Features
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…
A new way of working: why we should consider flexible working post-COVID-19, for the sake of the environment
Climate change poses a serious long-term threat to our planet and lives. It is often quoted that reducing travel and switching to a more plant-based diet are the two factors one can change in their personal life to have the greatest reduction in their carbon footprint, benefitting the environment. We have all faced changes to…
How will coronavirus impact the environment?
The COVID-19 pandemic is devastating. By the time it is over, millions of people will have lost loved ones and the economic repercussions are inevitably going to be huge. But recently, the state of the environment has also been brought up in discussion. How has the climate been affected by the coronavirus outbreak, and what…
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,…
Public trust in science: sink or swim?
At the time of writing, a search for Covid-19 in the medical publications database PubMed returns over 16,000 papers. There has been an exponential increase in scientific study of the novel coronavirus, and its associated disease Covid-19, since the start of the outbreak. And with it, a surge in appearance of scientists on our television…
The Rise of Epidemiology—How coronavirus shook up medical research
Pandemics have shaken civilizations throughout history. Although these bouts of infections have had devastating effects on society, our survival has also allowed humanity to evolve and reshape its socio-economic and technological focuses. Medical research has most often managed to overcome the pandemics through significant progress. It might seem incredible but substantial medical achievements have been…
The Rise of the Robots—Technology in epidemiology and pharmaceutical research
The Covid-19 pandemic has been one of the most quantified health crises in history. The wealth of available information is a powerful tool for the response, but this is deeply dependent on making sense of mountains of data, and quickly. Artificial intelligence (AI) is potentially invaluable for this: it can sift through and interpret vast…
Telemedicine—The future of healthcare?
With each passing day in this new, unexpected world that we find ourselves in, it seems increasingly clear that healthcare technologies will never be the same as they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. Cutting-edge tools are already enabling clinicians to streamline and expedite care delivery in a range of settings to help doctors more quickly…