Oxford Sparks: bringing science to life

Did you know that you are in charge of a power station? It's true. Every time you flick a light switch, a power station somewhere in the UK will respond and generate that little bit of extra power you need for your light. Did you know that you are in charge of a power station? It's true. Every time you flick a light switch, a power station somewhere in the UK will respond and generate that little bit of extra power you need for your light. How would you like to return the favour? Could you respond next time the power system struggles to keep the lights on? Could you delay the dish washer, or might you like do the hovering some other time? Help researchers at the University of Oxford to find out. This short animation looks at the science and economics of energy use; particularly whether our behaviour might be able to solve to peak demand problem/

You may have heard the word “quantum” bandied around a lot. But what does it mean? In this animation we take a look at how the photon – the quantum particle of light – is being harnessed to help create new technologies like quantum computers. To do this researchers need to be able to create and use photons, bits of light, one at a time - it's no mean feat. Find out some of the different ways they can do this and how it might change our world.

How do you know when it's time to wake up or go to sleep? More powerful than any alarm are your circadian rhythms. In this animation we take a look at how these rhythms work and what controls them; inspired by the TeenSleep project being carried out at the University to look at how later start times at school might affect achievement.

Light is more than just light bulbs and sunshine! Researchers at the University of Oxford use different types of light to learn more about all sorts of interesting things. To celebrate the International Year of Light we’ve taken a tiny handful of examples from across the University of Oxford to show just some of the ways light helps us see the world around us.

Oxford Sparks explore what chirality is. What links drugs, shells, springs and vines? Chirality, when mirror images of things don't look the same, is explored and we learn what maths can tell us about it - from designing drugs to the very meaning of life.

In the early 1900s, Charles Sherrington examined microscope slides of muscles, nerves, the spine and the brain and traced the connections between them building a picture of how muscles are controlled. Researchers today still use principles he established. Find out more about the link between nerves, muscles and balance at www.oxfordsparks.net/box.

Nitrogen could be one of the most interesting elements in the periodic table. Find out more about this fascinating element and how research into peas and beans at Oxford could help feed the world! www.oxfordsparks.net/nitrogen.

Oxford Sparks presents an adventure in X-ray crystallography. Find out more and read about the science behind the animation at www.oxfordsparks.net/crystal.

Take a journey through a jet engine with Ossie from Oxford Sparks. Find out more and read about the science behind the animation at www.oxfordsparks.net/jet.

Take a journey around the brain with Ossie from Oxford Sparks. Find out more and read about the science behind the animation at www.oxfordsparks.net/mri.

Oxford Sparks presents a journey around the planets. Find out more and read about the science behind the animation at www.oxfordsparks.net/planet.

Oxford Sparks presents a visit to the Stromboli volcano. Find out more and explore other volcano resources at www.oxfordsparks.net/animations/volcano.

Oxford Sparks presents a look at how a single change in DNA can cause the human heart to go wrong. Find out more and read about the science behind the animation at www.oxfordsparks.net/animations/heart.

Oxford sparks presents a ride to the land of the extremely cold. Find out more, and read the science behind the animation at www.oxfordsparks.net/animations/coldchem.

Oxford Sparks presents a visit to the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Geneva. Find out more and explore other LHC resources at www.oxfordsparks.net/animations/lhc No protons were harmed in the making of this animation.