Oxford SciBar

Astrophysics is the science of the stars, and more widely the science of the Universe. During this stellar event, Prof James Binney presents extracts from his Very Short Introduction to Astrophysics (OUP). You will learn about the rapid expansion of the field in the last century, with vast quantities of data gathered by telescopes exploiting all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, and the great advance of computing power, which has allowed increasingly effective mathematical modelling.

This month's SciBar was all about animal behaviour, how it has evolved and how we can understand animal societies better.

Oxford Scibar: presented by Prof Sophie Scott, on laughter and communication.

Type 2 diabetes is the epidemic of the 21st Century. There are 415 million people living with diabetes worldwide, and 90 per cent of them have Type 2. It’s increasing, costly and life-changing. Diabetes is the single largest cause of amputations, stroke, blindness and kidney failure. So are we doing enough to prevent it? Can we use our understanding of genetics to improve treatment and care? Professor Anna Gloyn (Oxford Centre for Diabetes Endocrinology & Metabolism and Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford) shares her view.

Find out with Dr Jennifer Coopersmith (Honorary Research Associate, University of La Trobe, Australia) how the Principle of Least Action is radically different from all that went before.

​Einstein’s theory of general relativity is possibly the most perfect intellectual achievement of modern physics. For almost a century now, physicists have been delving into Einstein’s theory, seeking an understanding of the history of the universe, the origin of time, and the evolution of solar systems, stars, and galaxies. Professor of Astrophysics Pedro Ferreira (University of Oxford) will tell us about the expanding universe, black holes and gravitational waves, and how general relativity has allowed scientists’ imaginations to take flight with new possibilities, revealing a universe that is much stranger than anyone ever expected.

Most people have what society regards as a ‘normal’ brain. How does this come about? Traditionally this can be thought of as a nature versus nurture argument with genetics directing the construction of a normal brain that is then receptive to environment influences. Prof Simon Butt (University of Oxford) will talk about a recently discovered scaffold in the developing brain that acts to constrain the impact of environment, highlighting how neurodevelopment can inform our understanding of normal behaviour.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) produces images of the human brain at work. These are both beautiful and alluring. This means that it is easy to over-interpret them; and unfortunately the media frequently succeed in doing so. Professor Richard Passingham (Emeritus Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford) explains what scans do not show and then illustrates what they can show by asking an everyday question: why it is bad to use a mobile while driving?

For many years, psychologists have considered the fear of death as a central motivating factor in human behaviour and achievement. However, only for the past 30 years have psychologists tested these ideas empirically and experimentally. Dr Jonathan Jong (University of Oxford, Coventry University) evaluates the claim that death drives human behaviour, focusing in particular on religion.

This month's SciBar brings you talks by astronomers about exploring the mysteries of our Universe.

recorded on 29th of July 2016.