OxPods

The common people have had representation in English political life since the establishment of Parliament, but it wasn’t until the sixteenth century that a ‘public sphere’ truly emerged outside of …

In life and in death, our bodies have stories to tell. Isabelle Rycroft, third-year Human Scientist at St Hugh's College, is joined by Professor Sue Black to discuss the ever-advancing field of Foren…

Forty years ago, the large blue butterfly was extinct in Britain. The intensification of farming has pushed half of the butterfly species in the UK to the brink of extinction. However, at Daneway Ban…

What is it that makes you the same person that you were ten minutes ago, ten hours ago, ten years ago? Derek Parfit, in his seminal work ‘Reasons and Persons’ (1984) recognises the interplay between …

The natural world around us is so incredibly diverse. However, one factor that all creatures share, it appears, is the need for aggression. Whether it be contesting territory, finding a mate, or stea…

Life uncertainty measures reveal the ‘ultimate inequality’. In Mexico, new demographic research is showing the effect of violence on life uncertainty and mortality, highlighting it as an unrecognised…

Most can agree that building a postcolonial country involves complex interactions between cultural, religious, ethnic, gender, and class based cleavages. But how can the language or languages used in…

Antibiotics have made a huge contribution to human health by successfully tackling infectious diseases worldwide. But what happens when these drugs are no longer effective? How much do we know about …

The battles of Ancient Greece are immortalised in popular culture, from films like Troy and the 300, to literature, art, and music. But what were these battles really like, who fought in them, and wh…

The survival of offspring is essential for the continuation of species, and yet we see a huge diversity in how much parental care is provided to offspring across the tree of life. So how necessary is…

Have you ever wondered about early Christianity, or how women were able to express themselves through their devotion to Christ?

Ursula White is in Conversation with Professor Annie Sutherland of Some…

The Renaissance of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries is one of the most celebrated and recognisable periods of cultural history, but it is far from the only time of significant societal transform…

The Middle East and North Africa are two of the most archaeologically rich regions on earth. But as a result of military conflict, urban expansion, and climate change, these archaeological sites are …

Theory of mind, the ability to understand others by ascribing mental states to them, has historically been considered a uniquely human characteristic. But are we really the only animals to possess th…

For the good times and the bad, we turn to the closest around us: our friends. But what is the science behind friendship? Why is it important to have friends? Professor Robin Dunbar is a Professor of…

Darwin’s theory of evolution and selection states that characteristics which aid survival and reproduction will be favoured, however, this doesn’t only refer to physical attributes, but also behaviou…