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PODCAST

Oxford Sparks Big Questions

"Will my bacon sandwich kill me?", "Is vaping better than smoking?", "How do you become an astronaut?" - just some of the Big Questions we ask some of the brightest minds behind Oxford science. Join us in each podcast as we explore a different area of science.

science natural sciences

All Episodes

16:21

What does my family want to know about coronavirus?

Oxford Sparks Big Questions ·

2020/03/11

Coronavirus has been hitting the headlines since late 2019, and is now at the forefront of many people’s minds. We have a lot of questions, and it can be difficult to find answers. In this episode of the Big Questions podcast, Emily is asking her family what they would like to know about coronavirus, and Prof Christl Donnelly (an expert in modelling the spread of disease) is on-hand to provide some answers.

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13:25

Can we diagnose heart attacks faster?

Oxford Sparks Big Questions ·

2020/02/26

With one person admitted to hospital every five minutes in the UK because of a heart attack, the ability to diagnose and treat them quickly is vital. In this episode of the ‘Big Questions’ podcast, find out how Dr Tingting Zhu is using a machine learning algorithm, trained on 15,000 ECGs, to diagnose heart attacks faster, potentially eliminating the need for time-consuming blood tests.

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12:07

Can data find me a date?

Oxford Sparks Big Questions ·

2020/02/12

Looking for ‘The One’, or maybe just a date for Valentine’s Day? The dating scene has changed significantly over the past ten years, not least because of the increasing popularity of online dating websites and dating apps. In this special ‘Valentine’s’ edition of the Big Questions podcast, we’re asking Patrick Gildersleve from the Oxford Internet Institute - can data find me a date?

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16:08

Who was Henrietta Leavitt?

Oxford Sparks Big Questions ·

2020/01/29

Much of post 1920s astronomy rests on her shoulders. Without her, we wouldn’t have a three-dimensional sky. Leavitt’s Law allowed us to measure distances in other galaxies as early as 1912. But how many people have ever heard of Henrietta Leavitt? We wanted to know about this ‘hidden woman’ of astronomy, so in this episode of the Big Questions podcast we ask Dr Becky Smethurst from the University of Oxford’s Department of Physics “Who was Henrietta Leavitt?”.

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14:22

Can we stop ageing?

Oxford Sparks Big Questions ·

2020/01/15

We’re pretty obsessed with the concept of ageing. Ancient civilizations supposedly sought an ‘elixir of life’, and today many of us get hung up on finding a way to ‘younger looking skin’… But what’s the science behind ageing? What determines the life expectancy of a species and – time for the 'big question' – can we stop ageing? We ask Alison Woollard, Associate Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Oxford, just that - and even sneak a peek in her lab...

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15:50

Why do diets fail?

Oxford Sparks Big Questions ·

2020/01/01

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, Anatomy and Genetics "Why do diets fail?". Don't worry - she also provides some great tips for a healthier lifestyle along the way!

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13:52

What's under Lapland?

Oxford Sparks Big Questions ·

2019/12/11

We know it as the home of Father Christmas, but why is Lapland of interest to geologists? In this festive episode of the Big Questions podcast we ask Anna Bidgood from the University of Oxford's Department of Earth Sciences "What's under Lapland?". Join us as we find out why the minerals found in the region are important, and what it's like to be a field scientist in the frozen north...

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13:02

Where is my hoverboard?

Oxford Sparks Big Questions ·

2019/11/27

According to the much-loved 'Back to the Future' franchise, we should all be zipping around on hoverboards by now. As we come to terms with our disappointment that they STILL haven't hit the shelves, Dr Clara Barker from Oxford University's Materials Science department discusses the technology that would be required to build one, and we learn all about superconductors along the way.

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12:44

How do you build a super sewer?

Oxford Sparks Big Questions ·

2019/11/13

What do you do when a city outgrows its 150 year old sewer system? Build a super sewer of course! Join University of Oxford engineer Dr Brian Sheil as we go underground, and learn how his innovative sensors are revolutionising the Thames Tideway Tunnel Project – and the construction industry.

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11:59

Are bats superheroes or villains?

Oxford Sparks Big Questions ·

2019/10/30

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 villains or superheroes?'

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13:30

Why are athletes using ketones?

Oxford Sparks Big Questions ·

2019/06/19

It’s considered one of the hardest athletic challenges. 21 day-long stages covering around 3,500 kilometres (2,200 miles) - it’s the Tour De France. A Tour de France rider will burn enough calories during a six-hour mountain stage to fuel an average person's activity for two to four days. So how do these athletes compete day in, day out? On this episode of the Big Questions podcast we are asking the question: Why are athletes using ketones? This week we visited Kieran Clarke, Biochemist at the

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13:26

Why aren't we dead?

Oxford Sparks Big Questions ·

2019/06/05

There is a whole world of things out there that want us dead – we are talking microscopic invaders that want to get inside our bodies and kill us. Lucky for us we have a secret weapon to keep us alive…ANTIBODIES In this episode we are taking a deep dive and looking at these teeny tiny antibodies and asking….why aren’t we dead? To find out we met up with the Head of the Department for Statistics at the University of Oxford, Charlotte Deane…

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18:22

How big a deal is that picture of a black hole?

Oxford Sparks Big Questions ·

2019/05/22

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 Dr Becky Smethurst, astrophysics…

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12:50

Did volcanoes help kill off the dinosaurs?

Oxford Sparks Big Questions ·

2019/05/08

Earth formed over 4.5 billion years ago. We should take a moment to realise how much history that is! Volcanoes are just one of Earth’s creations that have stood the test of time and on this Big Questions podcast we want to know: did volcanoes help kill off the dinosaurs? To find out the answer we visited the Department of Earth Sciences at The University of Oxford to visit Professor Tamsin Mather to find out! Listen here….

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12:54

What do our nerves sound like?

Oxford Sparks Big Questions ·

2019/04/24

Our nerves don’t stop talking. They’re 24-7 communication systems for our bodies. But does all this cellular chitta-chatta actually make a noise? For 100’s of years, scientists have been trying to figure out how exactly our nervous system relays messages. Part of the secret may lie in a sound wave! On this episode of the Big Questions podcast we are asking: What do nerves sound like? To find out we visited Shamit Shrivastava, Experimental Physicist at the University of Oxford…

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13:29

How do you turn a plastic bag into fuel?

Oxford Sparks Big Questions ·

2019/04/10

There are a lot of plastic bags out there. Every year we get through 1 trillion plastic bags worldwide. Quick math, that means we are using 1 million bags per minute. But wouldn’t it be nice if we could turn this plastic into something useful? Like fuel for your car? On this episode of the Big Questions podcast, we are looking at the world of waste and asking: how do you turn a plastic bag into fuel? To find out we visited the Centre for Innovation and Enterprise (CIE) to meet Ben Williams, CEO for

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20:10

What did Hollywood get right and wrong in these movies?

Oxford Sparks Big Questions ·

2019/03/27

King Kong, PI, Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind and Superman III. What do these 4 films have in common? SCIENCE! They caught attention of one film fan Edwin Davies. On this episode of the Big Questions podcast we are separating the fact and fiction and asking the question: What did Hollywood get right and wrong in these movies?

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11:30

Why do birds lay eggs?

Oxford Sparks Big Questions ·

2019/03/13

Most new-born mammals and some reptiles emerge from their mothers through the usual channels. But baby birds are stuck cracking open eggshells – but why? In this week’s Oxford Sparks Big Questions podcast we are visiting Marie-Claire Koschowitz, evolutionary biologist and asking: Why do birds lay eggs? Warning: parents if you don’t want to have the birds and bees conversation you may want to listen to this one on your own ;-)

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14:27

Can computers predict crime?

Oxford Sparks Big Questions ·

2019/02/27

You can’t turn on the TV or read a newspaper article without a daily reporting of crime. As technology and computer algorithms advance we want to know if there will be a computer model that could know us better than ourselves. In this episode of the Big Questions podcast we visited Seena Fazel, Professor of Forensic Psychology at the Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford to ask the question: Can computers predict crime?

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13:27

Why should we cuddle?

Oxford Sparks Big Questions ·

2019/02/13

Who doesn’t love a cuddle? Whether it is from a pet or a person they just make us feel good. But, would you believe wrapping your arms around someone else can actually improve your gut health? In this episode of the Oxford Sparks 'Big Questions' podcast we are looking at lemurs and asking: Why should we cuddle? To find out we went to the Department of Zoology at the University of Oxford to speak to Aura Raulo who is studying the importance of cuddling.

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206 results

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