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Over the last week, school students across the UK and researchers at the University of Oxford have been engaging online in the Machine Learning Zone. Together you’ve talked about: does technology benefit everyone equally can computers help sick people what else researchers think they could be could we rely on AI too much in the future how companies and the government might be watching will AI remove the whole idea of money biggest fears (basically spiders) will AI begin to feel, and feel angry about us And much, much more (what fruit or veg would YOU be?). See the researchers and schools taking part. In total, in the first seven days there’s been: 252 school students logging in to Machine Learning Zone 144 ASK questions from students sent to the 9 researchers 167 votes cast by students for their favourites almost uncountable number of conversations in the 10 live chats so far. There’s still much more … Continue reading →

Log in between 7 and 8pm for another chance to talk to the researchers in the Machine Learning Zone!   Continue asking your brilliant questions in this special after-school live chat. Just log in and head to the CHAT page from 7pm! Why not introduce your friends and family to the researchers you’ve been talking with in school? You can even ask them to pose their own question about artificial intelligence and machine learning, the researchers’ work and interests, or about science and engineering in general, the careers available and more… How to join the evening chat Log in to the Machine Learning Zone as normal Click the CHAT icon Start asking your questions!   See you tonight! ModJen and the Machine Learning Zone team

I’m a Researcher, Get me out of here! is back this November. Between Monday 11th and Friday 22nd, students at 12 schools will be putting their questions to 8 researchers all working on machine learning. For the latest news and announcements about the event, find us on Twitter @imascientist, and follow the hashtag, #IARUK. Let’s meet the researchers and schools taking part… Machine Learning Zone The Machine Learning Zone is supported by The University of Oxford. Yee-Whye The | Professor of Statistical Machine Learning I’m researching the scientific principles that underpins machine learning at the Department of Statistics. Valerie Bradley | PhD student in Statistics I’m developing methods for predicting how likely someone is to support a political candidate, with cutting-edge machine learning techniques. Nick Hawes | Associate Professor of Engineering Science (Robotics) I work on AI methods to allow robots to plan and execute behaviour for missions that last from minutes … Continue reading →

Students, we want to hear from you too! Click here to go to your profile survey and tell us what you think about research for a chance to win a £20 voucher! Hi everyone! Having participated in I’m an Engineer a couple of years ago, I had a fantastic experience chatting to students about engineering.  So when I was approached to participate in I’m a Researcher, Get Me Out of Here! for Curiosity Carnival, I didn’t hesitate at all to reply “Yes!”. The live chats really are a great platform for students across various subjects and personality types to fearlessly ask questions that they may hesitate to ask in person. Combined with the enthusiastic and efficient moderators, the live chats were a frenzy of interesting questions (thank you, students!) What I did not expect was how much I’d learn from the other researchers, whose expertise was way out of my area of knowledge! From … Continue reading →

On Friday, the audience of I’m a Researcher Live! at the Oxford Curiosity Carnival questioned the final five researchers and voted for their favourite to be the winner of Curiosity Zone. We can now announce the winner of the event is… Priyanka Dhopade! Huge congratulations to Priyanka and hard luck to the other researchers in the final, Sarah, Sam, Rohan, and Martin! but a huge thank you to everyone, researchers, students and teachers, who took part. You were all brilliant. Students, don’t forget to tell us what you think about research now you’ve taken part. Log in to your profile, and fill in the questions at the top of your profile to tell us what you really think. And if you were there on Friday night, or just enjoyed meeting everyone online, why not give Priyanka and the rest of the researchers a final thank you shout out in the comments below!

Thanks to your votes, the researchers taking to the stage this evening are…   Sarah Finnegan! ‘We try to uncover how the brain organises the colour, shape and motion using tiny maps.’ [Click through to read full profile]   Priyanka Dhopade! ‘Jet engines get hot; the bits inside can break or melt; I make sure they don’t.’ [Click through to read full profile]   Sam Parsons! ‘I’m working on computer tasks that tap into what brain processes might make some people more resilient to stress and mental illness than others.’ [Click through to read full profile]   Martin Pickup! ‘I teach and research in philosophy, looking at questions about the fundamental nature of things.’ [Click through to read full profile]   Rohan Kapitany! ‘I’m trying to figure out how ideas move between heads, and how that changes our behaviour and why rituals are so important to people.’ [Click through to read … Continue reading →

The I’m a Researcher Top Twelve, so far… (in no particular order) Imogen!   Sam! Patrick!   Priyanka! Kanta!      Rohan! Andreas!    Sarah! Nayeli!     Martin! Pawan!     Raquel! STUDENTS: With three days left, it’s all still to play for, and your votes determine which five researchers of the 22 in the competition get through to the Live Final on Friday evening. Vote now to have your say! Come to I’m a Researcher Live and decide who wins the competition! 5.30pm-6.30pm, 29th Sept, Weston Library, University of Oxford, OX1 3BG The live final of I’m a Researcher is happening at the Curiosity Carnival this Friday 29th September and you can be there! Put the final five researchers on the spot with your questions as part of the audience. Vote at the end of the show for your favourite researcher. The winner becomes the first champion of I’m a Researcher, Get … Continue reading →

This September, students at Oxfordshire schools will be interacting with 22 researchers from the University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes University in the Curiosity Carnival Zone of I’m a Researcher. Between 11th– 29th September school students will put the researchers through their paces in fast-paced live chats and probing questions on everything from the Ottoman Empire, to how babies learn language, to how they became academic researchers in the first place. Each student will then vote for their favourite researcher and determine the five going through to the LIVE FINAL taking place at Oxford Curiosity Carnival on European Researchers Night, Friday 29th September. Read more about the I’m a Researcher Live Final. Oxfordshire schools taking part: Fitzharry’s School – Science classes Henry Box School – English and Engineering classes Oxford Academy – History, Geography, Psychology and  D & T classes Rye St Antony School – Biology and Tutor group classes St Gregory … Continue reading →