Gresham College Lectures

In this thought-provoking discussion, Melissa Lane, a scholar specializing in the interplay of philosophy and climate change, draws parallels between Plato's allegory of the Cave and our current climate crisis. She challenges the societal constructs that trap us in fossil fuel dependency and critiques traditional economic growth models. The conversation tackles the importance of genuine understanding over superficial consumption and emphasizes the need for trust in climate communication, advocating for honesty over 'noble lies' in addressing climate issues.

This lecture will explore the world of the second Bloomsbury generation, delving into the intricacies of being young and queer in the 1920s, and how their open way of living and loving is still relevant to our present day. Lesser known than their predecessors, they continued the celebration of freedom of expression and creativity.The lecture will introduce artists and intellectuals such as Eddy Sackville-West, Stephen Tomlin and Julia Strachey, who led an unapologetic life by pushing gender boundaries and social conventions, as well as exploring gender fluidity and pansexuality.This lecture was recorded by Nino Strachey on 11th June 2024 at Barnard's Inn Hall, LondonThe transcript of the lecture is available from the Gresham College website:https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/queer-bloomsburyGresham College has offered free public lectures for over 400 years, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. There are currently over 2,500 lectures free to access. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds. To support Gresham's mission, please consider making a donation: https://gresham.ac.uk/support/Website:  https://gresham.ac.ukTwitter:  https://twitter.com/greshamcollegeFacebook: https://facebook.com/greshamcollegeInstagram: https://instagram.com/greshamcollegeSupport the show

Raghavendra Rau, an expert in finance known for his insights on market efficiency and behavioral biases, dives into the complexities of financial markets. He explores why investors are drawn to bizarre assets like NFTs and meme stocks despite the theory of market efficiency. Rau discusses behavioral biases that can predict returns and challenges traditional views on consistent investment success, emphasizing randomness over certainty. With an engaging mix of humor and historical anecdotes, he unpacks the intricate dynamics influencing market patterns and investor behavior.

Ronald Hutton, an expert in European and World History, discusses the global phenomenon of witch-hunting, focusing on the impact of beliefs on society, global efforts to end persecution, and the historical context of European practices. The lecture examines the religious conflicts leading to intense witch hunts, demographics of victims, and the eventual decline influenced by changing societal beliefs.

The idea of proof is fundamental to mathematics. We could argue that science consists of testable theories, and therefore that it is about what can be disproved, not what can be proved. In law, the test is “beyond reasonable doubt”.Famous conjectures in mathematics have been tested by computers for trillions of numbers – but we still call them conjectures.In this lecture we’ll talk about what mathematicians mean by proof, and I’ll show you some of my favourites.This lecture was recorded by Sarah Hart on 4th June 2024 at Barnard's Inn Hall, LondonThe transcript of the lecture is available from the Gresham College website:https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/mathematician-proofGresham College has offered free public lectures for over 400 years, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. There are currently over 2,500 lectures free to access. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds. To support Gresham's mission, please consider making a donation: https://gresham.ac.uk/support/Website:  https://gresham.ac.ukTwitter:  https://twitter.com/greshamcollegeFacebook: https://facebook.com/greshamcollegeInstagram: https://instagram.com/greshamcollegeSupport the show

Socrates sought to test the expertise of everyone around him: the bombastic know-it-alls, the bashful youths, the confident generals, those (including the enslaved) with unsuspected mathematical competence, the workaday artisans. Aristotle later explored the ways in which expert claims can be made credible to popular judgement.This lecture considers the role of experts in contributing to public debate in a democracy, bringing Aristotle's work on rhetoric to bear on norms for expert communication and public debate.This lecture was recorded by Melissa Lane on 30th May 2024 at Barnard's Inn Hall, LondonThe transcript of the lecture is available from the Gresham College website:https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/experts-politicsGresham College has offered free public lectures for over 400 years, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. There are currently over 2,500 lectures free to access. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds. To support Gresham's mission, please consider making a donation: https://gresham.ac.uk/support/Website:  https://gresham.ac.ukTwitter:  https://twitter.com/greshamcollegeFacebook: https://facebook.com/greshamcollegeInstagram: https://instagram.com/greshamcollegeSupport the show

The final lecture in the series returns to the theme of how insight is derived from observations, considering the cosmic microwave background.This oldest light in the Universe, emitted just 400,000 years after the Big Bang, contains the seeds of the structures we see around us, and tells us about conditions at the Universe's beginning.It will also consider how measurements of the Universe's expansion, made using the CMB, are leading to unexpected results, creating tension in modern cosmology.This lecture was recorded by Chris Lintott on 29th May 2024 at Conway Hall, LondonThe transcript of the lecture is available from the Gresham College website:https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/first-lightGresham College has offered free public lectures for over 400 years, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. There are currently over 2,500 lectures free to access. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds. To support Gresham's mission, please consider making a donation: https://gresham.ac.uk/support/Website:  https://gresham.ac.ukTwitter:  https://twitter.com/greshamcollegeFacebook: https://facebook.com/greshamcollegeInstagram: https://instagram.com/greshamcollegeSupport the show

This lecture traces the history of race and disability law in the English education system. It examines the impact of discriminatory policies on Black children, children of colour, and disabled children, and how narratives around race and disability have changed.The lecture questions why inequality persists and explores possible solutions.This lecture was recorded by Leslie Thomas KC on 23rd May 2024 at Barnard's Inn Hall, LondonThe transcript of the lecture is available from the Gresham College website:https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/education-lawGresham College has offered free public lectures for over 400 years, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. There are currently over 2,500 lectures free to access. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds. To support Gresham's mission, please consider making a donation: https://gresham.ac.uk/support/Website:  https://gresham.ac.ukTwitter:  https://twitter.com/greshamcollegeFacebook: https://facebook.com/greshamcollegeInstagram: https://instagram.com/greshamcollegeSupport the show

Logarithms were perhaps once thought of as just an old-fashioned way to do sums on slide rules. But they underpin much of modern life, from modelling the COVID pandemic to Claude Shannon’s mathematical theory of information (which makes mobile phones a reality) and making sense of Cristiano Ronaldo’s crazy Instagram follower numbers.This lecture will explore the basics and history of logarithms, and then show how they are a natural way to represent many models and datasets.This lecture was recorded by Oliver Johnson on 22nd May 2024 at Barnard's Inn Hall, LondonThe transcript of the lecture is available from the Gresham College website:https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/logarithmsGresham College has offered free public lectures for over 400 years, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. There are currently over 2,500 lectures free to access. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds. To support Gresham's mission, please consider making a donation: https://gresham.ac.uk/support/Website:  https://gresham.ac.ukTwitter:  https://twitter.com/greshamcollegeFacebook: https://facebook.com/greshamcollegeInstagram: https://instagram.com/greshamcollegeSupport the show

Climate change expert Myles Allen discusses the challenges of achieving inclusive net zero emissions. He explores the importance of a staggered approach based on historical emissions, the risks for developing countries, and the need for fair climate policies. The podcast highlights the legal implications for fossil fuel companies, accountability for global warming, and addressing resistance to net zero emissions.