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Articles by Freddy Potts
Attempting to talk about this ?lm without speaking entirely in superlatives is pretty tricky. Suf?ce it to say that Arrival is, right now, the best ?lm of the year—and given that the year is nearly over, that’s high praise indeed. The story follows Amy Adams as Louise Banks, a doctor of linguistics who is drafted by the army to help humans communicate with alien crafts which have arrived on Earth.
Michaelmas term fading on the winds of goodwill, tickling the spires in their sleep. Blackwell’s admitting nobody, but quietly shunning a few wayward party-goers. All Oxford seemed arrested in either expectant slumber, or festive fervour. And yet, tucked away at the top of staircase nine was Edward Stooge, a miser in a youth’s body. While his surroundings throbbed with excitement, he paced his cramped cell, clad in his onesie of loneliness. Procrastination, that cruel spectre, haunted him there.
Editing genes: Can we? Should we?The development of CRISPR paves the way for human gene therapy. Calum Stephenson argues that it is our moral duty to see it through.It’s the year 2116, and the last person to die from malaria did so ?fty years ago. Genetic demons such as Huntington’s disease and cystic ?brosis—whose heritability was a scourge on the psyche of those with a family history—can no longer hold prospective parents hostage.
Interview: Elspeth GarmanProfessor Garman explains how she drives scientific progression from behind the scenes, the Garman limit, and the unintended difficulties with female quotasElspeth Garman is a Professor of Molecular Biophysics in the Oxford Biochemistry department. Working at interface of all three core sciences, she has helped develope physical techniques in a ?eld that has yielded 28 Nobel Prizes to date, unpicking the chemical properties of biological molecules.
At Oxford, a student who writes well, speaks persuasively, and engages in critical conversation is considered “smart,” regardless of which college they belong to or what degree they are pursuing. The realization that this kind of liberal arts intellectualism is a central value here in Oxford shocked me. And that shock was deeply unsettling, because I realized I do not feel that way at Stanford.
Nicky Morgan has had a rollercoaster year. In January, she was the unshakeable Education Secretary planning a major overhaul of the education system. Her plans to turn all schools in England into academies have since fallen through.She was asked to leave her post and the government by fellow alumna of St Hugh’s, Prime Minister Theresa May.
Beginning with the inevitable disappointment of my ‘Secret Santa’ present, followed by a festively violent round of musical chairs and reindeer ice cream at lunch, the course of the last day of the autumn term was the same every year. Then, back at home and revelling in the luxury of a half day at school, I’d slot in my old video cassette of Miracle on 34th Street. Set in Macy’s department store, you’d be forgiven for assuming that the film would be soullessly, depressingly commercial.
It’s that time of year again: you can start bracing yourself for the onslaught of high-pitched jingles and ‘Christmas special offers’ designed to lure you further into the trappings of capitalist society as soon as you make your way into any shop or department store. The cheerful tunes may well be poison to your ears because you’re neck-deep in an essay crisis and not quite feeling the holiday vibes yet. This was me a year ago, and it’s not too far from where I’m at right now.
Have you ever had to down a few drinks to pluck up the courage to speak with someone you fancy, so intimidated by their attractiveness or by your own burgeoning emotion? You’re in good company. One of the greatest British novelists of all time, Graham Greene, recalled his crush on a Lamb and Flag barmaid, “who we all agreed resembled in her strange beauty the Egyptian queen Nefertiti. What quantities of beer we drank in order to speak a few words with her”, in his Fragments of Autobiography.
To tell you the truth, I don’t relish the idea of McDonald’s sponsoring referenda. First, it would greatly increase voter turnout. Recent polls suggested that turnout could increase from the standard four per cent to anywhere between fifteen to twenty per cent. It turns out that the draw of a free SuperMac will indeed have a marked impact, given that every voter got one free with their vote. Of course, something had to be done.
“Men of England, you are slaves!” There aren’t many folk albums that open with such a resounding, powerful voice—but then Faustus aren’t the average group. This trio, formed of Benji Kirkpatrick, Paul Sartin and Saul Rose, is a bold voice on the traditional music scene—and their skill and ingenuity shine through in their latest album Death and other Animals.
The US election was won by Donald Trump for many complex and intertwined reasons, reasons which political scientists and journalists will spend decades puzzling over. Globalisation, neoliberalism, racism, misogyny, and the role of the media all played a part—but equally so did the role of liberals in shutting down debate and defining ever more narrowly the boundaries of acceptable speech.
Plans to build new housing close to the C.S. Lewis nature reserve have resulted in protest from Oxford residents. The small area of Headington woodland supposedly served as C.S. Lewis’ inspiration while writing his children’s book series The Chronicles of Narnia. Campaigners claim the C.S. Lewis Nature Reserve is under threat from a new building application close to the woodland which could “spoil this place of amazing magic and beauty”.
While the plot of Tennessee Williams’ Summer and Smoke follows a spiritual and romantic relationship which never quite blossoms, there can be no doubt that this student production flowered sensationally. The two-act play, which revolves around the lives of Alma Winemiller (Natalie Lauren) and John Buchanan Jr. (Leo Danczak), tenderly traces their complex romance from first kiss to final heartbreak, all in a tricky Southern drawl.
In Oxford to promote his new anniversary release of his rare debut solo album Painted Lady, it was clear from the moment Jon Boden walked onto the O2 Academy stage that it was going to be an enjoyable, successful night.
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