Features
“How birdwatching led me to Oxford” – Elizabeth Tatham (Biology, St Hilda’s College)
Hi there! I’m currently a Biology student, but I’m also a prolific plant grower, keeper of strange invertebrates (there are some triops on my windowsill as I type this) and an excessive walk-taker (if that is a thing). Why did you decide to study your subject at Oxford? Biodiversity conservation was a prominent part of…
“Express your thoughts, whether they’re right or wrong” – Jossy Russell (Mathematics, St Hugh’s College)
I’m Jossy, a mathematician at St Hugh’s1 (on the left in the picture above). Apart from being a mathematician, I love Jazz and doing silly (sometimes intoxicated) dancing with my friends. I am a massive Dua Lipa fan, and topology is my favourite area of maths so far! Why did you decide to study your…
Archangel Imaging—Our guardians at the gates
As our world is re-shaped by the global pandemic, the demand for creative and ethical business ventures is greater than ever. Indeed, the consequences of the virus have placed a spotlight on key gaps and inequalities in our world and in turn mobilized organizations to develop strategies to alleviate the current impact and safeguard our…
The Future of Plastic Pollution
When they first become widespread in the 1950s, plastics were heralded as a miracle material which can be used for almost everything. From life-saving medical devices to the clothes you’re wearing now, plastic has become integrated into every aspect of our daily lives. It’s hard to imagine a world without it. Images of so-called wildlife…
Fantastic Mr Fox – a sequel?
What can USSR genetic experiments tell us about the self-domestication of urban foxes? My first encounter with a city fox involved hushed tones, tip-toed movements, and wide-eyed awe. Twenty years on, I spot foxes slinking around street corners, hopping over fences, and engaging in ‘who will blink first’ contests. Whilst city foxes possess a wild…
Bees: Master Manipulators of Plants
Admired both for their honey and complex societies, theologians and naturalists throughout the ages have looked to bees for inspiration. Every generation has found a virtue in the bee. Religious scholars praised bees for their tireless industry and the precision of the hexagonal cells used to build their hives, a gift from the divine. Darwin…
The Science Behind Racism: A Psychological Approach
The reactions of many across the world to the recent atrocities in America have been varied. However, one common theme has been a greater desire for education, in the knowledge that understanding is the opposite of bigotry. The #BlackLivesMatter movement has sought to expose the extent of racism; it is a problem that is manifested…
Crowdless—an Oxford student’s start-up at the forefront of COVID-19 fight
The Oxford Foundry was established in 2017 by the University’s Said Business School as a space for developing a new generation of business ventures. The Foundry provides a springboard platform for start-up businesses founded by members of the University, with dedicated office space in central Oxford and support for early-stage ventures which show promise. One…
Coronavirus-imposed monasticism: Does Coronavirus make us more Religious?
From that pre-social-distancing era, one might recall surveys that ask about occupation, gender, and perhaps “Are you religious?”. So you quickly jot down your responses, but hesitate on the last question. Perhaps you enjoy religious celebrations a few times a year, so you tick “Yes”, and get back to emptying your wallet on Steam. But…
The lasting benefits of the travel ban
On the 23rd March, the UK was put into lockdown due to the ever-growing threat of Covid-19. The lockdown has now been eased, with schools reopening, workers returning to their jobs and members of the public being allowed to meet within the two-meter guidelines. However, when imposed, the travel ban greatly impacted our daily lives,…