Category Archives: The Oxford Comment

Mind the Gap: The Growth in Economic Inequality – Episode 79 – The Oxford Comment

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On today’s episode, the first for 2023, we spoke with Chris Howard, author of Who Cares: The Social Safety Net in America, and Tom Malleson, author of Against Inequality: The Practical and Ethical Case for Abolishing the Superrich, on the social safety net, the ethical implications of extreme wealth, and what steps can be taken to achieve economic equality. How can we address such financial distress and inequity, and how might we go about enacting more permanent resolution?

Please check out Episode 79 of The Oxford Comment and subscribe to The Oxford Comment through your favourite podcast app to listen to the latest insights from our expert authors:
– Amazon Music: https://oxford.ly/3O8bPBH
– Apple Podcasts: https://oxford.ly/2RuYMPa
– Google Podcasts: https://oxford.ly/38UpF5h
– iHeartRadio: https://oxford.ly/3xBtxaQ
– Spotify: https://oxford.ly/2JLNTTO
– Stitcher: https://oxford.ly/2R0fVNZ
– TuneIn: https://oxford.ly/3jKR0OG
– YouTube: https://oxford.ly/2YY4iMT

The Oxford Comment Crew:
Executive Producer: Steven Filippi
Associate Producer: Meghan Schaffer
Host: Meghan Schaffer

Music: Filaments by Podington Bear is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

© Oxford University Press

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Looking Into Space – Episode 78 – The Oxford Comment

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On the last episode of The Oxford Comment for 2022, we’re looking at what the James Webb Space Telescope means to our understanding of the universe. The questions are big, the area is even bigger, and we are delighted to be joined by two eminent fellows from the Royal Astronomical Society, Claudia Maraston and Jonathan Tennyson, to review this expansive subject.

Claudia Maraston is Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Portsmouth, and an expert in theoretical astrophysics, in particular the calculation of theoretical spectra for stellar populations. She also sits on the editorial board of Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Jonathan Tennyson is Massey Professor of Physics at University College London, and specialises in the accurate quantum mechanical treatments of both the spectroscopy and collision properties of small molecules, with an emphasis on the provision of data for other research areas. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of the Open Access Royal Astronomical Society Techniques & Instruments.

Please check out Episode 78 of The Oxford Comment and subscribe to The Oxford Comment through your favourite podcast app to listen to the latest insights from our expert authors:
– Amazon Music: https://oxford.ly/3O8bPBH
– Apple Podcasts: https://oxford.ly/2RuYMPa
– Google Podcasts: https://oxford.ly/38UpF5h
– iHeartRadio: https://oxford.ly/3xBtxaQ
– Spotify: https://oxford.ly/2JLNTTO
– Stitcher: https://oxford.ly/2R0fVNZ
– TuneIn: https://oxford.ly/3jKR0OG
– YouTube: https://oxford.ly/2YY4iMT

The Oxford Comment Crew:
Executive Producer: Steven Filippi
Associate Producer: Himalee Rupesinghe
Host: Tessa Mathieson

Music: Filaments by Podington Bear is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

© Oxford University Press

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Egyptology at the Turn of the Century – Episode 77 – The Oxford Comment

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On November 1, 1922 Egyptologist Howard Carter and his team of excavators began digging in a previously undisturbed plot of land in the Valley of the Kings. For decades, archaeologists had searched for the tomb of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun with no success, and that November was to be Carter’s final attempt to locate the lost treasures. What Carter ultimately discovered—the iconic sarcophagus, the mummy that inspired whispers of a curse, and the thousands of precious artifacts—would shape Egyptian politics, the field of archaeology, and how museums honor the past for years to come.

On today’s episode, we discuss the legacy of early 20th century Egyptology to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb.

First, we welcomed Bob Brier—one of the world’s foremost Egyptologist, and an expert in mummies who is one of a few scholars who have had the opportunity to investigate Tutankhamun’s mummy—as he discusses his new book Tutankhamun and the Tomb that Changed the World and the 100 years of research that have taken place since the tomb’s discovery. We then spoke with Peter Der Manuelian, the author of Walking Among Pharaohs: George Reisner and the Dawn of Modern Egyptology, to discuss Reisner’s life, the rise of American Archaeology in Egypt, and the archeological field’s involvement in nationalism and colonialism.

Please check out Episode 77 of The Oxford Comment and subscribe to The Oxford Comment through your favourite podcast app to listen to the latest insights from our expert authors:
– Amazon Music: https://oxford.ly/3O8bPBH
– Apple Podcasts: https://oxford.ly/2RuYMPa
– Google Podcasts: https://oxford.ly/38UpF5h
– iHeartRadio: https://oxford.ly/3xBtxaQ
– Spotify: https://oxford.ly/2JLNTTO
– Stitcher: https://oxford.ly/2R0fVNZ
– TuneIn: https://oxford.ly/3jKR0OG
– YouTube: https://oxford.ly/2YY4iMT

The Oxford Comment Crew:
Executive Producer: Steven Filippi
Associate Producers: Sarah Butcher
Host: Rachel Havard

Music: Filaments by Podington Bear is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

© Oxford University Press

On November 1, 1922 Egyptologist Howard Carter and his team of excavators began digging in a previously undisturbed plot of land in the Valley of the Kings. For decades, archaeologists had searched for the tomb of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun with no success, and that November was to be Carter’s final attempt to locate the lost treasures. What Carter ultimately discovered—the iconic sarcophagus, the mummy that inspired whispers of a curse, and the thousands of precious artifacts—would shape Egyptian politics, the field of archaeology, and how museums honor the past for years to come.

On today’s episode, we discuss the legacy of early 20th century Egyptology to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb.

First, we welcomed Bob Brier—one of the world’s foremost Egyptologist, and an expert in mummies who is one of a few scholars who have had the opportunity to investigate Tutankhamun’s mummy—as he discusses his new book Tutankhamun and the Tomb that Changed the World and the 100 years of research that have taken place since the tomb’s discovery. We then spoke with Peter Der Manuelian, the author of Walking Among Pharaohs: George Reisner and the Dawn of Modern Egyptology, to discuss Reisner’s life, the rise of American Archaeology in Egypt, and the archeological field’s involvement in nationalism and colonialism.

Please check out Episode 77 of The Oxford Comment and subscribe to The Oxford Comment through your favourite podcast app to listen to the latest insights from our expert authors:
– Amazon Music: https://oxford.ly/3O8bPBH
– Apple Podcasts: https://oxford.ly/2RuYMPa
– Google Podcasts: https://oxford.ly/38UpF5h
– iHeartRadio: https://oxford.ly/3xBtxaQ
– Spotify: https://oxford.ly/2JLNTTO
– Stitcher: https://oxford.ly/2R0fVNZ
– TuneIn: https://oxford.ly/3jKR0OG
– YouTube: https://oxford.ly/2YY4iMT

The Oxford Comment Crew:
Executive Producer: Steven Filippi
Associate Producers: Sarah Butcher
Host: Rachel Havard

Music: Filaments by Podington Bear is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

© Oxford University Press

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Distrust in Institutions: Past, Present, and Future – Episode 76 – The Oxford Comment

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Research shows that American distrust in government, scientists, and media has reached new heights, and this distrust in institutions is reflected in much of the world.

In his play, Orestes, Euripides opines, “When one with honeyed words but evil mind persuades the mob, great woes befall the state.” Might we still overcome this onslaught of misinformation and preserve our trust in the very institutions that have governed and enriched us, in some form or another, for centuries?

On today’s episode of The Oxford Comment, we spoke with Brian Levack, author of “Distrust of Institutions in Early Modern Britain and America”, Robert Faris, co-author of “Network Propaganda: Manipulation, Disinformation, and Radicalization in American Politics”, and Tom Nichols, author of “Our Own Worst Enemy: The Assault from within on Modern Democracy” and “The Death of Expertise: The Campaign against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters”, to discuss the past, present, and future of institutional distrust, with a particular focus on the contentious 2016 and 2020 US presidential elections.

Learn more about Brian Levack and “Distrust of Institutions in Early Modern Britain and America” here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/distrust-of-institutions-in-early-modern-britain-and-america-9780192847409
Learn more about Robert Faris and “Network Propaganda” here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/network-propaganda-9780190923631
Learn more about Tom Nichols and “Our Own Worst Enemy” and “The Death of Expertise” here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/our-own-worst-enemy-9780197518878 and here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-death-of-expertise-9780190865979

Please check out Episode 76 of The Oxford Comment and subscribe to The Oxford Comment through your favourite podcast app to listen to the latest insights from our expert authors:
– Amazon Music: https://oxford.ly/3O8bPBH
– Apple Podcasts: https://oxford.ly/2RuYMPa
– Google Podcasts: https://oxford.ly/38UpF5h
– iHeartRadio: https://oxford.ly/3xBtxaQ
– Spotify: https://oxford.ly/2JLNTTO
– Stitcher: https://oxford.ly/2R0fVNZ
– TuneIn: https://oxford.ly/3jKR0OG
– YouTube: https://oxford.ly/2YY4iMT

The Oxford Comment Crew:
Executive Producer: Steven Filippi
Associate Producers: Meghan Schaffer, Rachel Havard, Erin Cox
Host: Meghan Schaffer

Music: Filaments by Podington Bear is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

© Oxford University Press

Research shows that American distrust in government, scientists, and media has reached new heights, and this distrust in institutions is reflected in much of the world.

In his play, Orestes, Euripides opines, “When one with honeyed words but evil mind persuades the mob, great woes befall the state.” Might we still overcome this onslaught of misinformation and preserve our trust in the very institutions that have governed and enriched us, in some form or another, for centuries?

On today’s episode of The Oxford Comment, we spoke with Brian Levack, author of “Distrust of Institutions in Early Modern Britain and America”, Robert Faris, co-author of “Network Propaganda: Manipulation, Disinformation, and Radicalization in American Politics”, and Tom Nichols, author of “Our Own Worst Enemy: The Assault from within on Modern Democracy” and “The Death of Expertise: The Campaign against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters”, to discuss the past, present, and future of institutional distrust, with a particular focus on the contentious 2016 and 2020 US presidential elections.

Learn more about Brian Levack and “Distrust of Institutions in Early Modern Britain and America” here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/distrust-of-institutions-in-early-modern-britain-and-america-9780192847409
Learn more about Robert Faris and “Network Propaganda” here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/network-propaganda-9780190923631
Learn more about Tom Nichols and “Our Own Worst Enemy” and “The Death of Expertise” here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/our-own-worst-enemy-9780197518878 and here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-death-of-expertise-9780190865979

Please check out Episode 76 of The Oxford Comment and subscribe to The Oxford Comment through your favourite podcast app to listen to the latest insights from our expert authors:
– Amazon Music: https://oxford.ly/3O8bPBH
– Apple Podcasts: https://oxford.ly/2RuYMPa
– Google Podcasts: https://oxford.ly/38UpF5h
– iHeartRadio: https://oxford.ly/3xBtxaQ
– Spotify: https://oxford.ly/2JLNTTO
– Stitcher: https://oxford.ly/2R0fVNZ
– TuneIn: https://oxford.ly/3jKR0OG
– YouTube: https://oxford.ly/2YY4iMT

The Oxford Comment Crew:
Executive Producer: Steven Filippi
Associate Producers: Meghan Schaffer, Rachel Havard, Erin Cox
Host: Meghan Schaffer

Music: Filaments by Podington Bear is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

© Oxford University Press

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The Need for Affordable and Clean Energy – Episode 75 – The Oxford Comment

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High gas prices. Nuclear reactors closed forever. The growth of the electric car industry. Record-breaking temperatures, and Europe’s Dependence on Russian Natural Gas. There has been no shortage in energy-related news stories this summer, and we know that they are not going to go away any time soon.

On today’s episode of The Oxford Comment, we spoke with Martin J. Pasqualetti, Professor of Geography at Arizona State University and author of The Thread of Energy, and Paul F. Meier, an independent clean fuels consultant and author of The Changing Energy Mix: A Systematic Comparison of Renewable and Nonrenewable Energy, on the need for affordable and clean energy (which is one of the UN’s sustainable development goals), the history of energy in the United States, and the dire implications of not changing our energy habits.

Learn more about Martin J. Pasqualetti and The Thread of Energy here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-thread-of-energy-9780199394807
Learn more about Paul F. Meier and The Changing Energy Mix here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-changing-energy-mix-9780190098391

Please check out Episode 75 of The Oxford Comment and subscribe to The Oxford Comment through your favourite podcast app to listen to the latest insights from our expert authors:
– Amazon Music: https://oxford.ly/3O8bPBH
– Apple Podcasts: https://oxford.ly/2RuYMPa
– Google Podcasts: https://oxford.ly/38UpF5h
– iHeartRadio: https://oxford.ly/3xBtxaQ
– Spotify: https://oxford.ly/2JLNTTO
– Stitcher: https://oxford.ly/2R0fVNZ
– TuneIn: https://oxford.ly/3jKR0OG
– YouTube: https://oxford.ly/2YY4iMT

The Oxford Comment Crew:
Executive Producer: Steven Filippi
Associate Producers: Stella Edison and Himalee Rupesinghe
Host: Stella Edison

Music: Filaments by Podington Bear is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

© Oxford University Press

Podcast: Play in new window | Download