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PODCAST · education

Oxford Abridged Short Talks

by Oxford University

Short interesting lectures from top Oxford academics. Includes a series of short lectures about love, held on Valentines Day 2011.

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Apr 5, 2026 · Source feed

Episodes

  1. Who did Plato (not) love?

    Platonic love? Plato's main text on love, the Symposium, takes a broad look at what love means, offering a serious yet humorous, poignant and flippant, literary philosophical discussion of the topic, with some famous but also surprising outcomes.

  2. If marriage is a trade, then what price romance?

    Theatre was a forum for early twentieth-century feminists to challenge romantic ideals of marriage, arguing against society blocking women's access to alternative professions. Did one playwright solve the problem of selling seats without selling out?

  3. Not only the lonely: the social implications of the rise of online dating

    Dr Hogan explores values towards online dating, relating them to whether one's friends have dated online and whether social network software or online personals are responsible for the continued rise in popularity of online dating. This presentation will explore the many facets of online dating...

  4. Swirls and secrets: the mysteries of Jonathan Swift's love letters

    In Swift's letters to his adored Stella, we see an elaborate combination of language and code to tease his reader but still communicate intimacy. The denial of full disclosure and the refusal to reveal all is part of the game of seduction.

  5. Darwin and Friends

    Professor Robin Dunbar explores if there is a limit to the number of friends we can keep track of and explains the origin of "Dunbar's Number".

  6. Blood Disorders and Human Malaria

    Professor Sunetra Gupta explains the surprising relationship between blood disorders and malaria in humans. Could two blood disorders ever be better than one? Part of the Oxford Abridged series of short talks.

  7. Slime Moulds to run the railways?

    Should we let slime moulds run our railways? Slime moulds can produce networks as efficient, cost-effective and resilient as railway networks designed by people, despite having no central control over what they build.

  8. Success of the Smelliest - Sexual attraction and pheromones

    Sexual attraction and pheromones? Dr. Tristram Wyatt talks about pheromones and evolution in a short talk about the "Success of the smelliest". Recorded as part of an ongoing series of short lectures.

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

Short interesting lectures from top Oxford academics. Includes a series of short lectures about love, held on Valentines Day 2011.

HOSTED BY

Oxford University

CATEGORIES

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Oxford Abridged Short Talks have?

Oxford Abridged Short Talks currently has 10 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Oxford Abridged Short Talks about?

Short interesting lectures from top Oxford academics. Includes a series of short lectures about love, held on Valentines Day 2011.

How often does Oxford Abridged Short Talks release new episodes?

Oxford Abridged Short Talks has 10 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to Oxford Abridged Short Talks?

You can listen to Oxford Abridged Short Talks on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Oxford Abridged Short Talks?

Oxford Abridged Short Talks is created and hosted by Oxford University.
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