Features
Obesity and Sweet Tooth Syndrome – Who is the blame?
Obesity is clinically defined when someone’s Body Mass Index (BMI) exceeds 30. It is a metabolic disorder where by energy intake from food and drinks exceeds energy consumption from metabolism and physical activities. There are many health-related risks associated with obesity, especially for children. This includes increased susceptibility for type II diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and…
Covid-19: a spotlight on science
I am very aware that we all can’t move for news stories about the coronavirus at the moment. But in a time where things seem a bit bleak, I’d like to take a moment to appreciate all science has done and is doing to fight this pandemic. So here’s my 2p. First, a quick recap….
The Fault in Our SNPs
The dark side of DNA testing One hundred and fifty years ago, in a laboratory in Germany, a young scientist named Friedrich Miescher identified an unusual new chemical while studying white blood cells. At first scientists assumed it was unimportant, but then they began to uncover its remarkable structure: a double helix held together like…
Art on the brain: Can science really explain our taste?
It was 1st week, Michaelmas Term, 2019. Laid out before me was a collection of art from Balliol JCR’s picture fund, I was about to pick one to hang in my room for the following year. I pondered over them briefly before selecting an abstract piece with swirls of red, purple and pink representing nothing…
Particle Piñatas
How accelerators sweeten up the Standard Model of Particle Physics “There is nothing new to be discovered in physics now. All that remains is more precise measurement”. This famous quote by Lord Kelvin in 1900 spoke of a perspective shattered almost immediately by a stream of significant discoveries, such as the discovery of the electron…
International Women’s Day 2020*
Today is International Women’s Day 2020. The Oxford Scientist is written, edited and read by women scientists across Oxford University and beyond. How better to celebrate than by reminding ourselves of those who came before, what still needs to be done, and how we can mobilise change to keep improving the experiences and opportunities for…
Women in STEM – Pioneers Past and Present
Anyone studying a science at university will have sat in many lectures where the slides of historical background contain seemingly endless photographs of affluent white men. The efforts of women in science are often overlooked due to unequal opportunities in the workplace, and lack of recognition of their achievements by the scientific community. Despite this,…
Flatlens: A Romance of Many Resolutions
Narrated by S. Harp Our land is flat, they say, the conspiracy theorists. Ridiculous, I used to proclaim. Even schoolchildren can tell you, the surface of a lens is obviously curved. Just imagine – the light would all fire straight through the lens and continue in the same direction. No bouncing around and colliding at…
Explosions: Inventions and Uses
Bang! A gun shot. Or the burst of a firework. Explosions, big and small, can cause delight or pain, but always manage to grab your attention. Over the centuries they have been used to win wars, break through defences, and mine deep into the earth for precious materials. But the power they have to generate…
Personalised Medicine
What happens when one size does not fit all? The first race-based combination prescription drug, Hydralazine-plus-nitrate is used in the treatment of congestive heart failure. Among African Americans, life expectancy of those with heart failure is increased using this combination drug, whereas white Americans respond less effectively to the drug. Another drug, Gefitinib, used in…