The Oxford Scientist

15/07/2024

🎉Applications for MT24 are now open! 🐢

Follow the link below for more details and to apply!

We are looking for people with previous editorial experience, strong written communication skills, and a demonstrable interest across a broad range of topics in STEM subjects. They should also have a good eye for what makes a piece work well. Some familiarity with the OxSci editorial process is a significant plus. Those who have previously sub-edited for us are particularly encouraged to apply.

Deadline: Monday 22nd July

Thank you for your interest in becoming one of the senior editorial members for The Oxford Scientist! We are looking for people to work alongside the current editorial team to learn from the section editors and eventually work alongside them and continue the role into Michaelmas term of 2024. We are...

07/07/2024

Last few days to send us your submission!

04/06/2024

'It may surprise you to learn that your colon houses many microbes (~ 100 trillion), so many that they actually outnumber human cells. This collection of microbes in your gut is collectively known as the “gut microbiota”.'

🦠Waywen Loh delves into the rich diversity of the micoorganisms residing in our gut, and the therapeutic applications understanding it has.

Waywen Loh delves into the rich diversity of the micoorganisms residing in our gut, and the therapeutic applications understanding it has.

02/06/2024

'Residents of the Galapagos sit at the crucial intersection between environmental stewardship and economic growth. We have seen that unregulated tourism can be detrimental to conservation, yet the revenue that tourism generates is an important factor in the decision-making of locals and governing bodies.'

Taylor Bi explores the conflicting priorities of tourists and residents in the Galapagos, and how local empowerment may resolve this clash. 🏝🐢

Taylor Bi explores the conflicting priorities of tourists and residents in the Galapagos, and how local empowerment may resolve this clash.

08/05/2024

🧑‍🏫Sign up to our teacher mailing list to receive updates on the competition!

https://form.jotform.com/competitionoxsci/teachermail

05/05/2024

📢We are pleased to announce The Oxford Scientist Schools Competition for 2024!

This is YOUR chance to be featured in The Oxford Scientist! Have a read of the essay themes linked below and get thinking!

Please read the guidelines and essay themes by following the link below⬇️. We look forward to your submissions!

For more details and to submit, go to: https://oxsci.org/schools-competition/

25/04/2024

Join the OxSci senior team this term!

We have several positions open:
⭐Junior web editor
⭐Features section editor
⭐Opinions section editor

We are looking for people with previous editorial experience, strong written communication skills, and a demonstrable interest across a broad range of topics in STEM subjects. They should also have a good eye for what makes a piece work well. Some familiarity with the OxSci editorial process is a significant plus. Those who have previously sub-edited for us are particularly encouraged to apply.

Apply here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdrL8j2hOMBsszPfoFDN1dER5bZ_yYJSTWVx-W12o7BO8WpsQ/viewform

Deadline: May 2nd

15/04/2024

🧑‍🎨Interested in Art and Design? 🎨
Join our creative team for PARADOX - TT24!

The role is flexible, with commissions released on a termly basis. We are also making this as finalist-friendly as possible, so even those in a pinch with time can make some art for the print!

Deadline: 22nd April

Interested in Art and Design? Join our creative team for PARADOX - TT24! The role is flexible, with commissions released on a termly basis. We are also making this as finalist-friendly as possible, so even those in a pinch with time can make some art for the print!

31/03/2024

'While the gut has been brought to the forefront of contemporary health discourse, with a particular focus on fermented food and bacteria, the more inquisitive among us might wonder exactly why our digestive system is so incredibly important beyond simply doing the job it says on the tin.'

🔎🍴 Ilke Boran reports on the role of the gut microbiome in crucial biological processes, and how social factors impacts its composition.

Ilke Boran reports on the role of the gut microbiome in crucial biological processes, and how social factors impacts its composition.

31/03/2024

'Even where monitoring occurs, there are no international regulations on exposure levels. Only in the EU and, more recently, South Korea are there any legal mandates on the maximum levels of exposure and the monitoring of this.'

✈️ Olivia Allen and Enis Gerxhalija discuss cosmic radiation exposure as an occupational risk faced by cabin crew.

Olivia Allen and Enis Gerxhalija discuss cosmic radiation exposure as an occupational risk faced by cabin crew.

31/03/2024

'Despite the implicit assumption of human free will, neuroscience forces us to reconsider our freedom and re-evaluate the forces that drive our decision-making and who we become.'

🧠Divya Prasad explores arguments against free will and how the findings of neuroscience question our freedom as humans.

Divya Prasad explores arguments against free will yet how the belief that we do hold some power over decisions may be better for individuals.

30/03/2024

If the cells in a blue whale behaved the same way as human cells, statistical models have indicated all whales would develop cancer by age 80. But this is not the case...'

🔎 Isabel Schmidt discusses why larger animals do not show an increased cancer rate that is expected given their size. 🐘

Isabel Schmidt discusses why larger animals do not show an increased cancer rate that is expected given their size.

30/03/2024

'An area of 3 million square kilometers, located 1100 miles off the coast of India, has a sea level that lies up to 100m below the global average. Here, a drop in the depth of the sea floor causes a drop in sea surface level. This is all down to a phenomenon called a gravity hole.'

🌏 Olivia Allen reports on findings that the Indian ocean gravity hole may be a product of low density plasma plumes.

Oliva Allen reports on findings that the Indian ocean gravity hole may be a product of low density plasma plumes.

30/03/2024

'Although we have dominion, the existence of future, random mutations, questions whether we have control. Mutations can be induced but we do not control their frequencies, location of specific base change. We can inflict whatever changes we desire, but the consequences are not ours to decide...'

🧬Edie Allden explores the artistic side of biochemistry and how ethics and access challenge the universality of BioArt. ‍🎨

Edie Allden explores the artistic side of biochemistry and how ethics and access challenge the universality of BioArt.

29/03/2024

'The global perspective on cannabidiol (CBD) has recently grown more optimistic, with many claims about the product extrapolating beyond conclusive research. In the UK, almost one in ten people already use CBD, claiming that it prevents wrinkles, improves sleep, and reduces pain, amongst other things.'

🔎🍃 Billie Delpino explores the growing use of CBD for mitigating various symptoms, and the extent to which CBD is supported by science.

Billie Delpino explores the growing use of CBD for mitigating various symptoms, and the extent to which CBD is supported by science.

29/03/2024

'Iceland sits upon the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, an enormous fracture in the Earth’s crust that bisects the Atlantic Ocean and is responsible for the Atlantic’s gradual opening and expansion over the past 175 million years.'

Isabelle Goddard reports on the recent seismic activity and volcanic eruptions in Iceland, and how early warnings may have saved the country. 🌋

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Isabelle Goddard reports on the recent seismic activity and volcanic eruption in Iceland, and how early warnings may have saved the country.

29/03/2024

'Unlike the gut, microbial flow along the respiratory tract is bi-directional and unfiltered, making it much more dynamic than the gut in terms of community make-up. Observations of the URT suggest it has a different community composition to the LRT within and across individuals.'

🔎 Connor Forsyth discusses the recent explorations into the lung microbiome, and its role in treatment for cancer. 🫁

Connor Forsyth discusses the recent explorations into the lung microbiome, and its role in treatment for cancer.

28/03/2024

'One abrupt shift in climate, known as the Younger Dryas, took place between 12,900 and 11,500 years ago. The other caused a three-thousand-year shift in atmospheric and hydrological systems, and has puzzled scientists since its discovery—this event is known as ‘The Mystery Interval’.'

🔎Olivia Allen explores a mysterious event in the history of our climate ⛅️, a three-thousand-year change in Earth’s atmosphere and hydrology.

Olivia Allen explores a mysterious event in the history of our climate, a three-thousand-year change in Earth's atmosphere and hydrology.

28/03/2024

'It would not be unreasonable to expect that, with all this income, manufacturers could afford to appropriately test the absorbency of period products. Nonetheless, the first study of menstrual products using blood during testing was published just a few months ago.'

🔎🩸 Leah Fogarty reports on a first of a kind experiment, testing the absorbency of menstrual products using blood.

Leah Fogarty reports on a first of a kind experiment, testing the absorbency of period products using blood.

28/03/2024

'As our technological world becomes more advanced and we witness the meteoric rise of artificial intelligence (AI), we should ask ourselves how developments in AI could help or hinder us in the fight against a rapidly warming globe.'

Freya Butler, PhD Chemistry student at University College, Oxford, discusses the role of AI in the climate crisis, as well as the potential damage the technology could cause the environment.

Freya Butler discusses the role of AI in the climate crisis, as well as the potential of this technology to damage the environment.

17/03/2024

Extended deadline: 20th March

We want to hear your ideas!

Click the form linked below to pitch...

Announcing our theme for TT24: Paradox! Pitch for us! 🐊

This is your chance to explore your favourite scientific paradoxes, whether that's the Black Hole Information paradox or the Fermi paradox. You could even take a more microscopic approach, focusing on bifunctional enzymes that catalyse opposing reactions, or looking at incoherent feedback loops. For this theme, we especially welcome unique ideas, to ensure that we have varied pitches covering the many paradoxes that science has us puzzling over.

Pitch to us with this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdKkuZvoE17BHrB0M_GM_vUnUPtaK2gmckewohaBNO1TFr8Iw/viewform

Deadline: 17th March

10/03/2024

Announcing our theme for TT24: Paradox! Pitch for us! 🐊

This is your chance to explore your favourite scientific paradoxes, whether that's the Black Hole Information paradox or the Fermi paradox. You could even take a more microscopic approach, focusing on bifunctional enzymes that catalyse opposing reactions, or looking at incoherent feedback loops. For this theme, we especially welcome unique ideas, to ensure that we have varied pitches covering the many paradoxes that science has us puzzling over.

Pitch to us with this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdKkuZvoE17BHrB0M_GM_vUnUPtaK2gmckewohaBNO1TFr8Iw/viewform

Deadline: 17th March

01/03/2024

'On the 25th April 2023, the FDA made the controversial decision to approve Tofersen, a drug manufactured by Biogen, as a treatment for a rare genetic variant of ALS. This variant only affects 2% of the estimated 168,000 people living with ALS globally...'

🔎🧠Niamh Walker reports on a recent, controversial decision by the FDA to approve Tofersen for ALS treatment.

Niamh Walker reports on a recent, controversial decision by the FDA to approve Tofersen for ALS treatment.

27/02/2024

'I am sharing my story as back then I really could have benefitted from knowing that returning to postgraduate study after time away is not as unusual as I’d previously thought. In fact, approximately two thirds of postgraduate students are 25 or over, and a quarter are 35 or over.'

🎓Catherine Baldwin, DPhil student at University College, Oxford, discusses an unconventional journey to postgraduate education, and a series of tips for returning to education.

Catherine Baldwin discusses an unconventional journey to postgraduate study, and a series of tips for returning to education.