University of Oxford

The squirting cucumber (Ecballium elaterium, from the Greek ‘ekballein,’ meaning to throw out) is named for the ballistic method the species uses to disperse its seeds. When ripe, the ovoid-shaped fruits detach from the stem and eject the seeds explosively in a high-pressure jet of mucilage. This projectile launch – lasting just 30 milliseconds- causes the seeds to reach speeds of around 20 metres per second, and land at distances…

Professor Anthony Harnden has been appointed as the new Chair of the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).Anthony is a Professor of Primary Care in the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford, having first joined the department in 1992. Until the end of December 2024, he is a registrant Council member of the General Medical Council and Chair of the Renumeration Committee. Anthony…

Professor Michael Wooldridge. Photo credit: Paul Wilkinson Photography. The University of Oxford has announced the establishment of the Ashall Professorship of the Foundations of Artificial Intelligence, following a donation from Michael and Hilary Ashall. The generous donation, matched by the University’s Endowment Challenge Fund, creates a significant investment that will fund the position in perpetuity.Professor Michael Wooldridge (Department of Computer Science), a leading researcher in artificial intelligence (AI), has been…

The Oxford/42 New Writing Prize is looking for talented new voices in storytelling, and is open to aspiring novelists, playwrights, and screenwriters. The judges are interested in experimental writing as well as work that would appeal to a broad audience.The competition is open to anyone over the age of 18 living, working or studying in the UK and Ireland at the closing date for submissions. The winner will receive £1500…

Four Oxford University academics are to co-lead ambitious new research projects backed by European Research Council (ERC) Synergy Grants, part of the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. Synergy Grants foster interdisciplinary and international collaboration between outstanding researchers, enabling them to combine their expertise, knowledge, and resources to push the boundaries of scientific discovery. This year, 57 research projects were awarded a Synergy Grant out of 548 submitted proposals,…

Professor Myles Allen, Oxford University Physics, Head of Climate Science. Credit: Martin Small. The science of net zero, developed over 15 years ago,* does not include these natural carbon sinks in the definition of net human-induced CO2 emissions.Natural sinks play a vital role to moderate the impact of current emissions and draw down atmospheric CO2 concentrations after the date of net zero, stabilizing global temperatures. Yet governments and corporations are…

The authors also highlight how NbS can create 'win-win' scenarios, such as raising income and creating jobs while enhancing biodiversity and supporting climate adaptation. These attributes make NbS an essential approach for countries as they transition to clean and efficient circular economies. Specific examples covered by the research include the Working for Water* (WfW) programme in South Africa, which cleared invasive species from over 1 million hectares of land while…

As the climate crisis accelerates, the Net Zero Stocktake 2024 identifies a commitment gap across cities, states and regions, which is holding back the necessary economy-wide transition. The Net Zero Tracker’s annual assessment of the intent and integrity of global climate commitments, shows only a modest increase in net zero targets set by subnational governments (states and regions, and cities) in the past year. Thomas Hale, Professor of Public Policy at…

The study looks at player data from 67,328 gaming sessions from 8,695 players in 39 countries, analysing their mood before and during gameplay Across 162,325 in-game mood reports from players of the popular game PowerWash Simulator (PWS), the average player reported a more positive mood during play than at the start of each session Researchers predict 72% of players experience this uplift in mood during the play session based on…

A new study from the Oxford Internet Institute (part of the University of Oxford) and the London School of Economics examines how governments have gradually adopted Silicon Valley’s way of working. This shift offers valuable lessons as the new UK Labour government looks to embrace AI and data science in public services. However, the study also highlights ongoing challenges, such as outdated IT systems, reliance on conservative tech providers, and…

In a paper published by the British Journal of Psychiatry Open, researchers led by psychiatrist Professor Kam Bhui at the University of Oxford, say that while poor air quality is a risk factor for mental illness, progress in understanding the causes and impact has been too slow. With the climate change crisis affecting air pollution, the researchers urge a team approach, encouraging researchers across different disciplines, both regionally and globally,…

  The University of Oxford has announced the establishment of the Human-Centered AI Lab (HAI Lab), a pioneering research initiative supported by the Cosmos Institute. This ground-breaking lab will create a space for technologists and philosophers to collaborate on translating philosophical concepts into open-source software and AI systems, fostering a vibrant community for big-picture thinking about a future of AI that enhances human flourishing. The HAI Lab will be led…

The tools we now have to identify trends and shifts in such data are allowing us to develop crucial insights into the effects that human activity is having, and will have, on the natural world. Professor Joss Wright, Oxford Internet Institute and Oxford Martin Programme on Wildlife Trade If companies continue to file patents for products made from animals banned from commercial trade, such as rhinos, this can suggest a…

With climate change increasing seasonal temperatures and causing more frequent heatwaves, understanding these effects has become more crucial than ever. Hormones play a role in nearly all biological functions, yet the influence of environmental factors on hormone release and action is not well characterised. Researchers from the University of Oxford, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the William Harvey Research Institute at Queen Mary University of London, and…

Established in 2017 by three University of Oxford professors — Ian Horrocks, Boris Motik and Bernardo Cuenca Grau — Oxford Semantic Technologies (OST) holds cutting-edge technological capabilities in the areas of knowledge representation and semantic reasoning. OST’s innovative approach relies on Knowledge Representation and Reasoning (KRR), a branch of AI that represents a logical and knowledge-based approach. Unlike machine learning, which finds patterns in vast datasets and draws statistical outputs,…

Dr Shuaifeng Hu, Post Doctoral Fellow at Oxford University Physics, examining the new thin-film perovskite material. Image credit: Martin Small. Their new light-absorbing material is, for the first time, thin and flexible enough to apply to the surface of almost any building or common object. Using a pioneering technique developed in Oxford, which stacks multiple light-absorbing layers into one solar cell, they have harnessed a wider range of the light…

Currently, the AI world is focussed on pushing AI capabilities further and further, with safety and ethics as an afterthought. For AI to be a boon, we need to reorient; pushing capabilities is not enough. Study co-author Dr Jan Brauner, Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford Then, the world’s leaders pledged to govern AI responsibly. However, as the second AI Safety Summit in Seoul (21-22 May) approaches, twenty-five of…

The study encompassed more than two million participants psychological wellbeing from 2006-2021 across 168 countries, in relation to internet use and psychological well-being across 33,792 different statistical models and subsets of data, 84.9% of associations between internet connectivity and wellbeing were positive and statistically significant. The study analysed data from two million individuals aged 15 to 99 in 168 countries, including Latin America, Asia, and Africa and found internet access and…

The Index, published today in the journal PLOS ONE, shows that a relatively small number of countries house the greatest cybercriminal threat. Russia tops the list, followed by Ukraine, China, the USA, Nigeria, and Romania. The UK comes in at number eight. Left: Dr Miranda Bruce. Right: Associate Professor Jonathan Lusthaus. Co-author of the study, Dr Miranda Bruce from the University of Oxford and UNSW Canberra said the study will…

Never in history have the issues surrounding privacy of data and code been more urgently debated than in the present era of cloud computing and artificial intelligence. As quantum computers become more capable, people will seek to use them with complete security and privacy over networks, and our new results mark a step change in capability in this respect. Quantum computing is developing rapidly, paving the way for new applications…

The global energy transition could happen sooner than anticipated if sensitive intervention points are used to deliver China’s carbon neutrality policy at the city-level, researchers from the University of Oxford and The Chinese University of Hong Kong have outlined today. China, the world’s largest producer of greenhouse gases accounting for 27% of global emissions, made a surprise pledge at the 75th UN General Assembly to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, boosting…

In a perspective paper published this week in Nature Machine Intelligence, the authors highlight that although there is a growing consensus around what high-level AI ethical principles should look like, too little is known about how to effectively apply them in principle for children. The study mapped the global landscape of existing ethics guidelines for AI and identified four main challenges in adapting such principles for children’s benefit: A lack…

According to the researchers, the results suggest that AI-generated food visuals excel at enhancing the appeal of depicted foods by leveraging key features such as symmetry, shape, glossiness, and overall lighting and colour. All of these are known to contribute significantly to the attractiveness of food imagery. Even subtle tweaks in positioning may enhance the appeal of AI-generated food images. Lead author Giovanbattista Califano (University of Naples Federico II) explained:…

Researchers from the Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Plastics, University of Oxford, have outlined ambitious targets to help deliver a sustainable and net zero plastic economy. In a paper published in Nature, the authors argue for a rethinking of the technical, economic, and policy paradigms that have entrenched the status-quo, one of rising carbon emissions and uncontrolled pollution. Currently the global plastics system results in over 1 gigatonnes…

In a featured comment publication for Nature Energy, researchers - including from the Institute for New Economic Thinking and the Oxford Smith School at the University of Oxford - outline the challenges facing policymakers working with traditional economic modelling across the public and industrial sectors. The paper calls for a shift from narrow cost-benefit analysis and modelling based on economic equilibrium, towards models which capture the dynamics of the transition…

In an era of unprecedented global turbulence, the University of Oxford has launched the ‘Global Shocks’ podcast, featuring in-depth interviews with former leaders from the world’s major international organisations on responding to global shocks, adapting to them, and surviving turbulent times such as humanitarian emergencies, war, financial crises, and pandemics.   Dr Jan Eijking, Global Shocks podcast host, and Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Politics and International Relations…

  That may not be a popular approach right now – to stop fossil fuels from causing further global warming before we stop using fossil fuels. But it is going to be a major topic of debate in the UAE because, if we do not reach agreement on this, then 1.5 will most definitely be dead. We are going to generate more carbon dioxide than we can dump in the atmosphere and still limit warming anywhere near…

Western values are admired around the world, according to the landmark poll of 21 countries, but many nations no longer feel they have to be aligned to just one major power or bloc according to the poll. It reveals countries no longer want to be exclusively tied to a US - or Chinese-led group, pointing to a fragmentation of established power blocs. However, significant numbers in many of the nations…

The IMF in collaboration with University of Oxford researchers today [15 Nov] launched 'PortWatch', a new online portal  a platform to monitor and simulate trade disruptions due to climate extremes and other shocks. Using satellite-based vessel data and big data analytics, the platform will help policymakers, analysts, and other public stakeholders assess the impact of disruptions to maritime trade. Users can simulate the potential indirect spillover effects of port disruptions…

Dr Lord, a senior researcher in food system economics with Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute, found nearly 75% of the hidden costs were associated with poor dietary patterns that lead to obesity and lifestyle diseases – which, in turn, will lead to near-term and long-term productivity losses. This was particularly stark in high-income countries. Unhealthy dietary patterns represented more than 80% of the hidden costs in wealthier nations. But poverty, climate…

The researchers analysed 246 recordings of doctor-patient conversations and found that subtle aspects of communication, like word choice and tone of voice, influenced patient outcomes and suggests training providers on compassionate communication could aid weight loss efforts. The research comes at a time when obesity treatment guidelines encourage doctors to discuss weight loss with patients and offer them referrals to weight loss services if appropriate. Yet, on a yearly basis,…

This is not an imaginary question, more than half a billion AI-enabled voice assistants, such as Amazon’s Alexa, have been sold internationally by major corporations, despite persistent concerns about their handling of users’ personal data. We conducted research among a small group of young, generally tech-savvy people who have had this dilemma and, despite voicing serious concerns, chose option c. Why would they do this, when it is a tech luxury, not…

Anthropologist Dr Julia Ebner has been nominated for her insightful doctoral research, which is already having significant impact – helping to identify which extremist individuals and groups pose a risk of violence to the public, using her unique framework for assessing their online messaging. Dr Ebner explains, she created a language framework, based on research into terrorist manifestos. This has already prompted intelligence agencies and online platforms to rethink their prevention approaches and develop new ways of distinguishing credible…

We have spent a decade researching the impacts of AI.  Ten years ago, we wrote a paper estimating that some 47% of US-based jobs could be automated in principle, as AI and mobile robotics expanded the scope of tasks that computers can do. Our estimates were based on the premise that, while computers might eventually be able to do most tasks, humans would continue to hold the comparative advantage in…

  Generative AI could drive a wave of potential opportunities for the technology value stack, according to researchers from the Oxford Martin School.   Ian Goldin, Professor of Globalisation and Development at the Oxford Martin School and report co-author, said, ‘Generative AI is a dual-edged sword that offers enormous potential to accelerate solutions to a number of the world’s greatest challenges, with new health cures, energy and innovation. But it also…

Cyprus CEO summary: Researchers at Oxford University's Department of Psychiatry conducted a study comparing the mental health of thousands of UK secondary school students who experienced the COVID-19 pandemic and three lockdowns with a group assessed before the pandemic. Published in JAMA Network Open, the findings reveal that students during the pandemic faced increased depression, social and emotional difficulties, and worsened mental well-being compared to their pre-pandemic counterparts. Depression cases…

The Faraday Institution remains steadfast in its commitment to identify and invest in battery research initiatives that hold the greatest potential for making significant societal, environmental, and commercial contributions. This announcement signals the completion of our latest round of project refocusing, enabling us to allocate even more effort towards those areas of research that offer maximum potential in delivering transformative impact. Professor Pam Thomas, CEO, Faraday Institution. The Faraday Institution…

The review, conducted jointly with researchers from Oxford University, the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, and the Princess Anne Hospital in Southampton, included seven randomised controlled trials involving 2,464 women or couples who had been trying to conceive. Each month there is a narrow window for successful conception due to the limited lifespan of the sperm and egg, which begins from around five days before ovulation (egg release) and lasts…

Professor Richard Walker (Department of Earth Sciences) describes the background to the devastating 8 September 2023 Morocco earthquake, which has a  current death toll of nearly 2,500 lives. Professor Richard Walker. Image credit: Dr Claudia Bertoni. Parts of the Atlas mountains and the city of Marrakech were strongly shaken and damaged by a 6.8 magnitude earthquake late Friday evening. We have seen images of the widespread destruction, the damage to…

Small bio-integrated devices that can interact with and stimulate cells could have important therapeutic applications, including the delivery of targeted drug therapies and the acceleration of wound healing. However, such devices all need a power source to operate. To date, there has been no efficient means to provide power at the microscale level. To address this, researchers from the University of Oxford’s Department of Chemistry have developed a miniature power…