Can we control the power of the human genome?
Max Cowan explores the possibilities created by human genome sequencing and the considerations that need to be put in place for its widespread and commercial use.
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Rosalyn Yalow: Scientist and Individualist
The scientific legacy Rosalyn Yalow is remarkable. Set against the backdrop of a hostile environment, Yalow’s path distinguishes her as one of the extraordinary scientific figures of the last century.
The Social Machines
Despite our ever more connected world, loneliness is increasing. Jake Burton discusses how robots may be able to tackle this problem.
Will 2022 bring a ‘Male Pill’ and why haven’t we got one already?
Trials of a male contraceptive pill have been successful at preventing pregnancy in mouse models. Isabella Kwiecinski discusses how this form of non-hormonal contraceptive works and the safety concerns that need to be addressed before its clinical use.
Should we keep looking for a cure to aging?
Megan Lee explores the approaches being taken to stop aging in its tracks and the ethical issues these studies produce.
Can we leave plastic in the past?
Isabelle Goddard discusses the harmful effects of microplastics in our oceans and even in below the surface of the Earth, as well as what needs to be done to limit their future damage to the environment.
How to fight climate despair
While institutions across the world are accepting the need for climate action, for individuals who have read a constant stream of “climate doomism” for years it’s becoming too much. Nell Miles tells us how to fight this climate despair.
Why diversity matters: an interview with Dr Alex Ramadan
Georgia Shave speaks with Dr Alex Ramadan, a postdoctoral research scientist at the University of Oxford Physics department about the impact of including marginalised people in Physics.
For Queen and Colony: How ants stop disease outbreaks
Sophie Berdugo discusses how, much like the self-isolation we have become accustomed to during the COVID-19 pandemic, ants also adopt self-isolation techniques to stop the spread of fungal infections.
Fishing Through Geological Time
By Matthew Sutton This article was originally published in The Oxford Scientist Michaelmas Term 2021 edition, Change. Earth’s oceans are an immense and foreboding place. They occupy 71% of the surface area of the planet and have a total volume exceeding 1.3 billion cubic kilometres. Occupying every corner of every part of this gargantuan biome…