The prestigious university
gives insight:
Prospective biological science students have been asked to discuss why it matters if tigers become extinct, while those hoping to read materials science have been asked to calculate how hot the air in a hot air balloon would need to be to lift an elephant.
Owen Lewis of Brasenose College suggested "why do lions have manes" as a question for biological science students. "Some of the best interview questions do not have a "right" or a "wrong" answer, and can potentially lead off in all sorts of different directions," he said.