Tag Archives: The Oxford Comment

Climate Emergency: Lessons from Classic Maya to Contemporary China – Episode 81 – The Oxford Comment

March 28, 2023The Oxford Commentchina's next act, classic maya, clean technology, climate change, climate emergency, contemporary china, kenneth e seligson, scott m moore, sustainability, the maya and climate change, The Oxford Commentoxfordacademic

The consequences of climate change are catastrophic. This real and present threat to our planet may seem insurmountable, but there are—and have been—lessons shared on how to mitigate the damage already wrought, and how to prevent future detriment.

On today’s episode, we explore two unique examples of societal adaptation to climate change: one from our past, and one from our present. First, we welcomed Kenneth E. Seligson, the author of The Maya and Climate Change: Human-Environmental Relationships in the Classic Period Lowlands, who shared insights into his work exploring the environmental resilience of the Classic Maya, the environmental challenges they faced and overcame, and the lessons we can learn from them. We then interviewed Scott M. Moore, the author of China’s Next Act: How Sustainability and Technology are Reshaping China’s Rise and the World’s Future, to speak about contemporary China’s meteoric and controversial rise to a global power, its leading role in sustainability and technology, and what this means for institutions around the world.

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Women in Sports: Althea Gibson, Billie Jean King, and Their Legacies – Episode 80 – The Oxford Comment

February 28, 2023The Oxford Commentalthea gibson, arthur ashe, ashley brown, battle of the sexes, billie jean king, bobby riggs, gender and sports, jackie robinson, podcast, race and sports, serving herself, sports history, susan ware, The Oxford Comment, williams sisters, women's history, women's history month, women's sports, women's tennisoxfordacademic

The world of sports has long been a contested playing field for social change. On today’s episode, we discuss the lives, careers, and lasting legacies on and off the tennis courts of two great women athletes—Althea Gibson and Billie Jean King. First, we welcomed Ashley Brown, the author of Serving Herself: The Life and Times of Althea Gibson, to speak about the barrier breaking tennis player and golfer. We then interviewed Susan Ware, the author of American Women: A Concise History, American Women’s History: A Very Short Introduction, and Game, Set, Match: Billie Jean King and the Revolution in Women’s Sports, published by UNC Press, who shared with us how King leveraged her career as a form of activism for gender equality, and discussed how sports have changed for women athletes in the years since.

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

January 31, 2023The Oxford Commentagainst inequality, against the superrich, billionaires, child tax credit, chris howard, economic inequality, family safety net, income inequality, medicaid, medicare, social safety net, social security, The Oxford Comment, tom malleson, welfare, who caresoxfordacademic

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
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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.

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Looking Into Space – Episode 78 – The Oxford Comment

November 29, 2022The Oxford Commentastrophysics, claudia maraston, james webb space telescope, Jonathan Tennyson, monthly notices of the royal astronomical society, royal astronomical society, royal astronomical society techniques and instruments, The Oxford Comment, Webb telescopeoxfordacademic

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.

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

October 25, 2022The Oxford Commentancient egypt, bob brier, egyptology, egyptomania, george reisner, howard carter, king tut, king tut snl, king tut's tomb, peter der manuelian, steve martin, The Oxford Comment, tutankhamunoxfordacademic

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 20^th century Egyptology to coincide with the 100^th 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.

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

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.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download