By Angus Barrett While I was getting to grips with the colourful life of systems biologist Denis Noble, I came across the website of his traditional Ocidian music group, The Oxford Trobadors. I soon learned that music is more than just a relaxing pastime for Denis. Anybody familiar with his work will know how central it…
Genome editing holds the promise of revolutionizing the future of humanity from its very core, by altering the genetic instructions that define us. It is estimated that 10,000 disorders arise from single gene mutations. All these “monogenic” diseases could be eradicated by preventing those genes from being inherited. Nevertheless, this unlimited potential comes with safety…
The changes in public perception of mental health topics have been very clear in recent years where once a never-to-be-discussed topic has now become widely reported, discussed and recognised. The number of widely shared and heard discussions about anxiety and depression has been further increased by the coronavirus pandemic. This change can be witnessed everywhere…
By Emilia Schmid Creative design is the foundation of science. To be a successful scientist, visionary ideas, innovative experimental designs and imaginative alternative hypotheses are all essentials: Creativity is required in order to make scientific breakthroughs. Hindering creativity through cultural norms will have a strong impact on technological and scientific progress, thereby hindering the progress…
Title image by Lizzie Daly By Sea Yun Pius Joung As one enters the quadrangle of our beloved Bodleian, one can’t help but notice the grandeur of it all—the ancient windows; the scent of old books; the archways leading into mysterious rooms such as the schola moralis philosophiae, the schola astronomiae et rhetoricae, or the schola…
Authored by Matthew J Lennon MD, Grant Rigney MSc, Zoltán Molnár MD, DPhil Self-experimentation has shaped the history of neurological research1, from Isaac Newton mapping out the visual distribution of the retina by inserting a needle into his eye socket, to Henry Head distinguishing between types of somatic sensation by transecting branches of his own…
By Natalie Stevenson A recent study highlights the vulnerability of ocean ecosystems to the effects of climate change. Over the past few years, the impact that humans have had on the planet has been at the forefront of public attention—we have seen record-breaking wildfires, droughts, flooding, and storms globally—and we are very much aware that…
By Georgia Shave People working in science get to decide what is important, and how it gets researched. These decisions determine what society views as truth in science. When there is a lack of diversity in the people deciding what counts as truth, we are only getting a partial scientific perspective. Having only a partial…
Deepra Sinha I was sixteen when I took an IQ test. It was the result of an offhand comment from my parents, expressing that it would be cool if I were a member of Mensa. That remark led me to take the free IQ test available on the Mensa website; when I scored 100% on…
