Scientific Breakthroughs of the 20th Century



Overview

The structure of DNA, the quantum laws of physics, planet Earth's fluid configuration, the magic utility of radio waves, the social and military power of the computer, and the relativity of space and time – each and all have changed our vision of who we are and of where we might go. This course offers enthusiastic appraisals and vital historical context for the startling intellectual and technical achievements forged in peace and war during the 20th century.

This course is part of The Oxford Experience summer school.

Programme details

Seminars meet each weekday morning, with afternoons free for course-related field trips, individual study, or exploring the many places of interest in and around the city.

Monday
Atomic Physics. Complex, counter-intuitive, breathtaking in scope and influence, particle physics and quantum mechanics provide a fundamental understanding of matter, allowing us to shape a world entirely unimagined just a century ago. The story of this revolution features the work of Ernest Rutherford, Niels Bohr and Richard Feynman.

Tuesday
Cosmology. The expansion of the universe, special and general relativity, the discovery of the cosmic microwave background and of pulsars - each triumph represents individual strides in the dazzling journey from near-ignorance to deep understanding that is twentieth century cosmology. Today looks to the work of Edwin Hubble, Albert Einstein and Jocelyn Bell Burnell.

Wednesday
DNA. Disclosed in a storm of intuition, guess-work, deduction and contested data, our understanding of deoxyribonucleic acid may well shape humankind more profoundly than any other scientific field. Indeed, its implications raise ethical and philosophical questions of who we are as individuals and as products of evolution and heredity. Today we examine the work of Francis Crick, James Watson and Rosalind Franklin.

Thursday
Radio, Television, and RADAR. In 1900, electromagnetic theory pointed the way to instant, wireless global communication. Radio as a tool of commerce, public safety and entertainment was quickly established, and its extension into television and RADAR – in particular the latter’s role in World War Two – shaped history as well as daily lives. We look at the careers of Guglielmo Marconi, Reginald Fessenden, John Baird and Robert Watson-Watt.

Friday
Scientific Heroes. For years geologists rejected the idea of Continental Drift. Today, thanks to Alfred Wegener’s heroic championing, plate tectonics is at the heart of geophysics. Less fraught is the story of penicillin, indeed this precious life-saver arrived unheralded and underestimated, not least by its dogged, modest discoverer, Alexander Fleming. Finally, we discuss Alan Turing’s intellectual and experimental influence in modern computing, from theory to practice, a truly world-changing contribution.

Fees

Description Costs
Fee option 1 (single en suite accom and meals per person) £2175.00
Fee option 2 (single standard accom and meals per person) £2050.00
Fee option 3 (double en suite accom and meals per person) £2000.00
Fee option 4 (twin en suite accom and meals per person) £2000.00
Fee option 5 (twin set standard accom and meals per person) £2000.00
Fee option 6 (no accom; incl lunch and dinner per person) £1500.00

Funding

Please note there are no sources of funding (scholarships, bursaries, etc) available for applicants.

Payment

All fees are charged on a per week, per person basis.

Please be aware that all payments made via non-UK credit/debit cards and bank accounts are subject to the exchange rate on the day they are processed.

Payment terms

  • If enrolling online: full payment by credit/debit card at the time of booking.
  • If submitting an enrolment form: full payment online by credit/debit card or via bank transfer within 30 days of invoice date.

Supplementary costs

  • Extended stay fee: Participants staying multiple, consecutive weeks are offered bed and breakfast accommodation for the Saturday night between their courses. The extended stay rates are charged on a per person basis, depending on your enrolment accommodation. An invoice will be emailed alongside your confirmation of enrolment. 
  • Excursion fee where applicable: £5-130. This fee is built into the above course fees and will not require a separate payment. If your course includes a day-long excursion, you may need to make your own lunch arrangements.
  • Course transfer fee: Please note that course transfers may be permitted in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the programme administrator, up to the 1 May 2024. In accordance with our Terms and Conditions, an administration fee of £50 will be charged.
  • Any ticketed activities, as outlined in the Social Programme.

Cancellations and refunds

1. Cancellation by you

Participants who wish to cancel must inform the Programme Administrator in writing: by email to oxfordexperience@conted.ox.ac.uk, or by post to The Oxford Experience, OUDCE, 1 Wellington Square, OXFORD, OX1 2JA, UK.

The following cancellation and refund policy applies in all cases:

  • Cancellation within 14 days of online enrolment / payment of fees – full refund of all fees paid. 

  • Cancellations received up to and including 30 April 2024 – OUDCE will retain an administration fee of £100 per week booked; all other fees paid will be refunded.
  • Cancellations received between 1-31 May 2024 – OUDCE will retain 60% of the fees paid; the remaining 40% of fees paid will be refunded.
  • Cancellations received on and after 1 June 2024 - no refunds will be made under any circumstances.

Where course fees have been paid in currencies other than pounds sterling, refunds will be subject to the exchange rate on the day they are processed.

2. Cancellation by us

Where there is good reason, OUDCE reserves the right to cancel a course by giving you notice in writing at any time before the course is due to start. In these cases, we will endeavour to offer a transfer to another available course if practical and acceptable to you, subject to payment or refund of any difference in course fees. Alternatively, we will refund the course fees that you have already paid. If we cancel a course, our liability is limited to the fees that we have received from you; this means that we will not compensate you for any pre-booked travel costs or any other expenses incurred. The status of this course will be reviewed on 1 May 2024. If it is likely that the course may be cancelled, anyone affected will be notified by email within 7 days; if you have not heard from OUDCE by 8 May 2024, you should assume that your course will be running. You may wish to delay finalising your travel arrangements until after this date.

OUDCE reserves the right to cancel a course at short notice in exceptional circumstances that would prevent the course from being delivered e.g. tutor illness. In these rare instances, and if we are unable to find a replacement tutor, we will notify you as soon as possible and arrange a transfer to another available Oxford Experience course. If we cancel a course, our liability is limited to the fees that we have received from you; this means that we will not compensate you for any pre-booked travel costs or any other expenses incurred.

Where course fees have been paid in currencies other than pounds sterling, refunds will be subject to the exchange rate on the day they are processed.

3. Travel insurance

All participants must purchase travel insurance to cover the programme fee, travel costs, and any other expenses incurred. OUDCE cannot be held responsible for any costs you may incur in relation to travel or accommodation bookings as a result of a course cancellation, or if you are unable to attend the course for any other reason. 

Tutor

Dr Tim Barrett

Tutor

Dr Tim Barrett lectures in modern history and the history of science. He has taught for the Oxford University Department for Continuing Education for over 10 years, and is an Honorary Research Fellow of Keele University, Staffordshire.

Teaching methods

Participants will be taught in seminar groups of up to 12 people. The teaching methods used during this course may include:

  • Short lectures/Presentations
  • Physical handouts
  • Seminars/group discussions

Assessment methods

There are no assessments for this course.

Application

Registration closes on 1 May 2024. Most courses fill up fast so early registration is recommended.

Single accommodation and non-residential places may be booked online by clicking on the “Book now” button in the “Course details” box at the top right-hand side of the course page.

Those requiring twin or double accommodation should complete an enrolment form as these rooms cannot be booked online. Completed forms should be sent:

Level and demands

The Oxford Experience is aimed at non-specialists: no prior knowledge is required, and classes are pitched at an introductory level. The courses are designed for an international audience aged 18 and over.

Accommodation

During your course you will stay in typical Oxford student accommodation at Christ Church, in buildings which range from the 18th to the 20th century. Please note that bedrooms are modestly-furnished and do not have air-conditioning.

The course fee includes breakfasts Monday-Saturday, lunches Sunday-Friday, and 3-course dinners Sunday-Thursday. On Friday, there will be a special 4-course Gala Dinner to celebrate the closing of the week. All meals are taken in Christ Church’s spectacular dining hall.

Single bedrooms

  • Single en suite;
  • Single standard.

En suite rooms include private bathroom facilities (shower, washbasin and toilet). Standard rooms include a washbasin and shaver point only, with bathroom facilities shared with other rooms.

Shared bedrooms

Shared rooms can only be booked by two people attending the programme together, and are charged on a per person basis.

  • Double en suite;
  • Twin en suite;
  • 'Twin Set' standard.

En suite rooms include private bathroom facilities (shower, washbasin and toilet). 'Twin set’ standard rooms comprise two separate single standard rooms, each with a washbasin and shaver point only, opening onto a private sitting room, with bathroom facilities shared with other rooms.

Those requiring twin or double accommodation must complete an enrolment form (see ‘Application’), as these rooms cannot be booked online.

Christ Church rooms do not have lift access, and the higher rooms can be located up a few flights of stairs. If you need a room on a ground or lower floor please indicate this on your enrolment form, or contact the programme administrator directly at oxfordexperience@conted.ox.ac.uk as soon as possible before 1 June.

We regret that we are unable to arrange accommodation at Christ Church prior to or following your course. Additionally, family or friends who are not enrolled in the programme cannot be accommodated in college. Please contact Christ Church directly if you require additional nights of bed and breakfast accommodation.

Participants Attending Multiple Weeks

The Oxford Experience welcomes participants who want to attend multiple courses over the summer. Resident participants staying in Christ Church for consecutive weeks are offered bed and breakfast accommodation for the Saturday night between their courses. The extended stay rates are charged on a per person basis, depending on your enrolment accommodation. An invoice will be emailed alongside your confirmation of enrolment. 

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support