Springboard

Discover your new favourite topic with our Springboard videos, bringing you cutting-edge research from Oxford's graduate students.

These videos are intended for school pupils in Years 11, 12 and 13. Each offers an introduction to a new topic, plus lots of activities and further resources to explore. When you click on a topic, we'll ask you a few questions and then play the video you've chosen.

Click the topics below to explore the research areas which interest you most.

Historical Humanities | Languages & Literature | Medicine | The Natural World | Physical & Mathematical Sciences | Social & Philosophical Questions

Historical Humanities

From understanding historical theory to carrying out your own investigations, discover more about how our researchers approach historical humanities. Undergraduate courses at Oxford include Archaeology & Anthropology, Classical Archaeology and Ancient History, Classics, History, History of Art and Oriental Studies.

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Japanese Imperial Soldiers attacking a foe, the Rising Sun Banner in the foreground.

Theories of Japanese imperialism

Watch Joseph's video on understanding the Japanese Empire
An Ancient Greek clay pot, with a depiction of a slave, carrying a heavy load and their master standing over them

Slavery in Ancient Greece

Watch Matthew's video on the perspectives of ancient slaves

The Italian flag, combined centrally with the Fascia of Fascism

Exporting Italian Fascism

Watch Joe's video on nationalism and propaganda
A photograph of a Native American tribesman, recording his voice into a Dictaphone.

Introducing Oral History

Watch Kate's video on the possibilities of oral history
An abandoned shopping trolley and associated rubbish

Talking trash: our rubbish as history

Watch Rhea's video on contemporary archaeology

A contempory, 18th century cartoon, depicting the "fair lady of Europe" restraining a great bear (portraying Russia) from ravaging the shining beacon of Constantinople.

Cartoons of the Crimean War

Watch Petros' video on Victorian cartoons in 'Punch'
A photograph of the remains of an ancient Greek theatre

Introducing Ancient Greek theatre

Watch Leo's video on Athenian drama in Ancient Greece
A painting of Portugese Colonial forces receiving tribute from subjugated native peoples.

Blending fiction & photographs

Watch Olivia's video on the Portuguese Colonial War
The arched ruins of ancient Palmyra, in the Syrian desert.

Palmyra: An Ancient City in the Desert

Watch Avery's video on Palmyra
A medieval painting of Ancient Greek life, with men debating in a a grand stone building.

Hellenistic Society and Culture

Watch Ariadne's video on Hellenistic Culture and how it influenced the diverse mix of City-States that made up the Ancient Greek world.

Languages & Literature

From reading ancient languages to speaking and understanding modern ones, discover how our researchers approach the world of language and literature. Undergraduate courses at Oxford include English Language & Literature, Classics, European & Middle Eastern Languages, Modern Languages, Oriental Studies and Psychology, Philosophy & Linguistics.

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A medieval manuscript from the Balliol College archive

Reading Britain's languages

Watch Lleweyln's video on medieval and modern languages
A collage of the flags of the various French-speaking nations globally

Postcolonial francophone texts

Watch Alice's video on reading Martiniquan literature
A Drawing of an 18th century idea of "Red Riding Hood" showing the wolf meeting the little girl in a dark forest.

Literary advocates for animals

Watch Lauren's video on 19th Century animal relations
An image of a lady reading in the sunlight.

The status of the reader in literature

Watch Lauryn's video on authorship and being a reader
A photograph of a stereotypical Chinese building, with red paper lanterns hanging outside

Introducing Chinese language & culture

Watch Nevena's video on understanding Mandarin Chinese
A language tree, detailing how various languages are related to each other,

Telling Stories With Etymology

Watch Megan's video on the origins of words and phrases
Two hands, drawn on a page appear to be leaving the paper and drawing each other. This symbolises Metafiction.

Metafiction

Watch Iris' video on Metafiction.
A drawing of the iconic scene from "A Christmas Carol" with Scrooge meeting one of the Christmas Ghosts

Working Class Literature

Watch Isobelle's video on working class writers in 20th century Britain

Medicine

From the science behind medicine to its ethics and messaging, discover how our researchers approach the medical sciences. Undergraduate courses at Oxford include Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences, Experimental Psychology, Human Sciences and Medicine.

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An image of the Neurones within the brain, in black and white for contrast

How antidepressants affect your brain

Watch Helen's video on synapses and antidepressants
A simplified image of various cells, demonstrating how they interact with each other

How our cells communicate

Watch Adam's video on cell-to-cell signalling and disease
A Sleeping cat, comfortable on a blanket.

Sleep tight: the science of sleeping

Watch Sian's video on why we sleep and how to do it better
A medical professional extracting fluid with multiple syringes.

Discovering the power of stem cells

Watch Alex's video on this promising technology
A cartoon image of the human gut, with a magnifying glass, showing various bacteria and organisms there.

Getting to know your gut

Watch Jingdi's video on the world of your gut microbiome
A word cloud alternating between "facts" and "fake" and a magnifying glass to demonstrate separating one from the other.

Science denialism online

Watch Daria's video on health misinformation
A plant in a beaker, a chemical in a flask and a test tube, to demonstrate that nature relies on Chemistry too.

Chemistry from nature

Watch Stuart's video on using natural products in medicines

The Natural World

From bees and bacteria to droughts and geology, discover more about how our researchers approach life on Earth. Undergraduate courses at Oxford include Archaeology & Anthropology, Biology, Earth Sciences, Geography and Human Sciences.

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SOS spelt out with tablets, demonstrating how Antibiotic resistance is becoming deadly.

Fantastic bacteria & ways to kill them

Watch Lois's video on the rise of antibiotic resistance
A beautiful, blue butterfly pollinating a pink flower.

Why are flowers so important for bees?

Watch Ellen's video on pollinators & the flowers they need
A fantast image of what Plants could look like on other worlds

Biogeomorphology: from moss to Mars

Watch Tim's video on the effect of life on planet Earth
A shark, swimming calmly alongside lots of other fish.

Saving sharks: what, why & how?

Watch Hollie's video on why shark conservation matters
An outdoor fountain, shaped like hands, cupping to catch the water that is falling.

How scarce is freshwater?

Watch Charles's video on the impact of water scarcity
Two Dragon Flies mating, creating the heart shape they are so famous for.

Evolutionary sexual conflict

Watch Joe's video on conflict in the animal kingdom
A CGI image of the Colosseum in Rome

What is digital archaeology?

Watch Irene's video on being an archaeologist at your desk
A smouldering, volcanic hole, with lava flowing inside it.

Journey to the centre of the Earth

Watch Matthew's video on Earth Sciences & seismic waves

Physical & Mathematical Sciences

From engineering to mathematical proof, discover how our researchers approach the physical and mathematical sciences. Undergraduate courses at Oxford include Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth Sciences, Engineering Science, Materials Science, Mathematics and Physics.

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A white wind turbine stands above a field of sunflowers, silhouetted against a blue sky,

How to continue the spinning streak

Watch Marcus's video on the physics of wind turbines
A small plant is in a test tube, alongside a beaker filled with a green liquid. To the right of both is a measuring cylinder also filled with a liquid.

Chemistry from nature

Watch Stuart's video on using natural products in medicines
A photograph of a chess board, with the Black pieces laid out, ready to play.

Using logic in mathematics

Watch Max's video on the mathematical concept of logic
The spiralling shell of an animal is shown.

Serious about symmetries

Watch Sam's video on groups of symmetries in maths
A depiction of data streams, with 3 variable inputs being fed into a process which digitalises the information and outputs binary sequences

Machine Learning Part 1

Watch Chloe's video on Machine Learning
A depiction of a "bionic brain" where logic systems and circuits are mapped onto the outline of a brain. There is also some binary information displayed.

Machine Learning Part 2

Watch the second part of Chloe's video on Machine Learning
A split image, with mathematical equations blending into cells and biology. There is a healthcare worked looking on from the right.

Mathematical Modelling - Cancer Treatments

Watch Michael's video on mathematical modelling and how it can be used to improve treatments for cancer

Social & Philosophical Questions

From philosophy and politics to law and economics, discover how our researchers approach the social sciences. Undergraduate courses at Oxford include Archaeology & Anthropology, Economics & Management, History & Politics, Law, PPE, Theology & Religion and Philosophy joint honours courses.

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Graffiti of Captain America

Superpeople: should we enhance humans?

Watch Tess's video on the ethics of medical treatment
Pen drawing of Juliet sat on Romeo's knee

The law about teenage kissing

Watch Charlotte's video on legal statutes and consent
Black and white image shows pool of water with shadow on wall behind of two hands reaching out of it

The ethics of global poverty

Watch Lewis's video on evaluating the morality of our actions
Close-up of a lion's head on a black background

How much is a lion worth?

Watch Kim's video on the economics of lion conservation
The silhouette of a group of migrants, walking across a bare field, carrying their belongings with them

The Ethics of Migration

Watch Simon's video on the ethical questions around the migration debate
Equality wheel

The Value of Equality

Join Crystal as she discusses the value of an equal society. Does equality have a value? and how can we determine it?