Oxford Podcasts

October 22, 2008 4:53 PM

Forget again to enroll at Oxford? Some of what you've been missing.
posted by Rykey (25 comments total)

Of course I could have gone if I'd wanted, but mama said the crumpets they serve at high table are bought from a shop.
Top post; thank you!
posted by Abiezer at 4:59 PM on October 22, 2008 [1 favorite]

/listens to podcast
I know kung fu!
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 5:02 PM on October 22, 2008 [2 favorites]

My two top choices are Oxford and the Sorbonne. My safety's Harvard.
posted by pxe2000 at 5:03 PM on October 22, 2008 [4 favorites]

Unfortunately, a lot of these "podcasts" seem to be one time affairs, rather than a series over time. I mean, I don't expect there's going to be more than one "Vice-Chancellor's welcome" or "Sir Ivor Roberts on Kosovo" podcast. Maybe I'm wrong, and Sir Roberts has a lot to say on the subject?
posted by pwnguin at 5:21 PM on October 22, 2008

I'm at Cambridge and note that we also do this with a nice search engine at as well as having individual sites for things like Naked Scientists (only SFW science lectures I'm afraid, although having Hawking read erotica would be amusing). If you are willing to be sucked into iTunes, I believe the 'iTunes U' secton contains lectures and other content from both institutions.

This FPP needed more info.
posted by jaduncan at 5:28 PM on October 22, 2008

...a lot of these "podcasts" seem to be one time affairs, rather than a series over time.

True, but the semester ain't over. And I hear lots can be learned at those one-off affairs (though I'll grant you the Vice-Chancellor's welcome).
posted by Rykey at 5:32 PM on October 22, 2008

They have universities in England now? That's is an interesting development!
posted by limon at 6:07 PM on October 22, 2008

I'm at Cambridge and note that we also do this with a nice search engine

Ah, the perennial chip on the shoulder! :P
posted by limon at 6:09 PM on October 22, 2008

Sir Roberts

Sir Ivor.

I might have been chucked out of a red brick university without a degree, but I still know how to address a Knight of the Realm, for goodness' sake.
posted by jack_mo at 6:28 PM on October 22, 2008 [4 favorites]

My two top choices are Oxford and the Sorbonne.

They laughed at me at the Sorbonne. And I'm barely even evil!
posted by DU at 6:37 PM on October 22, 2008

Why doesn't Rhythmbox like these podcast URLs? I don't even get an error message.
posted by DU at 6:50 PM on October 22, 2008

I remember one ad, or maybe it was a one off, For Oxford. It was a long list of achivements under the Oxford logo. It went like "37 kings, 31 forgien leaders" ect.

And it ended with something like "6 saints, and one Pope."

Very effective, so ..kudos to them.
posted by The Whelk at 6:51 PM on October 22, 2008

Oh oh oh...

An Oxford University lecture on the Fall of the Roman Empire!!!.

Oh oh!!


Thank you. Thank you so very much.
posted by Mephisto at 7:17 PM on October 22, 2008 [1 favorite]

First one I downloaded too, Mephisto.
posted by Abiezer at 7:23 PM on October 22, 2008

True, but the semester ain't over. And I hear lots can be learned at those one-off affairs (though I'll grant you the Vice-Chancellor's welcome).

I'm not saying there's no content; simply that it's hard to subscribe to a feed -- you'd need a feed of feeds.

Court etiquette wasn't taught at my school either...
posted by pwnguin at 8:08 PM on October 22, 2008

Why doesn't Rhythmbox like these podcast URLs? I don't even get an error message.

Start it up on a commandline, and you get the following terse message when you try to subscribe:

** Message: can't parse the file
posted by pwnguin at 8:09 PM on October 22, 2008 [1 favorite]

Can I ask people here for recommendations of good academic podcasts? I feel like I should enjoy them, and I've tried out quite a few, but they're invariably terrible. Awful audio, boring speaking styles, references to slides or blackboard writing that you can't see, too much reliance on gestures, an inability to ask questions or engage with the speaker: these all ruin the experience. Giving a good classroom lecture does not seem to translate into giving a good radio lecture. Has anyone here listened to an entire course on podcast and found it worthwhile?
posted by painquale at 8:11 PM on October 22, 2008

So, in the late '80s I did a term abroad at Oxford, had the chance to return after the break and didn't take it. Despite my wonderful life here I've since deeply regretted making that choice. Those were easily the best and most rewarding four months of my entire life.

Now, this link leads me to discover that Oxford offers Online and Distance courses. Of course its crazy expensive, and even if I had the money it would be better used putting it away towards my son's future educational expenses than blowing money on a crazy dream of studying Medieval Literature at Oxford.

So, thanks for making this link available. I'll probably listen to everything. But its led to an evening (for me) full of what-ifs and sorting over deep regrets and wondering of "what might have been" and useless daydreams of somehow being able to just chuck it all and move across the ocean and follow my dreams (which I will never be able to do).

The moral of the story is: Kids, say in school, and if it seems like a choice you might regret, don't do it.
posted by anastasiav at 8:28 PM on October 22, 2008

(shameless plug for my academic institution's iTunes U site)

We don't release it to the general public until Monday, but The Banff Centre iTunes U (opens in iTunes) already has some cool content.

Of particular interest are the Music & Sound jazz and classical podcasts, they only have a few items right now but they include two top notch 30min plus tracks from Anton Kuerti on the classical podcast and three 15-30 minute tracks on the jazz podcast.

There's some other neat promo videos from our Mountain Culture department and some more esoteric podcasts from our New Media Institute.

Best of all, the content comes under a CC license.

Now lets hope I don't get in trouble for jumping the gun.
posted by furtive at 8:55 PM on October 22, 2008 [2 favorites]

Forget again to enrol at Oxford?

FTFY
posted by chuckdarwin at 12:33 AM on October 23, 2008

Forget again to matriculate at Oxford?

FTFY, chuckdarwin
posted by altolinguistic at 2:32 AM on October 23, 2008 [1 favorite]

An Oxford University lecture on the Fall of the Roman Empire

...by Bryan Ward-Perkins.

I remember arguing with him during a medieval seminar about the use of mercenaries and private companies. He claimed that not only had the rise of professional militaries made the practice obsolete, it was just not ideologically acceptable in the civilised world. He was quite vehement that "modern armies" would never dream of such a thing.
posted by ahughey at 2:34 AM on October 23, 2008

I've been a bit underwhelmed by this. I've seen quite a lot of posters and leaflets about the podcasts, but relatively little content so far. I guess I'll wait and see what gets put up during Michaelmas term.

Unfortunately, my department hasn't bothered to post anything yet. Which is a shame, because we have some excellent lecturers and courses.

Lecturefox is quite a nice little resource.
posted by iso_bars at 4:20 AM on October 23, 2008 [2 favorites]

I'm at Cambridge and note that we also do this with a nice search engine

Ah, the perennial chip on the shoulder! :P

Would you like fish with your chips?
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 7:00 AM on October 23, 2008

I agree with iso_bars. These Oxford lectures are not even complete lectures. The quantum nanotechnology lecture, for example, is a little over 14 minutes (including the lengthy title sequences) of a much longer lecture. It is disappointing that these podcasts are little more than previews.
posted by csw at 7:43 AM on October 28, 2008