Science and Politics

In this episode, Jan-Willem Prügel discusses the historical origins and philosophical characteristics of Conservatism with two brilliant Oxford students of the humanities. Some say Conservatism is not even a proper political belief, some think of it as shorthand for the politics of the Tory or Republican party. Alas, it is so much more than that and so much more difficult to grasp. Explore the nature of this strange political creature and find out if there are not some aspects of it you find charming and worthy of implementing into your very own view of the world around you. Hello, little platoons, hello useful traditions.

Jan-Willem Prügel questions three Oxford mathematicians about the mythical entities known as numbers. What are they? And perhaps even more importantly, why are they? Show notes: https://media.podcasts.ox.ac.uk/ball/in_our_spare_time/sparetimes-number-systems-show-notes.pdf

Oxford students discuss the problem posed by the existence of evil in the world to the Christian and Hindu gods.

Aled Walker, Justin Ball, Valerian Chen, Jason Parisi discuss nuclear fusion as part of the In Our Spare Time series.

A new episode of of in our spare time, this time looking at the social aspects of language.

Oxford graduate students discuss Criminology, and the societal affects of real-life crime documentaries. In the final months of 2014, the most downloaded podcast on iTunes wasn't on politics or on current affairs, it was no grand historical narrative, and it certainly wasn't a comedy. The podcast was called 'Serial', by now downloaded over 80 million times, and it told, over the course of twelve long episodes, in intimate detail, the investigations of reporter Sarah Koenig into the murder of a single teenage girl, in Baltimore, 15 years previously. Whodunnits have been a feature of popular fiction for over 150 years: extremely popular fiction indeed, with Agatha Christie battling only William Shakespeare as the most popular author of fiction of all time. Yet, such detailed serialisations of real-life murder cases are a much newer phenomenon, and, from a certain perspective at least, a rather morbid one. Why do we as human beings seem to find these distressing stories so fascinating? Could podcasts such as Serial warp our perceptions of the realities of criminal justice? What responsibilities should such documentary makers have when presenting these cases.? And is even the very act -- the act of making the lives of such vulnerable people prime-time entertainment -- can that ever be ethically justified? The success of programmes such as Serial, and also Netflix's endlessly controversial 'Making a Murdurer', poses many questions to the professional scholar of the public's relationship with the criminal justice system -- the criminologist.

Oxford graduate students discuss the life and work of 19th century French mathematical prodigy Évariste Galois To appear on a commemorative stamp is surely the greatest stamp of fame. Évariste Galois -- 'Révolutionnaire et Géomètre', as the French stamp says -- was one of the most unusual and enigmatic mathematicians in history. He died when he was just 20 years old, in dramatic circumstances, but during his brief span he created mathematics which, in the decades after his death, would go on to revolutionise all aspects of the discipline.

Host Alice Harberd discusses Clytemnestra, a fascinating character from Greek Tragedy, with Emily Clifford and Lily Aaronovitch.

Oxford DPhil students discuss the relationship between scientific advice and government policy The relationship between scientists and politicians has never been an easy one. These days scientists advice our government on anything from run-of-the-mill policy decisions, to cyber-warfare, to natural disasters, to taxation, and on the future of our energy needs; but, with only 10% of MPs having a scientific background, is this advice always understood, and even when it is, do politicians always adhere to it? Host: Aled Walker (3rd year DPhil, Magdalen College, Mathematics) Guests: Kathyrn Boast (4th year DPhil, St. Peter's College, Physics), Rob Shalloo (3rd year DPhil, Lincoln College, Physics)

Host Aled Walker is joined by DPhil students Nonie Kubie and Daniel Rowe to discuss the American presidential election of 1896, a fascinating and pivotal moment in American history. "Having behind us the commercial interests and the labouring interests and all the toiling masses, we shall answer their demands for a gold standard by saying to them: 'You shall not press down upon the brow of labour this crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.' " The year is 1896, and at the Democratic National Convention William Jennings Bryan has just concluded what is now considered to be one of the most powerful political addresses in American history. His subject now seems almost comically dry, a championing of bimetallism -- an underpinning of currency based on both gold and silver -- over the gold-standard policy of the sitting Democratic president Grover Cleveland; yet, from this single issue stemmed a wider social message, a message of support for the rural poor. "I tell you that the great cities rest upon these broad and fertile prairies. Burn down your cities and leave our farms, and your cities will spring up again as if by magic. But destroy out farms and the grass will grow in the streets of every city in the country." At only 36 years of age, almost on the force of his fervent rhetoric alone, Bryan became the Democratic Party's presidential nominee. In the election campaign which followed, against Republican William McKinley, one may glimpse the state of the American nation, and its great social and economic divisions, as it turns to enter the twentieth century.