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What? Why? When?
Science of Stress
Season 1, Ep. 8
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In this episode, Dr Matt Williams is joined by Oxford medical student Becky and access officer Leah for a discussion on stress – from the neuroscience behind it to modern causes, like exams or even hearing Wham! at Christmas.
We explore:
- What happens in your brain and body during stress
- The role of cortisol, adrenaline, and the autonomic nervous system
- How stress evolved (even bacteria experience it!)
- Coping strategies backed by science
- Oxford student perspectives on managing stress at university
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7. What's the Problem?
35:42||Season 2, Ep. 7In this episode, Dr Matt Williams speaks with Lewis (1st year PPE) and Ruhi (1st year Biology) to talk about problems: what they are, examples from different areas and why they are considered 'problems' in the first place, in the style of an Oxford tutorial.6. Absolutely Nothing
31:18||Season 2, Ep. 6In this episode, Dr Matt Williams speaks to Oxford students Amber and Vinay (2nd year Chemists) about 'Absolutely Nothing'. What does it mean for something to be 'nothing', and how do we conceptualise it? Is dark matter 'nothing'?5. Reasons to be Cheerful
41:08||Season 2, Ep. 5In this Episode Dr Matt Williams speaks to Oxford students Alana (3rd Year Law) and Arav (3rd year Mathematics) about the concepts of happiness and cheerfulness in the style of an Oxford tutorial.4. Weird and Wonderful
31:59||Season 2, Ep. 4In this Episode Dr Matt Williams speaks to Oxford students Nick (3rd year PPE) and Sienna (3rd year Biologist) about all things 'Weird and Wonderful' through the lens of biology and philosophy, in the style of an Oxford tutorial.3. Beauty, Art and Taste
28:33||Season 2, Ep. 3In this episode, Dr Matt Williams talks to two Oxford students Brandon and Dorothea about the concepts of beauty, art and taste, in the format of an Oxford tutorial.2. Why Are There Countries?
35:12||Season 2, Ep. 2In this episode, Dr Matt Williams speaks to Oxford students Shorief and Skye to unpack the question of 'why countries exist', from a politics, history and law perspective.1. The Amazing You
32:53||Season 2, Ep. 1Welcome to season 2 of the What? Why? When? Podcast from Oxford University hosted by Dr Matt Williams!In this podcast we aim to discuss a range of interesting topics in the format of an Oxford University tutorial to give you a taste of Oxbridge teaching.This episode is all about 'The Amazing You', featuring 2 of our students at Jesus College, Oxford.11. Human Progress
41:56||Season 1, Ep. 11In this episode of the What? Why? When? Podcast, Dr. Matt Williams is joined by Jesus College students Lara (Law, 2nd year) and Charlie (History, 3rd year) for conversation on Human Progress — from pre-civilization societies to the age of AI.From Mesopotamian farming to ChatGPT, this episode dives into philosophy, history, law, and even space exploration in an attempt to answer the question: Have we truly moved forward?10. License to Kill
34:05||Season 1, Ep. 10In this episode Dr. Matt Williams is joined by first-year PPE student Angus McIntyre for a deep-dive discussion that blends philosophy, politics, law, and a touch of pop culture.Does James Bond really have a license to kill? — listen on for an exploration of state power, natural vs. positive law, morality, policing, and the legitimate use of violence by governments.