20 April 2026
\n \n \n \nA collaborative study led by the University of Texas at Austin, involving researchers from the Department of Statistics, has reported the first clearly documented permanent split of a wild chimpanzee community, along with the intergroup aggression that followed.
\n \n\n \n \n16 April 2026
\n \n \n \nNew research from the University of Oxford and Curtin University has used radio telescopes that spans thousands of kilometres to snap images of jets launched by a black hole, that showed for the first time a black hole jet \u2018dancing\u2019 as it orbits a massive star. The \u2018dancing jets\u2019 enabled a measurement of the immense power of the black hole jet, confirming key assumptions made by scientists in simulations of large-scale structures in the Universe.
\n \n\n \n \n15 April 2026
\n \n \n \nCongratulations to all those from across MPLS Division who have made the shortlist for the Vice-Chancellor's Awards. The winners will be announced in June.
\n \n\n \n \n15 April 2026
\n \n \n \nThe MPLS Development Team recently hosted its first MPLS\u2013Development Showcase, bringing together fundraisers and colleagues from across the University to deepen understanding of the MPLS division and departmental priorities and strengthen collaboration for greater fundraising success. The event marked an important step in aligning awareness and development activity with the strategic goals of Mathematical, Physical, and Life Sciences, while creating space for discussion and engagement across departments and central teams.
\n \n\n \n \n13 April 2026
\n \n \n \nA newly discovered fossil site in southwest China has transformed our understanding of how complex animal life emerged on Earth, revealing that many key animal groups had already evolved before the start of the Cambrian Period.
\n \n\n \n \n31 March 2026
\n \n \n \nOxford University spinout OXCCU welcomed His Majesty King Charles III to showcase its innovative technology that transforms waste carbon into sustainable fuels, with potential to cut aviation emissions and boost industrial resilience.
\n \n\n \n \n25 March 2026
\n \n \n \nCurrent WHO guidelines typically recommend 2\u20137 days of abstinence before taking semen samples or assisted reproduction. However, a new study led by Department of Biology researchers suggests that regular ejaculation \u2013 whether through sexual activity or masturbation \u2013 results in higher quality sperm, with less DNA damage.
\n \n\n \n \n24 March 2026
\n \n \n \nMaterials scientist Dr Yige Sun makes the case that, as space becomes critical infrastructure for the global digital economy, its long-term viability will depend on an urgent shift from a linear to a circular model of development.
\n \n\n \n \n19 March 2026
\n \n \n \nA new research centre launched by GSK, University of Oxford and Imperial College London and backed with \u00a311 million from GSK will build open-source digital twins of organs for in-silico research to advance disease understanding and speed up development of new drugs.
\n \n\n \n \n17 March 2026
\n \n \n \nThe MPLS Impact Awards recognise research that delivers real-world impact.\r\n\r\nNominations are open until 7 May 2026.
\n \n\n \n \n17 March 2026
\n \n \n \nA study led by scientists in the Department of Physics has identified a new type of planet beyond our Solar System \u2013 one that stores large amounts of sulphur deep within a permanent ocean of magma.
\n \n\n \n \n12 March 2026
\n \n \n \nAs NASA eyes a permanent foothold on the Moon by 2030, Dr Kevin Olsen and Fiona Henderson from the Department of Physics explain what it would take, from lunar 3D printing to advanced energy systems, to make it possible.
\n \n\n \n \n11 March 2026
\n \n \n \nNew research from the Department of Biology shows for the first time that hedgehogs can hear high-frequency ultrasound, raising the possibility that ultrasound repellers could help reduce road deaths.
\n \n\n \n \n2 March 2026
\n \n \n \nNew research involving Oxford researchers has shown that a simple digital intervention that includes gameplay can dramatically reduce intrusive memories of trauma in a month, even to the point of being symptom-free after six months.
\n \n\n \n \n27 February 2026
\n \n \n \nResearchers from the University of Oxford, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (Chinese Academy of Sciences) have finally identified the master regulator in plants that balances root and shoot growth when nutrients are limited. In field trials, rice plants with a natural, improved version of the gene had yield increases of up to 24%.
\n \n\n \n \n26 February 2026
\n \n \n \nResearchers from the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, have resolved a long-standing debate about the strength of the Moon\u2019s magnetic field.
\n \n\n \n \n19 February 2026
\n \n \n \nThe University of Oxford has launched Oxford \u00d7 QRT Labs as part of a major new long-term philanthropic partnership with Qube Research & Technologies (QRT), alongside Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge.
\n \n\n \n \n13 February 2026
\n \n \n \nNominations are now open for the MPLS Awards for Outstanding Research Supervision 2025/2026, which recognise the supervisors and research group leaders who make a real difference to doctoral students and early-career researchers.
\n \n\n \n \n11 February 2026
\n \n \n \nProfessor Peter Grindrod outlines why mathematics is pivotal for all artificial intelligence technologies, and how future leadership will depend on investing in numerical disciplines.
\n \n\n \n \n6 February 2026
\n \n \n \nA new study involving researchers from Oxford\u2019s Department of Earth Sciences has finally solved the mystery of what caused the collapse of an Ancient Chinese civilization \u2013 finding that widespread flooding was to blame.
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