Homepage — Mathematical Physical and Life Sciences Division

Extremely fast dives help peregrine falcons manoeuvre to catch agile prey

Using detailed computer simulations, Oxford University research has revealed why falcons dive at their prey using the same steering laws as man-made missiles.

Sweet potato research challenges early contact between America and Polynesia

New research led by Oxford University has revealed that sweet potato likely arrived naturally in Polynesia in pre-human times - challenging the long standing view that one of the world’s most widely used crops was transported from America to Polynesia by people.

Making artificial intelligence ethical

Dr Paula Boddington is a research associate in the Department of Computer Science, specialising in developing codes of ethics for artificial intelligence. She was interviewed for the University's Science Blog.

Researchers call for volunteers to refine mosquito-detecting app

Researchers from Engineering Science, Zoology and Kew Gardens have developed a way of alerting people to the presence of mosquitoes with an app that detects their distinctive buzz.

Redesigning complex networks with artificial intelligence

Professor Marta Kwiatkowska from the Department of Computer Science discusses her research specialism in developing modelling and analysis methods for complex systems in an interview for the University's Science Blog. This work includes those arising in computational networks (which are applicable to autonomous technology), electronic devices and biological organisms.

Further, faster, deeper: the UK needs a more ambitious Climate Change Act

John Krebs, Emeritus Professor of Zoology at Oxford, and Joanna Haigh, Co-Director of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change & Environment at Imperial College London, write about the UK Climate Change Act in an article first published on the Conversation.

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We are home to the mathematical, physical, engineering and life sciences at Oxford. Our research is the best of its kind in the country according to the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, which is used to assess university research across the UK.

Research income for 2015/16 £135m

1730 academics and researchers

3000 graduate students (DPhil and MSc)