Do aliens exist? Take this further...

Do aliens exist? By now, you know this is a mind-boggling question and some parts of it go beyond our Earthly knowledge! If this has inspired you to challenge your thinking, here are some suggested subjects you could study at a university like Oxford.

1. Biological Sciences 
   1. Biological Sciences is an exciting and rapidly developing subject area. The study of living things has undergone tremendous expansion in recent years, and topics such as cell biology, neuroscience, evolutionary biology and ecology are advancing rapidly. This expansion has been accompanied by a blurring of the distinctions between disciplines: a biologist with an interest in tropical plants may well use many of the tools and techniques that are indispensable to a molecular geneticist. Find out more.
2. Earth Sciences
   1. The Earth Sciences are changing rapidly in scope and nature. The course at Oxford reflects these changes, and provides sound and broadly based scientific training. Students are trained in the skills required for the interpretation of rock materials and geological phenomena as well as applying theory and techniques from physics, chemistry, materials science and biology to the study of the Earth and the environment. Find out more. 
3. Physics 
   1. Physics is concerned with the study of the universe from the smallest to the largest scale: why it is the way it is and how it works. Such knowledge is basic to scientific progress. The language of physics is mathematics: formulating physical theories sometimes requires new mathematical structures. Physics is a fundamental science and a practical subject. Many techniques used in medical imaging, nanotechnology and quantum computing are derived from physics instrumentation. Even the World Wide Web was a spin-off from the information processing and communications requirements of high-energy particle physics. Find out more.
4. Mathematics
   1. Mathematicians have always been fascinated by numbers. One of the most famous problems is Fermat’s Last Theorem: ie if n≥3, the equation xⁿ+yⁿ=zⁿ has no solutions with x, y, z all nonzero integers. An older problem is to show that one cannot construct a line of length ³√2 with ruler and compass, starting with just a unit length. Often the solution to a problem will require you to think outside its original framing. This is true here, and you will see the second problem solved in your course; the first is far too deep and was famously solved by Andrew Wiles. In applied mathematics we use mathematics to explain phenomena that occur in the real world. You can learn how a leopard gets its spots, explore quantum theory and relativity, or study the mathematics of stock markets. We will encourage you to ask questions and find solutions for yourself. You will need to think mathematically and we begin by teaching you careful definitions so that you can construct theorems and proofs. Above all, mathematics is a logical subject, so you will need to argue clearly and concisely as you solve problems. Find out more.

These are just some ideas, and if you are considering Higher Education you should carefully weigh up your options to choose the course and university that are right for you! You could try further suggested reading and resources.