The Oxford University Scientific Society (OUSS) is a student scientific society at the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1882 as the Oxford University Junior Scientific Club. It is one of the oldest undergraduate science societies in the world. It organizes talks on scientific subjects on a weekly basis. Former speakers include Nobel prize laureates (John E. Walker, Peter Mansfield, Peter J. Ratcliffe) and other well-known scientists (Roger Penrose, Richard Dawkins). OUSS also organizes visits to places of scientific interest, which have included tours of the Bodleian Library, Museum of the History of Science, TOAD distillery in Oxford, the Joint European Torus project, and the National Space Centre in Leicester. In April 2012 they held a large-scale debate on gerontology at the Sheldonian Theatre between Aubrey de Grey and Colin Blakemore, chaired by Sir Richard Peto. History Oxford University increased its provision for science in the second half of 19th century, with the first scientific degree awarded in 1850. A number of scientific ventures were undertaken, including the building of the Pitt Rivers Museum and the Clarendon Lab, and the proportion of undergraduates doing a scientific degree increased every year. Oxford University Junior Scientific Club was founded in November 1882. At that time there were around 25 students admitted to a scientific course every year (they accounted for 7% of the student body) and most of them soon joined the newly formed society. Edward Poulton and Halford Mackinder were among its founders.<ref>Oxford University Junior Scientific Club. Nature, Volume 137, Issue 3475, pp. 941 (1936). </ref> The Club aimed to "bring together undergraduate and bachelor of arts members of the University for the discussion of scientific matters". After one year four fifths of students doing studying science were members of the club, and it also attracted members studying non-scientific disciplines. Graduates often stayed connected with the club after leaving the university. In 1889 it had 102 members, and in 1894, around 200, and this number stayed approximately the same until the First World War. During first 30 years of its existence the club served as a platform to integrate science undergraduates as well as recent graduates and allowed them to present their original research. Although the society invited senior university members and distinguished academics to speak during so-called "special meetings", its main events were the fortnightly "ordinary meetings", in which papers about recent developments in science or about original research