Oxford Sparks Big Questions

We've all been there...you're on the train, maybe tired after a long day, and all you can hear is one side of a fellow passenger's not-too-interesting phone conversation. Or worse, their choice of music, made tinny and monotonous by the awkward angle of their phone speaker. It's irritating, sure, but for some people it goes beyond mild annoyance, into the realms of anger and panic. For these people - who suffer from a condition called 'misophonia' - phone noise, or sounds such as chewing or breathing, are a real problem. We chat to Dr Jane Gregory, a researcher at Oxford's Department of Experimental Psychology who has misophonia, to find out more about this little-known condition.

With more than 70% of its surface covered in water, Earth is rightly known as the "blue planet". But where did this water - so essential to life - originate? While some theories suggest that hydrogen was delivered to Earth from space via asteroids, new research indicates that the building blocks for water may have been present on our planet all along. We chat to Tom Barrett from Oxford's Department of Earth Sciences to find out more.    

What do you do when the subject of your research lies deep beneath the waves? Send down an underwater robot, of course! We chat to volcanologist Sofia Della Sala about her recent fieldwork expedition to Santorini, where she used a Remotely Operated Vehicle, or ROV, to search for hydrothermal vents in the Aegean Sea. These vents - which are like hot springs on the sea floor - could provide vital insight into the volcanic and tectonic activity in the region.

"I still don't believe it happened..." What's it like to face the most famous clock on television? We chat to Oxford mathematician Dr Tom Crawford - best known as the creator of the award-winning 'Tom Rocks Maths' outreach programme - about what it was like to step into Rachel Riley's shoes on Countdown.  What's the best tactic for tackling the numbers round? How did he prepare? Did he really only have 30 seconds to find a solution? Tom gives us a glimpse behind-the-scenes of this British institution. 

One in two people will be affected by dementia in their lifetime - whether that is as a patient, or somebody caring for a loved one. But what happens after a dementia diagnosis? Is there a clear pathway ahead? We chat to Jasmine Blane, a DPhil researcher at the Oxford Brain Health Clinic, about the work she is doing to help support patients in the midst of a dementia diagnosis, and into the future.

In popular culture, Tourette's syndrome is wrongly associated solely with outbursts of swearing in the context of lazy jokes. But in reality, the condition is far more complex than this stereotype suggests. When people without Tourette's jokingly blame their lack of self-control on the condition, it spreads misinformation and invalidates those who actually live with it. Despite this, comedy - when created by those who experience stigma - can sometimes help challenge stereotypes and shift public perceptions. We chat with Dr Melina Malli from the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing to explore whether laughter can really be the best medicine.

If you were hunting for some fossilised dinosaur footprints, where would you go? To a remote part of North or South America, perhaps? A deserted wilderness for sure... But how about Oxfordshire? We chat to Dr Duncan Murdock from the Oxford University Museum of Natural History about an incredible discovery made right on our doorstep. Photo © Dr Emma Nicholls / Oxford University Museum of Natural History

Shh...hedgehog! It always feels like a privilege to catch a glimpse of one, as it snuffles away under the garden fence. And come the spring, our spiny - and usually solitary - little friends will be feeling in the mood for...romance. But what exactly does a female look for in a mate? And how do their intimate encounters even work when things are so very... spiky? Join us for this special Valentine's Day edition of the Big Questions Podcast, as we ask Dr Sophie Lund Rasmussen (aka Dr Hedgehog) "how horny are hedgehogs?"

Electric eels are pretty amazing creatures. Their bodies can release powerful electric charges - in some cases reaching 650 volts! So, what can scientists learn from these animals? Could nature hold the key to advancing our own energy solutions? We chat to Dr Yujia Zhang about how electric eels might inspire the batteries of the future.

Whether it's the bottle of water that you hastily grab at the train station, or your favourite guilty-pleasure fizzy pop, you may have noticed something different about your drinks lately - or at least their containers. Since July 2024, it's been EU law that bottle caps are attached, or 'tethered', on all single-use plastic bottles. But what exactly is the reason for this change? Will it really help to save the planet, or is it just there to annoy us? We chat to Dr Diogo Veríssimo about "nudge", "sludge", and changing human behaviour for a better world.

Even if you'd never previously given much thought to the Northern Lights, chances are they were brought to your attention in 2024, when our social media feeds were set ablaze with beautiful images captured by awe-struck stargazers. Usually restricted to more northerly latitudes, this colourful natural phenomenon could be observed in the UK as far south as Cornwall. But why were we treated to this spectacle, and why now? Dr Carly Howett from the Department of Physics explains why we're seeing the Northern Lights more often this year, and gives hope to those yet to catch a glimpse.  

Mistletoe has long been associated with fertility, and even today, its presence hanging from the ceiling can prompt a few blushes. But, did you know, mistletoe is more than something beneath which to kiss at Christmas? It is actually a parasite, and has some rather peculiar biology behind it. We chat to mistletoe expert Ollie Spacey about what makes it so special, where you can spot it and - importantly - how you can get involved with his research through MistleGO!

Evolutionarily speaking, it makes sense to have a lot of children. At the very least, we might expect a population to replace itself, with each couple having an average of two children. However, this evolutionary logic is not mirrored by current data: birth rates are falling in the UK, with many people choosing to either have one child, or no children at all. We speak to evolutionary anthropologist Dr Paula Sheppard about the drivers, and consequences, of this observed trend.

Chances are, you didn't notice the week-long wind drought that the UK experienced towards the end of 2023. However, this period of low wind speeds, combined with a cold snap, drove up our energy prices - something that may have caught your attention. So, what exactly do we know about wind droughts, and how can we apply this knowledge to plan for the low-carbon energy systems of the future? We chat to Matthew Wright from Oxford's Department of Physics to find out.

Welcome back to the new series of the Oxford Sparks Big Questions Podcast! We are here to answer weird and wonderful questions about our world, with the help of science. And we're starting with a very big question! How do you sequence the genomes of 70,000 species?   Dr Liam Crowley, from the Department of Biology, tells us about the ground-breaking Darwin Tree of Life project, which aims to sequence the genomes of over 70,000 species in Britain and Ireland. Discover the challenges and technological advances that make this monumental task possible, and explore the potential applications in fields like conservation genetics and evolutionary biology.   Tune in to find out how this project could revolutionise our understanding of biodiversity and the future of life on Earth!

Summer is here, and with heatwaves forecast, how do we keep our homes cool without relying on air conditioning?   In the UK, soaring summer temperatures can be brief but powerful. So, what can we do? Nicole Miranda, from the Department of Engineering, shares practical, energy-efficient and eco-friendly strategies to help you stay comfortable during the hot months. And yes, ice creams are encouraged!   This is the final episode of this season. We hope that you have enjoyed learning the science behind the many weird and wonderful aspects of our world. If you have a big question, get in touch and we will try to find you an answer in the next season.

Scientists are returning to the moon, but when they get there, what time is it? Dr Carly Howett from the Department of Physics explains the basics: what time is, and how we found a globalised way of understanding time zones so we can meet for a 3pm coffee or international video call, and everyone is in the right place at the right time. But how does that translate to space and why could the consequences of incorrect timekeeping be disastrous for space craft docking missions? If you want to get to grips with the weird and wonderful world of lunar time, then tune in to our latest podcast to find out more!

Discover how the ancient art of origami is revolutionising sustainable energy! Researcher Jingyi Yang, from the Department of Engineering Science, has loved origami since childhood. Now she's channelling that passion to tackle engineering challenges. Using the intricate papercraft to develop clam-like models, Jinyi's creative engineering may be the key to improving the efficiency of energy produced by the waves hitting the UK's coastline.  Find out more about this imaginative approach to scientific discovery in this podcast!

When you think of fossils, you probably imagine dinosaurs. But did you know that soft body parts, like the brain, can become fossils too?  In this episode, forensic anthropologist Alexandra Morton-Hayward explores the science of brain fossilisation. Skeletons have been found in wells, Incan temples, salt mines and many other unusual locations, often with no other organs, hair or skin preserved. With only a brain nested in the skull, we are asking … how can this happen? Listen now to find out and discover how this research is unravelling ancient human history!

Have you ever had a song stuck in your head that you just can't shake? A few bars or lyrics that just keep looping all day long? Well, we have delved into the science behind 'earworms' with Dr Jacob Kingsbury Downs from the Faculty of Music. A melodic mix of musical imagery, auditory neuroscience, memory and impressive compositions can leave a little ditty echoing in our minds long after the last note has played. But what you really want to know is how to get rid of an earworm, right? Tune in to find out! 

Are seals the fishermen's friends or foes? The UK is home 35% of the world's grey seals and we know they like to get their flippers on many of the same fish as we do. So, how are seals impacting the fishing industry? In our latest podcast, Dr Claire Tanner from the Department of Biology explores the unseen conflict beneath the waves and the complex dynamics between these marine mammals and fisheries. Tune in to find out how understanding more about the behaviour of the UK's seal populations can shape marine management policies.

House plants can be a cheerful pop of colour in your home. But do you find after the initial burst of life, your plants start to fade, looking sad and unhealthy?   M Garrido Davies, from the Department of Biology, shares top tips for helping house plants to flourish, starting with learning more about the biology of how plants grow in their natural environment.   Did you know that when you add too much water to your house plants, it starves their roots of oxygen, damaging the root system and actually creating a drought? And have you considered how much light and ventilation your household greenery is getting?   Discover more biology behind the blooms in this podcast!

Volcanoes are pretty amazing! But how do they work on other planets?   Take Mars – it has the largest volcano in the solar system! But volcanologist Tamsin Mather reveals that the red planet is now considered geologically dead, with no volcanic activity for around 500 million years. How do we know how this volcano formed then? Well, space missions have put probes and landers on Mars' surface, providing evidence of a long lost hot spot beneath the surface.   What about the rest of the solar system? There are glimpses of volcanism on Venus and Jupiter's moon, Io, too. But how do scientists know? Listen to our latest podcast to find out!   If you would like to learn even more about the volcanoes of Earth and beyond, why not give Tamsin's new book, Adventures in Volcanoland, a read!

We are out in the wild today talking to bees!   In this behind the scenes episode, we visited Dr Rachel Parkinson's bee recording studio to see insect neuroscience research in action.    You might know that honeybees communicate with each other using the waggle dance, a minute choreography that shows other bees the way to the flower buffet. But little is known about how bumblebees communicate.   To understand more about bee behaviour, Rachel has created a series of small arenas with cameras and microphones. Using AI, visual and audio recordings can be matched up to create a database of sounds and behaviours which will, in time, hopefully reveal the secret language of bees!

Cats are pretty adorable! Those big eyes, fluffy paws and cheeky personalities mean that most people find felines cute. But what is the science behind this reaction? Neuroscientist Professor Morten Kringelbach reveals how special technology can track what happens to signals in the brain in response to sounds and images of babies and small animals. In just a thousandth of a second, our brain decides that something is cute. This almost instantaneous cuteness reaction is thought to be a deep-rooted evolutionary feature of humans, encouraging us to look after young babies and animals to help species to survive. Cats (and other fluffy pets) can bring us so much joy, so next time you find yourself smiling at a cat video or your beloved pet, make sure to spread the love and bring someone else a dose of happiness.

You might have seen them in a hotel. You might have read about them in the news. Maybe you've seen them star in social media videos filmed on the London underground. But should we really be worried about bed bugs?   The little critters evolved from feeding on bats and birds to humans thousands of years ago and were part of society for hundreds of years. But with the invention of synthetic pesticides, bed bug populations declined significantly after the Second World War. However, as pesticide resistance grows and the world becomes increasingly connected, bed bugs are making a resurgence.   Entomologist Liam Crowley, from the Department of Biology, tells us what to look out for and how to keep them at bay in our latest podcast. But don't worry, they're not as common as you might think!

Have you ever considered when kissing first started? Who, or what, first decided that this was a good way to show affection?   Ancient historian, Troels Pank Arbøll, and hedgehog researcher, Sophie Lund Rasmussen, joined forces to attempt to find an answer. Cuneiform scripts, which are the world's oldest written text, have the first mention of romantic kissing in a mythological narrative dating back to 2500 BCE.   But animals can also help us to answer this question. Bonobos have been shown to kiss romantically to strengthen pair bonds and assess a mate's suitability. Perhaps the origins of kissing could be much older than human history! Find out more by listening to our latest podcast.

How do we battle the energy use and soaring costs required to keep our homes warm? We spoke to Dr Brenda Boardman from the Environmental Change Institute about the best ways to keep out the winter chill. Did you know that draughts not only let cold air in, but they also push the warm out of your home? And that sitting or sleeping next to external walls can make you colder? Discover simple and inexpensive methods you can try to stay toasty, starting with the idea of heating the human rather than the home. Tune in to learn more!

People have been interested in wine growing and quality vintages since the Roman times, but as the climate warms, what does this mean for the future of wine growers in the UK (and beyond)?   Andrew Wood, from the Department of Biology, has been studying the records of wine critics, which reveal much more than whether the bottle is a good vintage or not. The vintage can tell scientists what the growing conditions were like for the grapes in a given year – was it hot or cold? Was there flooding or drought? Was light more intense?   As the UK experiences more ‘BBQ summers', we may see new grape varieties flourishing, producing new flavours of wine. But it's not good news for all vineyards. Find out why in our latest podcast!

As we count down to the festive season and the days get colder, will we see a white Christmas this year? In the last episode of the Big Questions podcast for 2023, Dr Neven Fučkar from the Environmental Change Institute tells us more about the science behind weather forecasts and how climate change is impacting Earth's weather patterns. Using advanced modelling, scientists can predict weather patterns to different degrees of certainty. So in a few days' time, we should know whether we will see snow on the big day. But what do the predictions look like for the next five or ten years? Find out in this podcast! We hope you have enjoyed getting into the science of the everyday questions you want to know the answers to. We'll be back in the new year to share more science from the University of Oxford. See you in 2024!

Lions are iconic species, but they are threatened with extinction. In Zambia, researchers and conservationists are working together to find ways of conserving these majestic animals and preventing them from becoming by-catch of poaching. In this new episode of the Big Questions podcast, we speak to Dr Egil Dröge from the Department of Biology to share the steps involved in bringing lions back to a national park in Zambia. Careful selection of a few young female lions which are genetically similar to those lost from the national park, and collaboration with local communities could pave the way for lions to return to the area over the next decade.

As the UK government proposes new plans to reduce the number of people who smoke, we talk to behaviour change researcher Nicola Lindson from the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences to find out how the plan would work. Could we see a generation that is smoke free? Would banning flavours in e-cigarettes stop children from taking up smoking? Tune in to the latest episode of the Big Questions podcast to find out more.

Welcome to the new series of the Big Questions podcast, where we ask Oxford scientists to shed light on everyday questions that you really want to know the answer to.   Remember those photos or videos online that don't look quite right? Perhaps you've heard a celebrity's voice somewhere unexpected? In this episode, we chat to computational social scientist Dr Bernie Hogan from the Oxford Internet Institute about deepfakes; media synthetically generated by technology to capture someone's likeness. As AI and machine learning technology develop rapidly, how can we regulate the creation of deepfakes to know what is real? Tune in to find out!

About a year ago, we asked astrophysicist Dr Becky Smethurst why the James Webb Space Telescope is such a big deal. Her answers were pretty exciting, to say the least. So, in the months that have passed since then, what has it found out? What mysteries of the universe has it begun to unravel, and has it lived up to expectations? We got back in touch with Becky for an update.  This is the last episode in this series of the Big Questions Podcast! We hope you've enjoyed learning about everything from Martian craters to the human microbiome. Be sure to look out for our next series, beginning in October 2023, and until then, you can find a catalogue of our episodes on the Oxford Sparks website. Have a big question that you'd like answered next series? Let us know on social media!

What might an experimental petrologist (someone who makes rocks in the lab) and an immunologist (someone who studies the body's defence system) have in common? Well, it turns out, a shared interest in iron might be one thing. And what does all this have to do with aliens, and, specifically, whether you would want to meet one? Well, you'll have to listen to find out! With Prof Jon Wade from the Department of Earth Sciences.

"Life finds a way"...This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the release of Stephen Spielberg and Universal Studio's dinosaur masterpiece 'Jurassic Park'. A rousing soundtrack, gutsy kids, and graphics which have stood the test of time remarkably well - the film has undeniably become a classic. But - here's the big question - could it actually happen? Using today's technologies, could we actually extract ancient dinosaur DNA from blood-sucking mosquitoes preserved in amber? And then use that DNA to clone a prehistoric beast? We ask palaeontologist Dr Ricardo Pérez-de la Fuente to help us sort the science fact from the science fiction.   

Many of us will have had to deal with a bacterial infection at some point or another. The solution? Often, antibiotics. But as the issue of antibiotic resistance becomes more and more of a concern, might there be an alternative to tackling bacterial infections with drugs? We chat to biomedical engineer Dr Sara Keller about how sound waves could potentially be used to break down bacterial cells.

Increasing levels of CO2 in our atmosphere are a big cause for concern. So what if we could find a way to not only remove some CO2 from the air, but turn it into something useful too? That's exactly what Dr Tiancun Xiao and his team have been working on...and they've found a way to turn CO2 into jet fuel!

Forced displacement of human populations owing to conflict or natural disasters is very difficult to measure. During these crises, the traditional methods of assessing changes in populations - which mostly rely on surveys - are simply not possible. We chat to Dr Douglas Leasure from Oxford's Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science about how his team have been using social media data to assess the internal displacement of populations in Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022, in order to help ensure humanitarian aid is delivered as effectively as possible. If you would like to read the original research paper about Doug's work, you can access it here: 'Nowcasting Daily Population Displacement in Ukraine through Social Media Advertising Data'. You can find out more about the work of researchers at the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science in this Oxford Sparks micro-documentary: 'Demography: Understanding Our World'.  

Demographers (researchers who study the statistics of human populations) look at factors such as birth rates, death rates, migration and life expectancy. But what exactly is meant by the term 'life expectancy'? How is it calculated, and how has it changed after the pandemic? We speak to Prof Jennifer Dowd from the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science to find out. You can find out more about Prof Dowd's work in our micro-documentary Demography: Understanding Our World: https://www.oxfordsparks.ox.ac.uk/videos/demography-understanding-our-world/

More than half the world's population is at risk from dengue fever, a viral infection that is spread via the bite of an infected mosquito. While some cases of the disease can be mild, others can be extremely dangerous and even fatal - particularly if someone has contracted the virus previously. When cases of dengue fever are high, those at risk can take some preventative measures, such as wearing clothing that covers as much skin as possible, using mosquito nets at night, and avoiding standing water. As such, some way of predicting high levels of the virus before they arrive would be invaluable. This is exactly what Dr Sarah Sparrow and her colleagues at the DART (Dengue Advanced Readiness Tools) project are hoping to achieve - using climate data to create a forecast, similar to a pollen forecast, for dengue fever.

Our gut microbiome (that's all the microorganisms - such as bacteria, viruses and fungi - living in our gut) is really important for healthy digestion. But did you know that it's also linked to our mental health? In this episode of the Big Questions Podcast we chat to neuroscientist Prof Philip Burnet from Oxford's Department of Psychiatry about how our gut is connected to our brain, and how taking prebiotic and probiotic supplements could even help in the treatment of mood and psychotic disorders.

We've talked about a lot of different types of research on this podcast...from investigations into drought, to space exploration, to the future of food. But what about researching 'research' itself? That's right, on this week's episode of the Big Questions Podcast, we're going meta! We chat to Dr Patricia Logullo, a meta-researcher from the Nuffield Department for Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, about why it is so important to examine the practice of research itself, and how scientists such as herself help to ensure research reporting is transparent, complete and reproducible.   

Not everyone is the biggest fan of spiders...we know that. They might not be the first thing that springs to mind when it comes to romance, either! But, you've got to admit, when it comes to engineering, they're pretty incredible. Capable of making up to seven types of silk, and able to sense vibrations through thousands of 'ears' on their legs, there's a lot we can learn from spiders when it comes to new materials and sensor technologies. So, on this year's Valentine's episode of the Big Questions Podcast, we're asking arachnologist Dr Beth Mortimer how spider mating rituals could help us become better engineers.

Ask an internet aficionado what the 'next big thing' is, and they might respond with 'the metaverse'. This is the idea that we could soon be wandering in a virtual world - a kind of global, immersive video game. But are we really just one VR headset away from paradise? Or is the metaverse doomed before it's even really got off the ground? We chat to Dr Bernie Hogan from the Oxford Internet Institute to find out if Big Tech's confidence in the metaverse might be misplaced.

If our internal body clock is telling us it's 3am, but the external environment is telling us it's 12 noon, that's called jet lag. It's a mis-match between what's going on inside our bodies and what's happening outside. Those who have travelled abroad - particularly to somewhere in a significantly different time zone - will be familiar with the feeling, but it's not just stepping off a plane that can cause it. 'Social jet lag' is a particular problem for shift workers, for example. An out-of-sync body clock can make us feel terrible, so, is there a cure for the condition on the horizon? We speak to neuroscientist Prof Aarti Jagannath from the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences about her work investigating potential drug treatments for jet lag.

While the tradition of eating turkey at Christmas can be traced back to Henry VIII, it's really only been a staple part of our Christmas dinner since the early 20th Century. However, in the UK, it's now hard to imagine a Christmas spread without a turkey at its centre! But - with meat consumption linked to negative impacts on both our health and the planet - should we feel guilty about enjoying this part of the festive feast? In the opinion of social psychologist Elif Naz Çoker, the answer is no, you shouldn't feel guilty - turkey is a wonderful treat for a special occasion. However, we should try and reframe our attitudes towards meat consumption, and see it as an occasional indulgence rather than a daily staple. Join us for this Christmas episode of the Big Questions Podcast, where Elif shares some of her tips for making the transition to a less meat-centric diet.

Around 10% of us will experience kidney stones at some point in our life. They occur when waste products in the blood form small crystals, which gather together in the kidneys to form hard lumps. Small kidney stones (

When a space rock smashes into the surface of a planet, a hole - or crater - is formed. New craters might be relatively straightforward to identify on Earth, but what about on other planets, such as Mars? In this episode we hear from Dr Ben Fernando, a researcher from Oxford's Department of Physics and a scientist on NASA's InSight mission, about the techniques used to discover new craters on the red planet.

We often hear that we're remarkably similar to our primate relatives, both in terms of our genetics and our behaviour. We're social beings. We use tools. But only humans have come to dominate the planet - why? Could the answer lie in the small differences between the human brain and that of other primates? In this episode of the Oxford Sparks Big Questions Podcast, we talk to neuroscientist Dr Rogier Mars about what makes the human brain so special. Please note that Dr Rogier Mars and his team work on the brains of non-human primates that have died of natural causes, and have subsequently been donated for research purposes.

Here in the UK, we have a reputation for grey, drizzly weather. But there's no denying that this summer was HOT and this summer was DRY. With soaring temperatures and little to no rain for weeks on end, it was no surprise that we found ourselves in a drought, with a ban on hosepipes declared and careful use of water encouraged. But, did you know that we're still in that drought? In this episode of the Big Questions Podcast we chat to Dr Anna Murgatroyd to find out what characterises a drought, why we're still in one, and - faced with a changing climate - how we can maintain access to a safe and reliable water source into the future.