From the struggle to get up on a Monday morning to coping with jet-lag, the body has to carefully balance our need to be alert or to be at rest. Peter Oliver has worked in genetics research for 15 years and is interested in the way the genes and the environment influence sleep, particularly in human disease.

From the struggle to get up on a Monday morning to coping with jet-lag, the body has to carefully balance our need to be alert or to be at rest. Peter Oliver has worked in genetics research for 15 years and is interested in the way the genes and the environment influence sleep, particularly in human disease.

What is the universe made of? Atoms only make up a small proportion of what we think is out there, so cosmologists are trying to explain what the ‘missing’ 95% might be, and find ways to investigate its behaviour. Dr Jo Dunkley brings us up to speed on the latest research.

What is the universe made of? Atoms only make up a small proportion of what we think is out there, so cosmologists are trying to explain what the ‘missing’ 95% might be, and find ways to investigate its behaviour. Dr Jo Dunkley brings us up to speed on the latest research.An interview with Dy Jo Dunkley, astrophysics lecturer at Oxford University after a talk on The Dark Universe, at Science Oxford.

Life has existed on Earth for more than 3 billion years. Whilst we understand huge amounts about the life on our planet, the question of how life began in the first place is still unanswered. Professor Nigel Mason explores some of the possible explanations for one of the greatest mysteries in science.

The human body is teeming with life. There are ten times more bacteria in our body than human cells – and despite having a bad press, our body’s bugs actually help to keep us ticking over. Professor Mike Wilson introduces us to our ‘friendly bacteria’, and explains why it’s so important to understand the life in our insides.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the first manned spaceflight, Science Oxford Live invited Dr Marek Kukula from the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, to explore what astronomers have learnt since then. Be prepared for exploding stars, a moon where liquid methane rains from orange clouds, and a monstrous black hole at the centre of our Galaxy!

Half a century since they were invented, lasers are now used in millions of appliances worldwide. But scientists also use them to solve the biggest problems in modern science. Dr Kate Lancaster has already amazed viewers on BBC4 with the Beauty of Diagrams, and she will describe the incredible things that lasers can do.

Do animals have emotions? The vast majority of pet owners are very confident that they do, and yet scientists can often be sceptical. Dr Paul Morris, psychologist at the University of Portsmouth, is coming along to discuss his research into animal emotions and the science behind this complicated issue.

This event took place at Science Oxford Live on 17th February 2011.

Thames Valley Police Wildlife Crime Officer, PC Simon Towers, is joining us to discuss the problem of wildlife crime. With the help of some real exhibits and case studies, Simon will explore the impact that wildlife crime has on our environment, and how we combat it both practically and with forensic science.

This event took place at Science Oxford Live on the 10th February 2011