Latest 300 | LSE Public lectures and events | Video

Contributor(s): Professor Mark Thomson, Professor Riccardo Crescenzi, Professor Sarah Sharples | The lecture will explore the cutting-edge frontier of particle physics and astronomy and the pivotal role of major research infrastructures in advancing our fundamental understanding of the universe. It will delve into how groundbreaking scientific endeavours – ranging from understanding dark matter to exploring the early universe – not only push the boundaries of human knowledge but also necessarily catalyse technological innovation. The discussion also will highlight the broader socio-economic impacts of Big Science, including skills development, and real-world applications. By fostering innovation, these large-scale scientific investments provide tangible benefits to the countries, regions, and communities that support them, particularly in the context of intensified global competition for technological leadership.

Contributor(s): Professor Xavier Jaravel | Innovation is increasingly monopolised by a small entrepreneurial elite that is not representative of the population at all. To simultaneously increase our innovation potential and reduce inequality, it is urgent to involve everyone, especially women and people of underprivileged backgrounds, in the innovation process, from the creation of technologies to their widespread dissemination. What do we know and what should we do to find the “Lost Marie Curies” and “Lost Einsteins” and give them their chance? Join us for Xavier Jaravel's inaugural lecture to find out the answers to these questions.

Contributor(s): Suzanne Heywood | Join us for a fireside chat with Suzanne Heywood, Chair of CNH Industrial N V and Iveco Group, and Chief Operating Officer of Exor Group. In conversation with Grace Lordan, Suzanne will reflect on her extraordinary personal and professional journey, from her early years spent at sea—captured in her memoir Wavewalker—to leading some of the world’s largest companies. Suzanne will also discuss her biography What Does Jeremy Think?, exploring the remarkable career of her late husband, Sir Jeremy Heywood, who served four Prime Ministers as Cabinet Secretary. Suzanne will be offering unique insights on leadership, resilience, and navigating complex global challenges, Suzanne’s decades of experience in both business and government will provide a fascinating perspective for today’s current and emerging leaders.

Contributor(s): Professor Danny Dorling, Dr Danny Sriskandarajah, Professor Kitty Stewart, Polly Toynbee. | Why has absolute deprivation continued to grow in the UK? What role does high inequality play in understanding how we have got to the point of peak injustice? With child mortality rising in the UK and a majority of parents with three or more children going to bed hungry, Danny Dorling looks to the future, highlighting the challenges ahead and identifying solutions for change.

Contributor(s): Professor Shani Orgad, Dr Divya Srivastava, Dr Julia King, Dr Olivia Theocharides-Feldman | Research links: “Listening in times of crisis: The value and limits of radio phone-in shows” by Shani Orgad, Divya Srivastava, and Diana Olaleye https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/01634437241308729?af=R Making Space for Girls project, with Dr Julia King and Olivia Theocharides-Feldman https://www.lse.ac.uk/Cities/research/cities-space-and-society/Making-Space-For-Girls LSE iQ is a university podcast by the London School of Economics and Political Science. We’re keen to find out more about our audience so we can better tailor our content to suit your interests. With this in mind, we would be grateful if you could please take the time to fill out this short survey and share your feedback.

Contributor(s): Professor Cormac Ó Gráda | In his latest book, which forms the basis of this lecture, Cormac O'Grada argues that previous estimates of civilian deaths in the two world wars are almost certainly too low. By carefully evaluating the available evidence, he estimates that these wars cost not the 35 million lives commonly agreed on but, in reality, 65 million lives - nearly two thirds of the 100 million total killed. O'Grada's book is the first to attempt to measure and describe the full scale of civilian deaths from all causes including genocide, starvation, aerial bombardment and disease. As he shows, getting the numbers right is important as it enables us to argue with those who try to deny, minimise, or exaggerate wartime savagery.

Contributor(s): Professor Allison Pugh | Allison Pugh explains how we have ended up in a moment in which machines have time for people, while human workers rush by, bent to the dictates of the industrial clock, and maps out its implications for the future of our social health. Critics commonly warn about three primary hazards of AI – job disruption, bias, and surveillance/privacy concerns. Yet the conventional story of AI’s dangers is missing a vital issue and blinding us to its role in a cresting “depersonalisation crisis.” If we are concerned about increasing loneliness and social fragmentation, then we need to reckon with how technologies enable or impede human connection.

Contributor(s): Dr Benjamin Braun, Professor Brett Christophers, Professor Daniela Gabor | As the climate emergency intensifies, the efficacy of market-based solutions is under growing scrutiny. Can capitalism solve a crisis of its own making? Is "green growth" a path to transformative change, or will it solely legitimise and perpetuate systemic inequalities? Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on the opportunities and challenges of market-based solutions in bringing about a livable and fair future for all.

Contributor(s): Teresa Ribera | Join us for this special event at which European Commission Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera will take to the stage at LSE. In an era of rising inequality and economic transformation, the question of how to achieve fair and inclusive prosperity is more pressing than ever. At the same time, the green transition is reshaping industries, labor markets, and policies worldwide. But can economic justice be realized without a strong environmental agenda? Is sustainability a prerequisite for long-term prosperity, or can alternative paths lead to fair growth? This exclusive dialogue with Teresa Ribera, invites participants to delve into these pressing questions. With a distinguished background in environmental law and policy, Ribera brings a wealth of experience in crafting strategies that bridge economic growth with environmental stewardship.

Contributor(s): Dr Onni Gust, Professor Susan Stryker | This thought-provoking conversation will bring together diverse expertise to critically examine and address the urgent socio-political challenges of our time. As gender-critical feminism and right-wing populist movements gain traction globally, it becomes increasingly critical to examine the deep historical and structural roots of these ideologies in colonialism, neoliberalism, and biopolitical regimes. These systems have long functioned to regulate bodies, identities, and communities, wielding power to sustain racialised, gendered, and class-based hierarchies.