Oxford Sparks Big Questions Oxford Sparks

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!