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The Department of Physics public lecture series. An exciting series of lectures about the research at Oxford Physics take place throughout the academic year. Looking at topics diverse as the creation of the universe to the science of climate change.Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ Oxford physics lectures • cosmology and Big Bang • particle physics at CERN: Higgs, Standard Model • dark matter searches • neutrino astronomy with IceCube • relativity and eclipse tests • accretion, star/planet formation • exoplanet habitability • chaos, climate prediction • physics–philosophy: space-time, quantum paradoxes, many-worlds, consciousness, computability • nuclear weapons history • radiation risk perceptionThis podcast presents public lectures and interview-style discussions drawn from Oxford’s Department of Physics and associated events, spanning core research topics in modern physics as well as their historical and philosophical context. Across the episodes, much of the content focuses on “big picture” questions about the universe: its origin and expansion, the formation of structure over cosmic time, and energetic phenomena such as accretion around compact objects. Several talks highlight observational and experimental “windows” on the cosmos, including neutrino astronomy and the use of large-scale detectors embedded in Antarctic ice to study high-energy particles from astrophysical sources, while also extracting results relevant to particle physics.
A recurring theme is the relationship between theory and experiment in fundamental physics. Topics include contemporary high-energy physics at CERN, with discussion of the Standard Model, precision study of the Higgs boson, and collider-based approaches to searching for dark matter. Relativity and its empirical tests also feature, with attention to how historical measurements (such as eclipse observations) shaped acceptance of Einstein’s ideas, and how the history of instruments and data interpretation can matter for scientific conclusions.
The podcast also addresses the physics behind socially and historically consequential technologies and events, particularly nuclear physics and the development and strategic implications of atomic weapons, alongside broader reflections on radiation risk and public perception.
Another strand explicitly bridges physics and philosophy. These episodes explore how conceptual analysis and scientific practice inform one another, covering long-running debates about the nature of space and time, interpretive puzzles in quantum mechanics (including paradoxes and the many-worlds view), and questions about mind, computation, and whether consciousness could be reproduced by machines. Ideas from chaos and dynamical systems appear as well, linking unpredictability and determinism in physics to practical challenges like climate prediction and to speculative directions in quantum gravity. Overall, the series emphasizes accessible accounts of current research, foundational concepts, and the ways physics connects to wider intellectual and societal questions.