Curious Minds Podcast

Our Curious Minds resources project has now come to an end but fear not! Our short series of talks can still be listened to using the links below.

Episode 6: Locked in: The early 19th-century home and the rise of privacy

Dr Steven Parissien, cultural historian, museum director and former Departmental Lecturer in Architectural History looks at how, in the Regency era, we began to redefine our homes, possessions and personal spaces in relation to the outside world, driven in large part by the development of an ubiquitous product – glass.

> Learn more about life in the Regency era

Episode 5: 'A permanent national necessity'

Conceived in the 19th century, the 'extension' of university education to adult learners was seen as a matter of social justice and national security. Gail Anderson, the Department's former Head of Communications, explains.

> Learn more about the origins and growth of adult learning at Oxford

Episode 4: The Creativity Code

Marcus du Sautoy, the Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science considers artificial intelligence and creativity.

> Learn more about the Creativity Code

Episode 3: Jane Austen and a Regency Scandal

Professor of English Dr Sandie Byrne considers how Jane Austen came to dedicate her novel Emma to a scandalous man whom she professed to hate, the Prince Regent.

> Learn more about Austen's times and the Regency scandal

Episode 2: At Home in Early Medieval England

Archaeologist Dr Toby Martin talks about homes in the early medieval period: what homes may have been like in the 5th-7th centuries, who would have lived there, and how they may have spent their time.

> Explore early medieval England through learning resources chosen by Dr Toby Martin

Episode 1: Medieval Perspectives on the Pandemic

Professor Elizabeth Gemmill, Medieval historian and former Professor of Medieval Economic and Social History at the Department, explores medieval accounts of epidemics and in particular their uncertainties about the causes, course and consequences of disease. She reflects on whether our present circumstances can help us to a better understanding of the experiences of people in the past.

> Learn more about medieval times with supplementary learning resources