells – and despite having a bad press, our body’s bugs actually help to keep us ticking over. Professor Mike Wilson introduces us to our ‘friendly bacteria’, and explains why it’s so important to understand the life in our insides.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the first manned spaceflight, Science Oxford Live invited Dr Marek Kukula from the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, to explore what astronomers have learnt since then. Be prepared for exploding stars, a moon where liquid methane rains from orange clouds, and a monstrous black hole at the centre of our Galaxy!

Half a century since they were invented, lasers are now used in millions of appliances worldwide. But scientists also use them to solve the biggest problems in modern science. Dr Kate Lancaster has already amazed viewers on BBC4 with the Beauty of Diagrams, and she will describe the incredible things that lasers can do.

Do animals have emotions? The vast majority of pet owners are very confident that they do, and yet scientists can often be sceptical. Dr Paul Morris, psychologist at the University of Portsmouth, is coming along to discuss his research into animal emotions and the science behind this complicated issue. This event took place at Science Oxford Live on 17th February 2011.

Thames Valley Police Wildlife Crime Officer, PC Simon Towers, is joining us to discuss the problem of wildlife crime. With the help of some real exhibits and case studies, Simon will explore the impact that wildlife crime has on our environment, and how we combat it both practically and with forensic science. This event took place at Science Oxford Live on the 10th February 2011

Devised in Tokyo in February 2003, PechaKucha Night is an event for young designers to meet, network, and show their work in public. 20 images x 20 seconds is a format that makes presentations concise, and keeps things moving at a rapid pace. In Oxford’s first PK night come and see some of the rising stars in the local creative industries in a fascinating fast paced evening! Devised and shared by Klein Dytham architecture. More Information: Featured Speakers: Georgina Ferry – Dorothy Hodgkin Anthony Hardwicke – Researchers in Residence – www.researchersinresidence.ac.uk Sami Mughal – Talking about Science Clinton Montague – Roller Coasters – http://coasternerd.com/ Ian Griffin – Scale and Time – http://www.ian-griffin.com/ James King – Synthetic Biology YouTube: The individual presentations are available on the Science Oxford YouTube Channel. This event took place on the 3rd of February 2011 at Science Oxford Live.

It has become increasingly clear that different species of plants and animals need to have a wide variety of genes to maintain a healthy environment. Taking examples from nature ranging from cheetahs to Charles II, Dr Samantha Decombel, plant geneticist and Director of PlayDNA Ltd., will consider the implications of loss of genetic diversity and why it really does matter. This event took place on the 27th January 2011 at Science Oxford Live. More details on events can be found at www.scienceoxfordlive.com

The 5 personality traits that impact on our lives What is personality? How much of an impact does it have on our lives? Dr Jason Rentfrow will present results from the BBC Big Personality Test, which is based on the ‘Big Five’ personality traits, and reveals associations between personality and important life domains. Further Information Dr Jason Rentfrow is a Lecturer in Social and Developmental Psychology at the University of Cambridge with research interests in psychological characteristics and person-environment interactions. Jason has been working in collaboration with the BBC as part of its ‘Lab UK’ series of online experiments. http://www.sdp.cam.ac.uk/contacts/staff/profiles/jrentfrow.html https://www.bbc.co.uk/labuk/experiments/personality/ This event took place on the 11th November 2010 at Science Oxford Live. More details on events can be found at www.scienceoxfordlive.com

Explore the Truth about Sex In 2009 Dr Petra Boynton told us what she has learnt in a career as a Sex researcher, educator and agony aunt. Is it possible for science to study the intensely private world of human sexual behaviour? Is it even desirable? Together we will explore some of the controversies surrounding this sensitive area of science. Further Information http://www.drpetra.co.uk/blog/about-me/ http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/oct/05/sex-us-american-attitudes-survey This event took place on the 7th October 2010 at Science Oxford Live. More details on events can be found at www.scienceoxfordlive.com

Discover the secrets of the brain Science Oxford Live welcomes back Professor Colin Blakemore. Don’t miss this chance to hear one of the world’s leading neuroscientists give an insight into what we know – and what we don’t know – about one of the biggest mysteries in modern science. Further Information http://www.dpag.ox.ac.uk/academic_staff/colin_blakemore/ This event took place on the 30th September 2010 at Science Oxford Live. More details on events can be found at www.scienceoxfordlive.com

Our memories are crucial to who we are, but the way that they are created and stored remains a total mystery to most of us. Dr Carinne Piekema will explore what we know about memory, how we think it works, and what happens to our personalities when it starts to go wrong. This event took place on the 29th July 2010 at Science Oxford Live. More details on events can be found at www.scienceoxfordlive.com

Dr Domenico di Ceglie is one of the world’s leading specialists in dealing with young people whose gender identities have developed in unusual ways. He describes his work, and explains how we can help people who don’t fit easily into society’s usual “Female” and “Male” categories. This event took place on the 15th July 2010 at Science Oxford Live. More details on events can be found at www.scienceoxfordlive.com

Helping us to explore the latest environmental issues will be Jonathon Porritt, the noted environmentalist, who will provoke what we are sure will be a lively and stimulating discussion. This event took place on the 8th June 2010 at Science Oxford Live. More details on events can be found at www.scienceoxfordlive.com

What is sound? How can we make sounds louder and quieter, and how do musical instruments work? Join science guru Bryson Gore as he explains how humans might be the best musical instrument of them all! Bryson will explore the mysteries of music as he asks how sounds are made, how they travel, and why some things sound different to others. Prepare to be amazed! For more information about Bryson visit www.omniscience.info This event took place on the 3rd June 2010 at Science Oxford Live. More details on events can be found at www.scienceoxfordlive.com The Art of Noise was presented by Dr Bryson Gore from OmniScience. For more information about Bryson and OmniScience, please see www.omniscience.info

Science Oxford Live will answer all your burning questions about fire. Find out what burns and why, and be amazed as we produce a swirling pillar of flame right here in the building. Not to be missed! This event took place on the 2nd June 2010 at Science Oxford Live. More details on events can be found at www.scienceoxfordlive.com The Fire Show was presented by Richard Ellam. For more information about Richard and his shows, please see www.lminteractive.co.uk