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OxCal is the most popular software package world-wide for calibrating and analysing dates within the carbon dating process, enabling the accurate dating of objects from the past. The brainchild of Prof. Christopher Bronk Ramsey, Director of the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit (ORAU), OxCal is based on chronologies refined by the use of Bayesian statistical methods, and provides users with access to high-quality calibration of chronological data, now the basis for global chronologies. It is available online and free to download, and has played a highly significant role in establishing the ORAU as one of the pre-eminent international radiocarbon dating facilities. Funded by the NERC, and used widely within professional archaeology as well as other disciplines, OxCal has also played a key role in research projects (within Oxford and beyond) brought to the attention of the general public by the media.
Research at the Mixed Reality Laboratory (MRL) into using wearable biosensors to capture and broadcast the experience of riding rollercoasters has driven innovation in how to create, film and broadcast thrilling experiences that has impacted on television, advertising and public engagement. The underlying research received three best paper awards at the ACM's CHI conference and featured as the cover article of Communications of the ACM. Through consultancies for the BBC, Lionsgate, Merlin and TBWA, we have used our techniques and platforms to create numerous television features and online films. Collaborations with TV producer RDF, supported by the Technology Strategy Board, have produced pilots of new television shows. The resulting television broadcasts, enhanced with participation at science festivals, have also engaged many millions of members of the public worldwide with the research into biosensing.