FEATURED
On Reading for Pleasure and with Purpose
Are you tired of reading all day long for your demanding Oxford degree? Do you feel guilty for not reading more in your free time, or lost about what to read during what free time you do have? If so, you are in good company here. Photograph taken by Laurel Phillips, used with permission.
WHAT’S NEW
Fourth-wave Feminism is More Essential Than Ever
Visceral rage and disgust are the only words that describe how I feel when I read about the recent Jane Doe V. Cornell University case, and when I see the…
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Developments of a Prefrontal Cortex: Do You Read Me?
“I’m only 21, so I’ve got another four years’ worth of bad decisions before I have to lock in… right?” Catriona Robertson explores growing up, and why we describe the…
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The Bus Ticket Sonneteer
“I just don’t understand why the house feels so quiet. I just hope you’re still reading this, in some way, some life.”
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Equinox Sets Out Ambitious New Plan To Boost Oxford’s Innovation Sector
Equinox has recently revealed an ambitious new plan to boost the innovation sector in Oxford. Revealed on the 19th October in the House of Commons, their goals include the creation…
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A Global Halloween: From the Sticks to the Cities
It is the season of polystyrene tombstones erected in front gardens; paper bats hanging aflutter above your head; pumpkins (carved and eaten); pumpkin-spice lattes; slasher flicks; and lots of treats.…
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Outside OX1 : Week 3
This week is politics, politics, politics.Nancy Gittus explores the stunning rise of the Student List movement in Serbia. Guillaume Antignac reports on the decline of Netanyahu’s party in Israel and…
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Oxford
New Mystery Novel Set In Oxford Explores Colleges And Lecture Halls
Author Paul Armstrong has recently published his debut novel The Blackthorn Pact, a crime thriller set in Oxford. The novel explores Oxford colleges and lecture halls, alongside Jericho and the Oxfordshire countryside.
University of Oxford Quantum Spinout QuantrolOx Secures €12 million In Funding
University of Oxford quantum spinout, QuantrolOx, has recently secured €12 million (£10 million) from a major early-stage investor during a Series A funding round. The London-based investors, IW Capital, are known for investing in pure-tech start-ups, such as new at-home fitness platform MAGIC AI and healthtech company Lucida Medical. Department for Science, Innovation & Technology,…
Oxford Ranks 4th In The World For AI Research
Oxford is the world’s 4th best city for AI research, ranking above other global powerhouses, such as Shanghai, London, and New York, according to a new study carried out by The Observer. Oxford is the world’s 4th best city for AI research, ranking above other global powerhouses, such as Shanghai, London, and New York, according…
opinion
Looking for the Man in the Machine: Why We Can’t Get Enough of Generative AI
Madeleine Ling explores why the anthropomorphic qualities of AI chatbots have made them so popular, as users search for ‘the man in the machine’. This image is in the Public Domain.
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Joint Honours Degrees: Double the Work or Double the Indecision?
Joint honours students deserve more respect. Why, you might ask, when they are clearly just dithering between two subjects? As one particularly blunt tutor put it, I must only care about history to a limited extent compared to my single honours compatriots. When even tutors view joint honours students as less committed to their cause,…
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We should have left ‘whimsy’ in 2025
Whimsical. Around a year ago, this word (and all its variations) sprouted roots on the internet. It somehow blossomed amidst the backdrop of heightened global seriousness, with people using it to share creative projects and spontaneous endeavours. It was not long before brands latched on, and the word started popping up in adverts, in TikTok…
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Nepal’s Floods and the Unequal Burden of Climate Change
Less than two months after catastrophic flooding struck Nepal, another major flood hit the country. Although smaller in scale, the second disaster exposed an underlying problem: how can a country recover when another disaster strikes before it can rebuild?
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Azerbaijan’s Forced Unveiling: Hijab-wearing Girls’ Battle To Go To School
Azerbaijan is a country with a 96% Muslim population, where the hijab is both a religious attire and a cultural norm. However, on 12 October, students and teachers wearing the hijab in Azerbaijan were denied entry into schools, and teachers were subsequently dismissed from their jobs. This follows the amendment to the Descriptions…
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Outside OX1 : Week 2
Welcome back to Week 2 of Outside OX1. I hope the weather hasn’t got you too down, but if it has, here’s a weekly round up of some more positive news stories…. First Angelica Ratcliffe recounts Japan’s Mars mission to gather moondust samples. After that, Dillon Shukla reports on Alberta’s decision to remain…
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COLUMNS
Second Draft: Um Hello Again
“I think I’ll start this column by telling you about my conundrum. You see, I began Second Draft last year, when I was brand new to Oxford, kept getting things wrong, and liked the idea that I could go back in time, do things again, and get them right. Hence the title. But now I’m…
Second Draft: Teary-eyed goodbyes
“For the past 20 minutes, I have been staring at an empty word document. This was categorically not the plan. When I started writing my first column way back at the beginning of Michaelmas, I had a vision of myself sitting demurely in the Radcliffe Camera, gently tapping away on my keyboard with an effortless…
Risk Appetite: On Gratuities and Goodbyes
“All the courses add up to something, and by the time dessert comes, you know your meal is coming to an end. It’s bittersweet.”
CULTURES
The Films of Our Youth
In an era where new films and shows are released at a speed faster than light, but shows take years to be renewed, the average student cannot keep up during…
I Am A Camera at Keble O’Reilly Theatre: Reviewed
In this article, Nancy Pierre reviews ‘I Am A Camera’ at Keble O’Reilly Theatre. Photograph taken by Nancy Pierre, used with permission.
The Gang of Three at Oxford Playhouse: Reviewed
In this article, Nancy Pierre reviews Oxford Playhouse’s production of ‘The Gang of Three’. Photograph taken by Nancy Pierre, used with permission.
LIfestyle
The Lecture Lifestyle
‘When you walk into the lecture theatre, you’re struck by the first dilemma: where to sit. You only have a couple of moments to loiter in the doorway and scan…
The Joy of Commuting
Like many second-years from Turl Street, I don’t think I realised how lucky I was to live in the city centre as a fresher. I was spoilt last year with…
Reap the Benefits of Freshers’ Week (And Sports) with Plush
Freshers’ Week has come and gone, and with it, the introduction of hundreds, if not thousands, of new students to Oxford’s diverse nightlife scene. As a 2nd Year watching both…
Identity
The Over-(Hand-)Sanitisation of OCD Awareness
OCD Awareness month has always… No, I got that wrong. OCD Awareness Month has always… Start again. To me, OCD Awareness Month… Maybe I thought something misogynistic while typing that.…
We’re Losing Recipes? On ‘Authentic’ Food
“What’s authentic to me doesn’t mean it’s authentic to you, even if you grew up in Taiwan. Whatever I like, and whatever I want to serve, is authentic to me…
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