Oxford's biggest student newspaper, produced by and for members of the University of Oxford, since 1991.
The words “digital currency” typically conjure up associations of financial gambles, high volatility, and questionable practicality, all characteristic features of existing cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. However, with a new generation of cashless payment methods emerging in China, this might soon be set to change. After more than five years in development and a number of […]
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So, here we are – we made it – 2020, the age of robots and flying cars, a pandemic and unprecedented times. Automation is one of the many buzzwords of today (much like buzzword which is itself a buzzword); but what does it mean and how do we tackle this global issue? Will the ‘Rise of […]
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There is no doubt that technology has stepped in to attempt to fill the many voids in our lives created by the Lockdown restrictions. From education to socialising to entertainment, we all rely on technology now more than ever to allow us to continue with our daily activities. One of the most obvious ways in […]
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Image description: A mask and a vial of vitamin D Amid the coronavirus pandemic the demand for vitamin supplements has skyrocketed as millions seek to ‘boost their immunity’ to combat infection. Although evidence underlying their efficacy in reducing case incidence and severity is sparse, a link between vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19 mortality has emerged […]
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In a locked-down world society has become atomized. For those that can work remotely, the household has become the workplace. Rather than congregate in large and central locations, our working environments are now small clusters of individuals – the “node size” of the workplace has shrunk. At the same time, the workforce has become dispersed. […]
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In Oxford you might hear PPE and think of the academic course, however this guide is not going to tell you about a route into Parliament. Instead, I am providing a concise guide into scientific PPE which stands for ‘personal protective equipment’, how it is a way to protect ourselves during the pandemic and why […]
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Image description: Microbiologist using an electronic pipetter to extract reconstructed 1918 Pandemic Influenza virus There is a huge amount of disagreement about what the best strategy is to try and tackle coronavirus. However, one thing that both politicians and scientists everyone can agree on is that we need a vaccine, and we need it now. […]
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What is mass? What are the organising principles of our universe? What processes have given rise to our existence? These may seem like grand questions, but there is one place where they can seem quite mundane: the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, more commonly known as CERN. Located on the border between Switzerland and France, […]
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From enzymes to muscle tissue, the DNA held within the nucleus of cells contains instructions for the production of every protein in your body. Mutations in these genomic blueprints, whether inherited or induced by damaging environmental agents (e.g toxins, UV radiation), can result in proteins becoming malformed and dysfunctional and ultimately give rise to disease. […]
Continue ReadingIn his famous allegory of the cave Plato suggests that there are a group of people, prisoners, facing a wall, unable to direct their vision at anything else. Behind them lies reality, which has its true form projected onto the wall the prisoners are doomed to watch indefinitely. The prisoners only see the shadows and […]
Continue Reading“fuck “jokes”. everything i tweet is real. raw insight without the horse shit. no, i will NOT follow trolls. twitter dot com. i live for this” Such is the manifesto of the Twitter user known only as Dril (wint to his friends). An anonymous surrealist comedian, his first tweet was in 2008: the simple word […]
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TEDxOxford has grown quickly over the years: what started as a hundred people in the Keble O’Reilly in 2011 has grown to 1800 this year, and has now graduated to the New Theatre. Chris Williams, the day’s MC, highlighted this achievement in the welcome talk we received at the start of the day, alongside encouraging […]
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Science fiction is, in my wholly unqualified opinion, the best of the literary and screen genres. Its imaginative potential is limitless, providing a blank canvas onto which one can project all manner of intriguing moral, philosophical and entertaining scenarios. Most appealing of all, science fiction transcends the dreary confines of realism. Those of us who […]
Continue ReadingWith his quizzical look and flyaway hair, Ben Goldacre’s departmental photo makes him look every bit the mad scientist, but this scientific polymath (currently an author, broadcaster, doctor and academic) is at the forefront of one of the biggest medical movements in the last 50 years. With the enthusiasm of a Teach First chemistry teacher, he describes himself […]
Continue ReadingNew research suggests a new foot and mouth vaccine might be on its way
Continue ReadingBeing at one of the best universities in the country, let alone the world, has its perks, and several awards to boot. The Science and Technology section would like to congratulate the following for their remarkable achievements. Oxford chemists Professor Fraser Armstrong and Professor Frances Ashcroft have been recognised by the Royal Society in this […]
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