Oxford Sparks Big Questions

'Will my bacon sandwich kill me?', 'Is vaping better than smoking?', 'How do you become an astronaut?' - just some of the Big Questions we ask some of the brightest minds behind Oxford science. Join us in each podcast as we explore a different area of science.

How can robots investigate underwater volcanoes?
Apr 30, 2025 – 13:56
What is it like to be on Countdown?
Apr 16, 2025 – 15:57
What happens after a dementia diagnosis?
Apr 2, 2025 – 14:35
Is it OK to laugh at Tourette's?
Mar 19, 2025 – 15:20
What is a dinosaur highway?
Mar 5, 2025 – 13:57
How horny are hedgehogs?
Feb 19, 2025 – 15:20
What can batteries of the future learn from eels?
Feb 5, 2025 – 12:00
Why is my bottle cap attached to my plastic bottle?
Jan 22, 2025 – 11:17
Why are we seeing the Northern Lights more often?
Jan 8, 2025 – 13:19
Why track mistletoe?
Dec 11, 2024 – 13:40
Why are birth rates falling in the UK?
Nov 27, 2024 – 12:35
What is a wind drought?
Nov 13, 2024 – 12:55
How do you sequence the genomes of 70,000 species?
Oct 30, 2024 – 14:05
How do I keep my house cool without air conditioning?
Jul 17, 2024 – 13:52
What time is it on the moon?
Jul 3, 2024 – 14:45
How can origami help make energy?
Jun 19, 2024 – 12:37
How do you fossilise a brain?
Jun 5, 2024 – 11:46
How do earworms work?
May 22, 2024 – 13:32
How are seals affecting fishing catches?
May 8, 2024 – 13:11
Why am I killing my house plants?
Apr 24, 2024 – 14:48
How are volcanoes formed on other planets?
Apr 10, 2024 – 13:59
Can we talk to bees?
Mar 27, 2024 – 15:23
Why are people obsessed with how cute cats are?
Mar 13, 2024 – 14:58
How freaked out should I be about bed bugs?
Feb 28, 2024 – 11:32
When did we start kissing?
Feb 14, 2024 – 12:23
How do you stay warm in your house without central heating?
Jan 31, 2024 – 14:28
How will climate change affect wine?
Jan 17, 2024 – 15:40
What are the odds of a white Christmas?
Dec 13, 2023 – 10:16
How do you reintroduce lions?
Nov 29, 2023 – 14:03
Does banning smoking work?
Nov 15, 2023 – 11:25
Why are deep fakes happening?
Nov 1, 2023 – 13:58
What's the cool stuff that we've learnt from the James Webb Space Telescope?
Jul 5, 2023 – 17:30
Would you want to meet an alien?
Jun 21, 2023 – 16:23
Could 'Jurassic Park' actually happen?
May 31, 2023 – 14:09
How can we use sound waves to eliminate infections?
May 17, 2023 – 14:18
How do you convert CO2 into jet fuel?
May 3, 2023 – 14:05
How do you use social media to deliver humanitarian aid?
Apr 19, 2023 – 14:46
How has life expectancy changed after the pandemic?
Apr 5, 2023 – 15:44
Can you make a dengue fever forecast?
Mar 22, 2023 – 13:05
Can my gut health improve my mental health?
Mar 8, 2023 – 13:46
Why do research on research?
Feb 22, 2023 – 11:35
How could spider sex unlock secrets to engineering?
Feb 8, 2023 – 12:55
Is the metaverse doomed?
Jan 25, 2023 – 16:24
Can you cure jet lag?
Jan 11, 2023 – 14:44
Should I feel guilty eating turkey at my Christmas dinner?
Dec 14, 2022 – 11:45
How can a simulation help treat kidney stones?
Nov 30, 2022 – 11:28
How were new craters on Mars discovered?
Nov 16, 2022 – 12:38
What makes the human brain so special?
Nov 2, 2022 – 10:49
Why is the UK still in a drought?
Oct 19, 2022 – 10:44
Why is the James Webb Space Telescope a big deal?
Jun 15, 2022 – 14:54