Big Questions For The Future

There's a lot that we can learn from the past, using modern materials and approaches, that will improve the design and functionality of new buildings. Professor Steve Rayner comments on the fact that it is the mundane technologies, such as light bulbs and air conditioners, that have been shaping building design.

As populations increasingly migrate to city centres there are many factors that improve lifestyle - less pollution, fewer road accidents, easier access to medical care. But city infrastructure could do with a rethink says Professor Steve Rayner.

We are reaching a point where computers can no longer cope with the quantity of data collected from cosmological simulations - a problem that will grow, not only in cosmology. Pedro Ferreira and his team are working towards a solution to the problems of data overload.

Harnessing the general public to help analyse complex data sets is not only helping scientists with galaxy classification. Pedro Ferreira explains how First World War ship's logs are providing invaluable information to climate scientists and social historians.

Microscopes with nanometer resolution can test the mechanical properties of cells. Nanoscale 'scaffolds' that mimic the cellular matrix of cells in the body can help regenerate tissue, improve healing mechanisms, and even train the immune system. Sonia Contera describes her work in nanotechnology.

The healthcare needs of teenagers in India are the focus of a new study by the George Centre for Healthcare Innovation. By looking at healthcare problems, access to healthcare and the factors that might be associated with future chronic disease, the Centre hopes to determine ways in which to improve global adolescent healthcare.

The biological diversity of life on earth provides all that is essential to the planet as we know it. But there are pressures on that biodiversity, including changing land use and global warming.

Professor Angela McLean, Co-Director, Institute for Emerging Infections advises caution, preparation and fast decision-making in anticipation of the threat of a serious pandemic.

The world has become a safer place because of vaccines but does our increasing connectivity mean the world is getting riskier in terms of our exposure to serious infections? By Professor Adrian Hill, Co-Director, Institute for Vaccine Design.

An exploration of how to get from vaccine development to vaccine delivery in time to deal with a health scare such as a fast-moving global pandemic. By Professor Adrian Hill, Co-Director, Institute for Vaccine Design.

Interview with Professsor Ian Goldin, Director, Oxford Martin School.

One of the flipsides of ageing is cancer, characterised by cells that do not age. What can stem cell research learn from cancer cells to help prevent the degenerative illnesses associated with ageing?

An explanation of how stem cells could transform medical practice, from treating the diseases of ageing to finding a cure for cancer by Professor Colin Goding, Co-Director, Oxford Stem Cell Institute.