Christmas Science Lectures

Join the hundreds of school children from around the country taking part in the annual Oxford University Christmas Science Lectures, where world renowned scientists aim to entertain and inspire the next generation with their (often explosive) insights into science.

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Episodes

Carrots, spiders and red salt – a fascination with light capture in biology

Using physics, chemistry and biology, the fascination with light capture in nature will be explained in a multi-coloured and animated well – prepare for six-eyed spiders, purple carrots and red salt. One of the most complex organs in higher life forms is the eye – even Charles Darwin commented that evolution of the eye by natural selection at first glance seemed "absurd in the highest possible degree”. Many living things on earth, from the most simple of single cell organisms to humans, respond ...

Dec 15, 2015•38 min

The Chemistry Show 2015

Malcolm Stewart and Dr Fabrice Birembaut are back again with their highly entertaining flash bang lecture! Let Santa and his elf take you on a discovery journey from cold to hot chemistry!

Dec 14, 2015•48 min

Social Media: The use of your online information for the Good, the Bad and the Ugly!

Social media, everyone uses it, whether it is to connect with long lost friends on Facebook, or to share selfies on Instagram or Twitter! In this talk, I consider the positives & negatives, security & privacy and how it can be used supportively.

Dec 14, 2015•39 min

Radiotherapy: What is it? How does it work? And how will it change?

Radiotherapy has been going on since 1896, only months after the discovery of X-rays. We will explore what it is, how it works, and examine the change from X-ray beams to particle guns.

Dec 11, 2015•38 min

Epigenetics: What Makes You "You"?

Have you ever wondered why identical twins aren’t, well, actually identical? Do you want to blame your parents for something about you that is different from everyone else in the family? Then you need to find out about Epigenetics. In this lecture, we will explore why identical twins are not identical despite sharing the same set of genes. Epigenetics tells the cell whether genes can be switched on or off and this varies even in identical twins. The environment, things like food and toxins, infl...

Dec 11, 2015•34 min

Can Machines Think?

Can machines think? How can we test computers for intelligence? Edward Grefenstette delivers a lively presentation about artificial intelligence.

Dec 17, 2013•1 hr 1 min

Prime Numbers

Dr Richard Earl of the Mathematical Institute, Oxford presents a talk about prime numbers. What they are and their role in internet security.

Dec 17, 2013•48 min

The Chemistry Show

Join Dr Malcolm Stewart and Dr Fabrice Birembaut to find out just how much fun chemistry can be. Young, or not so young, you'll be entertained and educated by the sort of chemistry you never get to see at school: baffling, tantalising and LOUD!

Feb 03, 2012•47 min

Hot Stuff: How Volcanoes Work

Professor David Pyle (Department of Earth Science) presents an illustrated tour of some of the world's most active and dangerous volcanoes, and an exploration of what we have learnt about how volcanoes work.

Feb 03, 2012•41 min

The Accelerate! Show

Get up close and personal with the exciting world of particle and accelerator physics. Learn how particle accelerators can do everything from recreating conditions just after the Big Bang to finding new ways to treat cancer.

Feb 03, 2012•53 min

Why Should Robots Play Football?

Dr Stephen Cameron (Department of Computer Science) explains why thousands of people from across the world are busy trying to teach robots to play football.

Feb 03, 2012•54 min

Tripping the Light Fantastic 2010

Light illuminates and gives life. It also reveals, enlightens, and brings understanding. Jonathan Wood shows us the inspiration and fascination to be found in the use of light, from Harry Potter's invisible cloak to killing cancer cells.

Dec 18, 2010•55 min

Why Beckham chose the 23 shirt

Why did Beckham chose the 23 shirt? What makes prime numbers special? Marcus duSautoy sheds light on the so-called 'masculine' numbers, explains why prime numbers will help you survive, and opens our eyes to the fascinating world of mathematics.

Dec 21, 2009•51 min

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