Oxford's biggest student newspaper, produced by and for members of the University of Oxford, since 1991.
Image Description: artistic blue, green, and purple spikey bacteria appear on a pale green background We all know how much COVID sucks. So if I said, “hey, look, there’s an opportunity to avoid the possibility of a COVID-like event—or worse—occurring in the future”, you’d jump at it, right? Here’s the brutal facts: we knew a […]
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Image description: Scientist in lab holding small test tube and pipette Endometriosis is a chronic condition where tissue similar to the womb lining grows outside the uterus. Symptoms can include pelvic pain which is worse during a period; extreme period pain; pain during or after sex; and difficulty getting pregnant. Current treatments are limited to […]
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Image description: a model of the human brain on a deep-blue background, lit up with red and green neon lighting. Neuroscience is a field notorious for many things: amazing discoveries, thought-provoking debates, controversial findings. But ask any neuroscientist and they’ll tell you that it is also a discipline plagued by failed clinical studies. In fact, […]
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CW: mention of eating disorders, calorie counting. The UK government have this week confirmed their plans to make it mandatory for restaurants with over 250 employees to display the number of calories in each meal on their menus. This is a bid to curb obesity crisis as the government estimates almost two-thirds of English adults […]
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Image Description: a mosquito standing on human skin. Malaria is one of humanity’s oldest companions, as far as diseases are concerned. It is still one of the leading causes of death among children worldwide, claiming around 400,000 lives every year. Despite a long history of research and decades of attempts, developing a vaccine against the […]
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Image description: several small vials labelled ” Coronavirus Vaccine” laid out in a row. Two weeks ago, the UK reached its second vaccination target, with just under 50% of the population having received their first dose. Although this news did not attract much attention – perhaps due to the warm temperatures and open pubs serving […]
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Image Description: An open Redbull can, displaying the blue bull logo on an orange background In the light of energy drink consumption being linked to heart failure in a 21-year-old student, is this the new health problem for a new generation? Instead of kids from the age of eleven going behind the bike shed and […]
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Image Description: a yellow alarm clock showing the time as quarter to five, on white bedding This article is based on the book ‘Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dream,’ by Matthew Walker. Did you get enough sleep this past week? Can you remember the last time you woke up feeling refreshed […]
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Image Description: a strip of contraceptive pills against a blue background It’s not an exaggeration to say that the contraceptive pill is a landmark medical development of the 20th century – perhaps even one of the most important medicines ever invented. From the pill’s development in the 1950s, it was very clear what it could […]
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Image description: children learning in a classroom The closure of schools disproportionately affects the working class. Starved of appropriate funding for a decade, there is no way that state schools are able to provide the level of online teaching recommended. Even if they could provide this new format it works upon the assumption that all […]
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As summer approaches, talk of getting that ‘beach body’ abounds, and fasting, gym gains, and carb-free diets are brandished as trophies in the quest to achieve this ideal body. So what? – some might ask. Nothing wrong with getting in shape for the summer, or finally mustering the motivation to shed those extra pounds. It […]
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According to a recent health notice, students at various colleges in Oxford have been diagnosed with scabies. The NHS warns that it is a highly contagious disease which can spread from one person to another through prolonged, direct physical contact. A health notice sent to students at Magdalen College states: “Please remind other students or […]
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Over 32 JCR Presidents have put their name to a letter to Vice-Chancellor Louise Richardson expressing “deep concern” regarding the University’s mental health provisions. The letter claims that “UK students are in the midst of a mental health crisis”, citing figures which suggest that 78% of students believe they have suffered from mental health problems […]
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Image Credit: Erica Yokoyama Life in Oxford can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially towards the end of the term with impeding essays due and upcoming exams tying us to the desk. For anyone who needs an hour break from their nerve-racking days, Oxford SU has graced us with what some might describe as a puppy miracle […]
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Picture credit: C. S. Goldsmith and A. Balish, CDC- Description: Influenza Virus If you don’t know what flu feels like then you are one lucky son of a gun. You might say: “Oh but I have had the flu and it wasn’t so bad!” If by that statement, you mean you have had the sniffles and […]
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One of the many joys of becoming a member of the Baha’i Faith is the opportunity I’ve had to experience the benefits of sunrise-to-sunset fasting. In addition to its spiritual benefits (allowing us to cultivate self-discipline, and to make more time for quiet meditation), fasting has been shown to contribute to physical good health. According […]
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On Saturday 21st April, the Oxford Academy opened its doors to FitFest, Oxfordshire’s largest fitness and wellness festival. The event featured a range of fitness classes, talks from wellbeing and motivational experts, and a range of cooking demos for healthy eating. Naturally, as a foodie, I was at the front of the audience for everything […]
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Over the last few weeks, politicians have been criss-crossing the country, campaigning for votes in the hope of securing electoral victory. Once again, young people have been singled out as a powerful yet relatively disengaged demographic. With this in mind, it is striking that politicians have not done more to attract younger voters by proposing […]
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Dear Editor, I am responding to the article ‘Oxford must improve its approach to mental health’ [28th November]. I am someone with a central diagnosis of borderline personality disorder, which is arguably the most difficult to treat of all mental disorders. I can empathise with the author’s frustration at the mental health services provided by […]
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