Shows
Gresham College LecturesWhy Are Cities Going Bankrupt? - Martin DauntonWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/G_SpC_BV4jAIn the late nineteenth century, Joseph Chamberlain transformed Birmingham with municipal enterprise and urban improvement, but in the last few years, local authorities have been facing serious financial difficulties, and some of the largest, such as Birmingham, have faced the equivalent of bankruptcy. This lecture will ask why British cities have lost the confident civic pride of the Victorian era and are now struggling to provide basic services from a limited financial base. Most importantly: What can be done to regenerate British towns and...2025-05-091h 00Gresham College LecturesModern Druids - Ronald HuttonWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/qz9a4zXIFz0The ancient Druids have long represented some of the most striking and controversial figures in ancient and medieval literature. In this lecture, we will look at the many different ways in which the modern imagination has been inspired by them, both as heroic ancestors and as demonic villains against whom civilisation can be defined. It traces the appearance of different kinds of Druidry as a part of Paganism, and suggests what the particular contribution of that Druidry to modern culture may be.This...2025-05-0654 minGresham College LecturesHow Do Vaccines Work? - Robin MayWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/PcNoOjT30VYVaccination has changed the world, saving millions of lives and enabling us to eradicate a lethal disease for the first time in human history – not to mention their critical role in ending the Covid-19 pandemic. This lecture explores how a vaccine actually works, why mRNA vaccines are truly groundbreaking and why we can’t simply vaccinate against everything. This lecture was recorded by Robin May on 26th March 2025 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London.Robin is Gresham Professor of Physic.He is a...2025-05-0250 minGresham College LecturesAsteroid Adventures - Chris LintottWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/H8nG29pO_y4Asteroids were for years considered 'celestial vermin' - objects which got in the way of more interesting fodder for astronomers. Now, they are central to our Solar System's story, representing the building blocks from which planets are made, and capable of telling us the history of the last five billion years. This lecture considers two missions - Lucy, which flies past asteroid Donald Johnson in April 2025, and OSIRIS-ReX, which recently returned from threatening near-Earth asteroid Bennu bearing samples of this unusual world. ...2025-04-2847 minGresham College LecturesThe LGBT+ Showstopper: ‘I Am What I Am’ - Dominic Broomfield-McHughWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/-TsWDdeQK34Composed by Jerry Herman of Hello, Dolly! fame, ‘I Am What I Am’ first appeared in the Broadway musical La Cage aux Folles (1983). As well as gaining importance as a gay anthem during the AIDS crisis, the song has gone on to become a hit for several Black divas including Gloria Gaynor and Shirley Bassey. This lecture was recorded by Dominic Broomfield-McHugh on 3rd of April 2025 at Conway Hall, London.Dominic Broomfield-McHugh is Gresham Visiting Professor of Film and Theatre Music. He is also...2025-04-2544 minGresham College LecturesDocumentary Photography in Apartheid South Africa - Tamar GarbWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/9tcRtGh7hkMThis lecture looks at debates and dialogues that characterise realist photography in Apartheid South Africa (1948-1994) examining the tensions between advocacy, propaganda and the ‘struggle’ on the one hand and the poetics of everyday life on the other. Figures from Ernest Cole and David Goldblatt to Zanele Muholi and Lebohang Kganye will be examined. This lecture was recorded by Tamar Garb on 25th March 2025 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London.Tamar Garb is Durning Lawrence Professor in the History of Art. Her research inte...2025-04-2258 minGresham College LecturesJust Ask The Axis: Jimi Hendrix unpicked - Milton MermikidesWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/rKoYL4yrNsgDespite being cited as one of the most creative and influential guitarists of all time, and his tragically short life, Jimi Hendrix’s playing and composing are yet to be fully analysed. This lecture will demystify his diverse influences and reveal the full range of his extraordinary invention in terms of sonic sculpting, rhythmic feel, fretboard navigation, harmony, and composition. We explore this dazzling creativity from his early playing as a sideman to the Isley Brothers, the Experience albums, the iconic Band of Gypsys project, to th...2025-04-1849 minGresham College LecturesThe Case for Basic Income - Guy StandingWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/cjJSWgvHZKwThis lecture puts forth the ethical and economic case for a basic income, enabling financial security and therefore a better quality of life for all. Financial insecurity affects one’s ability to make rational decisions – studies show it even lowers short-term IQ – making it even harder to improve one’s circumstances in the long run. Furthermore, unlike means-tested social assistance schemes like Universal Credit, a basic income does not involve a severe ‘poverty trap’ and thus, contrary to critics, increases the incentive to take low-paying jobs. This lecture inclu...2025-04-1534 minGresham College LecturesThe Turbulent Brain: Rhythms and Waves - Alain GorielyDespite its quiet appearance, the brain is the seat of complicated wave dynamics. Indeed, cognitive processes are carried out through communications between neurons, leading to synchronisation and oscillations at different frequencies that can be recorded. Together, these oscillations also create waves that propagate through different regions. Apart from this electrical activity, the brain is also the siege of slow chemical waves that can cause migraine and mechanical waves arising from trauma. In this lecture, we will study the influence of all these waves on brain function.This lecture was recorded by Alain Goriely on 18th March 2025 at...2025-04-1156 minGresham College LecturesBanned Books and Freedom of Expression - Rachel PotterThe right to free expression is severely threatened in many places in the world, yet it has also never been so passionately defended. This lecture focuses on the recent history of banned literature. It considers the changing nature of literary censorship, arguments in defence of free expression, why literary writers have so frequently pushed the boundaries of the acceptable, and the impact of technology on censorship and free speech.This lecture was recorded by Rachel Potter on 12th March 2025 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London.Rachel Potter is Professor of Modern Literature at the University of...2025-04-0445 minGresham College LecturesTrust Issues: When Financial "Experts" Have Other Plans - Raghavendra RauWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/0jSUfa0LQAoThis lecture examines agency problems in various relationships, including between investors and fund managers, and within financial intermediaries. This lecture was recorded by Raghavendra Rau on 3rd February 2025 at Barnard's Inn Hall, LondonRaghu is the Mercers School Memorial Professor of BusinessHe is also the Sir Evelyn de Rothschild Professor of Finance at Cambridge Judge Business School.The transcript of the lecture is available from the Gresham College website: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/trust-issues-when-financial-experts-have-other-plans2025-04-0158 minGresham College LecturesCarbon Offsetting: Does It Really Work? - Myles AllenWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/MB73qh4pIYMOffsets, politely called carbon credit markets, are essential to many net-zero strategies, yet remain highly controversial. They seem an efficient solution for “unavoidable” emissions – but who decides what is unavoidable? This lecture will discuss several plans to achieve our climate goals, from emission compensation schemes to tackling fossil fuels by planting trees.This lecture was recorded by Myles Allen on 4th March 2025 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London.Myles is the Frank Jackson Foundation Professor of the Environment.Myles is also is...2025-03-2851 minGresham College LecturesIs the First Amendment the greatest right of all? - Clive Stafford SmithWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/W5EKhMWdjP4In this lecture we will discuss a hierarchy of rights. Is the American First Amendment the most important of all, given its five foundational rights – no establishment of religion; free exercise of religion; freedom of speech and the press; the right peaceably to assemble; the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. How might this apply to the UK?This lecture was recorded by Clive Stafford Smith on 27th February 2025 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London.Clive is the Gresham Pr...2025-03-2159 minGresham College LecturesThe Biggest Cosmic Map - Chris LintottWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/TRCkgDWKTdYMapping the stars is, perhaps, the oldest of astronomical pursuits, but it has been perfected by the European Space Agency's Gaia mission, which is providing an exquisitely precise map showing the positions and movements of the nearest two billion stars. Starting with a history of mapping the cosmos, this lecture describes the new and dynamic history of our Milky Way galaxy that results, and will move to explaining the dynamic and growing nature of our galaxy.This lecture was recorded by Chris Lintott on 26th...2025-03-1845 minGresham College LecturesData: A Love Story for the Ages - Victoria BainesWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/7mW52bW23goIt has become something of a cliché to say that data is the new oil. That isn’t the full story. For centuries it has proved itself to be infinitely re-usable. It has enabled the creation and reinforcement of collective memory. It has been documented in innumerable formats, from maps to databases, taxonomies, and infographics. We make sense of the world through the technology we use to process and visualise data. This lecture is an exploration of our enduring love for it.This lec...2025-03-1450 minGresham College LecturesThe Return of the Horned God - Ronald HuttonWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/IAilwM_WdbIUntil the nineteenth century, the favourite ancient pagan gods in Western culture were those related to human qualities and activities. During that century, especially in Britain, attention switched to a horned divinity associated with the countryside and wild nature, usually personified as the Greek Pan. This lecture explores how and why this happened, and the impact on British culture, when the full subversive potential of this deity as a force for personal liberation became realised. It also shows how the image subsequently evolved from a classical...2025-03-1145 minGresham College LecturesGreen Immunity – How Do Plants Fight Infection? - Robin MayWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/Et8_myknHq8Most of us rarely think about plant immunity. But, like us, plants can distinguish between different pathogens, trigger a ‘bespoke’ immune response and retain a memory of past infections to boost future immunity. However, plant immune systems also exhibit enviable features like the ability to inherit immunological memory from a parent, or to warn distant individuals of an impending pathogen attack. This lecture investigates how they do all of this and more without a single white blood cell.This lecture was recorded by Robin May...2025-03-1145 minGresham College LecturesUnwritten Laws? Legacies from Antigone and Lycurgus - Melissa LaneWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/gQdabAQT3JwSophocles’ Antigone refers to “unwritten laws,” as does Thucydides’ Pericles. From the late fifth century BCE, the idea that laws are more effective when learned by memory and observation than when put into writing, forms a distinctive current in political reflections. Plutarch would even claim that the Spartan lawgiver Lycurgus had prohibited the writing down of his laws. This lecture will present Greek authors’ reflections on the interplay between writing and orality remain relevant to debates about ethical formation today. This lecture was recorded by Melissa...2025-03-0446 minGresham College LecturesThe Value of Public Space - Liza FiorAs we navigate towns and cities, public spaces are all around us. These offer a respite from our often-busy routines. Public spaces are more than just the leftover areas between buildings; they depend on how interests are designed and negotiated, and its success is measured by the interactions that take place in it: the passage of the sun, the root of trees, and even the way they are used by children. However, these areas are constantly threatened by the way local and commercial funding invest in it.Using recent projects, primarily in London and North America, this lecture...2025-02-2836 minGresham College LecturesThe UK’s Generational Wealth Gap - Mike BrewerThe UK's income inequality has remained stable since the 1990s, but household wealth has nearly doubled, mainly driven by soaring house prices. This has widened the wealth gap between generations, with younger people less likely to own homes. Furthermore, weak income growth since the mid-2000s has disproportionately affected younger cohorts. This lecture unpacks these economic trends to reveal how they have created tensions between generations by exacerbating disparities in their respective living standards.This lecture was recorded by Mike Brewer on 18th February 2025 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London.Mike is Interim Chief Executive of...2025-02-2850 minGresham College LecturesWhy Does Britain Have a Water and Sewage Crisis? - Martin DauntonThe discharge of raw sewage into rivers, and the financial problems of major water companies, have become serious political and social concerns for the public. British cities have faced similar challenges in the past, most notoriously with the ‘Great Stink’ in London in 1858 that led to the construction of Bazalgette’s sewer. Consequently, many cities took utilities into public ownership in the late nineteenth century in what is termed ‘gas and water socialism’. Why did this happen, and why were utilities returned to private ownership in the later twentieth century? The lecture will conclude by assessing the success or failure of...2025-02-2758 minGresham College LecturesThe Hidden Risks of "I Know Something You Don't" - Raghavendra RauWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/7pvF4FdbYWUThis lecture explores how information asymmetry leads to adverse selection and moral hazard, with a focus on their presence in financial markets and institutions such as insurance and credit markets. It will examine how regulations intended to solve a particular set of issues might exacerbate problems, potentially resulting in financial crises or other disastrous events.This lecture was recorded by Raghavendra Rau on 20th January 2025 at Barnard's Inn Hall, LondonRaghu is the Mercers School Memorial Professor of BusinessHe...2025-02-2156 minGresham College LecturesIs Your Money Safe? Unveiling Hidden Conflicts in Finance - Raghavendra RauWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/gWJmpSO4WZIFinance involves a group of people attempting to make rational decisions on valuation, but people are complicated. People can be self-interested, they can make mistakes, or, in stark contrast, they can act altruistically. This lecture will introduce the concept of agency problems in the finance sector, focusing on the conflicts that arise between different groups of stakeholders. It will discuss examples of fraud, insider trading and other types of human behavior that can reduce the public's trust in the markets.This lecture was recorded...2025-02-1454 minGresham College LecturesThe Connected Brain: Network and Communication - Alain GorielyWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/bKMV8i9Mq40The brain is mostly organised in small modular regions connected to each other. Typically, each region performs different cognitive tasks, from image processing to language. This organisation leads us to model the brain as a network, the ‘brain connectome’. This fundamental view of the brain has become a central paradigm for neurosciences linking topological properties of networks to brain functions. This lecture presents ideas from graph theory to study this network and understand the way that the brain learns and operates.This lecture was...2025-02-1156 minGresham College LecturesBreaking the Fourth Wall of Sound: The Paradox of Screen Music - Milton MermikidesSound and music hold a strange and powerful role in film, TV and video games, aiding narrative and emotional impact. They can even exist in the world of ‘the film’ – heard by the characters – or in the world of the audience. Music can even break the fourth wall, travelling through and blurring these conventionally separate worlds. By examining films through history from Blazing Saddles, Elf, The Truman Show to Birdman, we explore this ‘fantastical gap’ and its transformative effect on the audience.This lecture was recorded by Milton Mermikides on 16th January 2025 at Rich Mix, London.Milton M...2025-02-0754 minGresham College Lectures‘Is it in Pevsner?’: A Short History of the ‘Buildings of …' Series - Charles O'BrienWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/LUyFLOUi-D4This lecture traces the history of this famous series by Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, starting from its conception in 1947. It describes the research and writing of the original forty-six volumes for England and the extension of the books to Scotland, Wales and Ireland. It then assesses their significance alongside a reflection on the 2024 achievement of the full updating of the English series.This lecture was recorded by Charles O'Brien on 5th December 2025 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London.Charles O’Brien FSA is Listing and Ar...2025-02-0458 minGresham College LecturesWriting Laws: Hammurabi to Solon - Melissa LaneWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/t6kkq6dI6hcWhen and why do written laws emerge in ancient societies? This lecture will consider these questions in light of evidence including the law code of Hammurabi; the earliest attestation of written laws in Greek (found in Dreros on Crete); and the full-blown commitment to written laws by the Athenian lawgiver Solon. Such cases will be used to explore how writing bears on the the functions of law more generally, in light of debates in contemporary legal philosophy. This lecture was recorded by...2025-01-3142 minGresham College LecturesTouching the Sun - Chris LintottWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/pXoU-nZmhn8Despite its familiarity, the Sun is a very different presence from the friendly yellow circle in children's paintings. Our star is a broiling mass of plasma, with its powerful magnetic fields, twisted by its rotation, capable of producing dramatic events of spectacular beauty and power. Using results from NASA's Parker Solar Probe - the fastest moving human-made object ever - and ESA's Solar Orbiter, this spectacular lecture takes a new look at the mysteries of the Sun, and its effects on the Earth. This lecture...2025-01-2452 minGresham College LecturesScience-based Targets, Greenwashing and Brownscraping: Net Zero in the Private Sector - Myles AllenWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/lQBdqGrfWKUOver half the world’s largest companies have a net zero strategy. But what stops “Science-based Targets” from becoming box-ticking exercises too often immune to environmental scrutiny? Instead of decarbonizing companies and financial portfolios, this lecture will discuss the need to focus on decarbonizing products and services themselves so that companies must explain how they plan to stop what they sell from causing global warming. This lecture was recorded by Myles Allen on 14th January 2025 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London.Myles is the Frank J...2025-01-2256 minGresham College LecturesWriting a British Constitution - Clive Stafford SmithRecently, the UK has got into a muddle over how to approach Scottish independence and Brexit. What can we learn from the U.S. which took much of its system from the theory behind the U.K. structure: the King as the Executive; a Legislature made up of the House of Commons balanced by the House of Lords; and the judiciary? And what role should the judiciary play? Have the British got confused about the notion of ‘Parliamentary Supremacy’, deciding that this meant that Parliament was supreme not just to the King, but to the judiciary too?This...2025-01-1742 minGresham College LecturesThe Modern Goddess - Ronald HuttonWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/0ZK1Y1QnFDgThis looks at how and why a particular form of the non-Christian divine feminine came to take over the Western European imagination from the beginning of the nineteenth century. This was a great goddess representing the natural world, or the moon and stars, or both. It traces the development of belief in the importance of this being, and her impact not only on creative literature but upon the developing disciplines of ancient history and archaeology. It also confronts the problem of the different kinds of...2025-01-1547 minGresham College LecturesWho’s Afraid of Robots? - Victoria BainesWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/d6Ao4KmGXBcArtificial Intelligence is a very recent invention…or is it? Humans have been fascinated by intelligent machines for thousands of years. Some exist only in our collective imagination, in art and literature. Others have seen the light of day as mechanical marvels, although a few were later exposed as elaborate frauds. The robots of today might not be what our ancestors imagined. This lecture argues that the relationship between humans and machines has always been complex, and that we still can’t decide whether we real...2025-01-1048 minGresham College LecturesWomen at the Piano: A History Through Images - Marina Frolova-WalkerWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/f6Z9L2dnxSAThis lecture explores the emergence of the "femme au piano" genre in 19th-century French painting, depicted by artists like Renoir, Van Gogh, and Matisse. What suddenly made this topic so popular, and what does it tell us about the role of women in music-making at the time? Tracing the genre's roots from the Italian Renaissance clavichord depictions to Vermeer’s Dutch domestic scenes, and 18th-century harpsichord portraits. Discover how the piano became a middle-class status symbol and how modernists of the 1910s-20s reinterpreted it...2025-01-0752 minGresham College LecturesThe US Constitution: A Catalogue of Complaints about Britain - Clive Stafford SmithWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/wpF0oB9Mz-0The US Constitution, both in its structural element and the Bill of Rights, reflect a catalogue of colonial complaints about the British system as well as centuries of evolution in the law. In general terms, contrary to the slightly complacent attitude of the British legal authorities. This lecture will demonstrate, most of the original complaints still hold true. This lecture was recorded by Clive Stafford Smith on 7th November 2024 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London.Clive is the Gresham Professor of Law2025-01-0350 minGresham College LecturesHow Does Our Immune System Protect Us? - Robin MayWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/JCTgxcPu78IThe human immune system rivals the brain in its complexity. Billions of cells coordinate their activity with amazing precision to protect us from infection. Immune cells can respond to millions of different pathogens within seconds and yet rarely respond to a false alarm. This lecture explores how cells achieve this, what happens when they go wrong and how you can keep your own immune system in top condition.This lecture was recorded by Robin May on 27th November 2024 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London.2024-12-3140 minGresham College LecturesWho's Minding the Store? Corporate Rules to Align Interests - Raghavendra RauThis lecture will explore corporate governance mechanisms designed to address agency problems, including executive compensation, boards of directors, and shareholder activism. Additionally, it will examine how solutions addressing one agency problem might create another. This lecture was recorded by Raghavendra Rau on 5th November 2024 at Barnard's Inn Hall, LondonRaghu is the Mercers School Memorial Professor of BusinessHe is also the Sir Evelyn de Rothschild Professor of Finance at Cambridge Judge Business School.The transcript of the lecture is available from the Gresham College website:https://www.gresham.ac...2024-12-271h 01Gresham College LecturesUnwrapping Irving Berlin’s "White Christmas" - Dominic Broomfield-McHughWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/LW0DLhTxfCEThis festive lecture explores the unusual roots of the song ‘White Christmas’ and its role in establishing the concept of the commercial Christmas song. It will explain how the song’s release during the summer months hints at how its potential as an enduring seasonal classic was not anticipated, and then examine how the music and lyrics helped it to resonate in a time of war. The lecture will also consider Berlin’s patriotism and his active role in the Second World War. This lecture...2024-12-2454 minGresham College LecturesMagical Mystery Tour: The Invention of The Beatles - Milton MermikidesWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/VeJxEXZfT2YThis lecture analyses the ‘psychedelic era’ of the Beatles, from Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band to Let it Be, a period of staggering musical invention and experimentalism. We explore the mechanics behind the magic, untangling the layers of harmony, melody, lyrics, structure and technology, and how these all combine in ways both accessible and ground-breaking. This ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ pulls back the curtain on these timeless tracks, illuminating the craft of their transporting effects.This lecture was recorded by Milton Mermikides on 12th Septembe...2024-12-2058 minGresham College LecturesMuch Ado About Numbers: Shakespeare’s Mathematical Life and Times - Rob EastawayShakespeare lived in a period of exciting mathematical innovations, from arithmetic to astronomy, and from probability to music. Remarkably, many of those innovations are mentioned, or at least hinted at, in his plays. Rob Eastaway will explore the surprising ways in which mathematical ideas connect with Shakespeare and reveals that the playwright could be as creative with numbers as he was with words. Along the way you will discover surprising new mathematical insights on the Elizabethan world.This lecture was recorded by Rob Eastaway on 9th October 2024 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London.Rob Eastaway is...2024-12-1742 minGresham College LecturesMessaging and Signals - Victoria BainesWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/pP3FzqYcMOAWe communicate when we have information to share. The development of signals from signs visible over short distances to wireless transfer of billions of data-heavy messages worldwide is full of surprising characters, none more so than the Hollywood starlet who made Wi-Fi and GPS possible and received public recognition only in the final few years of her life. This lecture traces the development of technologies for messaging and signals, from wireless to wired and back again.This lecture was recorded by Victoria Baines on 29...2024-12-1350 minGresham College LecturesHouston, we have a problem: how the fossil fuel industry is risking our future - Myles AllenWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/6hEOINeTYTUAs the leaders of the oil and gas industry flew into Houston for CERAWeek, 2024, oil was over $80 per barrel and demand higher than ever. There was little discussion of “transitioning away from fossil fuels” as agreed at COP28 in Dubai. In the run-up to COP29, this lecture will set out the critical need to change the narrative, so those with the ability and resources to solve the climate problem have less incentive to shuffle responsibility onto those (like you) who do not.This lecture was recor...2024-12-1050 minGresham College LecturesBlack Holes and Bangs - Chris LintottWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/dvvOi_nUCRMSpace itself is wobbly. We exist on a choppy sea, its surface roiled by disturbances caused by the movements of black holes hundreds of millions of light-years away. The detection of these 'gravitational waves' by observatories such as LIGO is a story of scientific persistence and precision engineering, resulting in a completely new way of looking at the cosmos. The lecture will highlight the latest results from LIGO's observing run, discuss the nature of black holes - the most mysterious of astronomical objects - and explain...2024-12-0645 minGresham College LecturesHow Inequality Affects Mental Health - Lade SmithWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/UzxyNc8vuNsTraditional risk factors for mental illness include genetics, perinatal factors, substance use, negative life events, trauma and organic disorders. Yet, more recently, it has been found that higher rates of mental illness are also seen in minoritised and marginalised groups. This lecture outlines the different types of discrimination – personally mediated, structural/institutional and internalised – and the evidence linking these with an increased risk of mental illness.This lecture was recorded by Lade Smith on 21st November 2024 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London.SDr Shub...2024-12-0350 minGresham College LecturesSaints & Liars: The Stories of Americans Who Saved Endangered People from the Nazis - Debórah DworkWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/Tt_xU005mikThis Lecture unveils the hidden history of Americans who risked their lives to save others during WWII. These intrepid people travelled the globe to aid victims of Nazi Germany and its allies, often staying to rescue as many as possible when the victims’ peril turned lethal. Discover the stories of these individuals, particularly women who embraced the independence and transformative impact of their relief efforts. This lecture highlights how luck, timing, and spontaneous decisions shaped their fates, urging us to reframe the way we think ab...2024-11-2942 minGresham College LecturesWhy believe in Conspiracy Theories? - Peter KnightWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/EyU7TCE1QJQWith Brexit, the US presidential election and the Covid pandemic, conspiracy theories now seem to be everywhere. It’s commonly argued that the internet has fuelled their popularity, leading to a loss of faith in mainstream media, science, democracy and even truth itself. But what if the rise of conspiracy theories is a symptom rather than the cause of a collapse of trust in civic institutions?This lecture was recorded by Peter Knight on 14th November 2024 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London.Pet...2024-11-2753 min
Your Texas LandEpisode 8: Land, Law & Neighborly Love - Landowners Litigation IssuesIn this episode, we dive into the five most frequent types of litigation cases that our attorneys here at Braun & Gresham encounter. Cassie Gresham shares experiences and insights on these common legal battles, offering insight and perspective on each type. Whether you're interested in gaining a deeper understanding of litigation or just curious, this episode provides an informative discussion on these legal challenges.
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Disclaimer: The information in this podcast is provided f...2024-11-2049 minGresham College LecturesThe Convoluted Brain: Wrinkles and Folds - Alain GorielyWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/_Q_30OIPzXwThe human brain has a very distinct and complex appearance with valleys and ridges folding over themselves. The same convolutions are found in large mammals, but not in smaller ones. This observation suggests that size and geometry play a role. Yet, these beautiful shapes have defied a complete description or understanding. This lecture will address questions stemming from this picture: How do these shapes emerge? How are they arranged? Simple mathematical models can help us understand the emergence of these beautiful patterns during development a...2024-11-1949 minGresham College LecturesThe Origins of Modern Paganism - Ronald HuttonWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/sYqJomnunFgThe deeper exploration of Paganism begins with its roots in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, and the question of how ancient paganism was regarded then. It considers the mainstream views of that paganism in that period, which veered between regarding it as a religion of ignorance, tyranny and bloodshed, and one of great artistic and literary achievements that prepared the way for Christianity. It goes on to show how new ideas about it developed amongst radicals, which preserved the admiration for the accomplishments of ancient paganism while...2024-11-0846 minGresham College LecturesDoes the UK have a Water Crisis? - Carolyn RobertsThe management of water supplies, flooding and water pollution in the UK is currently the subject of great controversy, and public interest has never been higher. Following a short introduction by Professor Carolyn Roberts, this focused day will include three debates in which experts will discuss contrasting views on the nature of a specific problem, and how it might be solved. Audience involvement will be encouraged through questions. The First Panel Discussion will explore water supply in the context of climate change; The Second Panel Discussion will question the threat and response to threat of flooding in the UK...2024-11-052h 18Gresham College LecturesWhat is a Puzzle Canon? The Divine Trickery of J.S. Bach - Milton MermikidesBehind the sublime precision and expressive power of Bach’s music lies a mischievous spirit. From puzzle canons (where the performer must solve a riddle to reach the score), melodies that run upside-down and backwards against themselves, hidden symbols, endless loops, to the embedding of numbers and names into the music, this lecture explores Bach’s ingenious trickery. Unravelling this thread, enhances an appreciation – and sense of humanity and playfulness – to his transcendent music.This lecture was recorded by Milton Mermikides on 23rd October 2024 at LSO St Lukes, London.Milton Mermikides is Gresham Professor of Music.2024-11-0346 minGresham College LecturesWhy Does Britain Have a Housing Crisis? - Martin DauntonThis lecture was recorded by Martin Daunton on 22nd October 2024 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London.Martin is Visiting Professor of Economic History.Martin was also Master of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, between 2004 and 2014, and he is Emeritus Professor of Economic History at the University of Cambridge.The transcript of the lecture is available from the Gresham College website:Gresham 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 l...2024-10-3054 minGresham College LecturesThe Sondheim Showstopper: ‘Send in the Clowns - Dominic Broomfield McHughWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/gtCsGQ14nU0This lecture examines ‘Send in the Clowns’, probably the most commercially successful song written by the revered Stephen Sondheim. Yet it confounds the expectations of a showstopper by being written for an actress of limited singing ability, the late Glynis Johns. This lecture reflects on how it works in the context the musical A Little Night Music and explores how it came to be covered by major singers including Frank Sinatra, Judy Collins and Sarah Vaughan. How has a song of limited vocal range and abstract lyri...2024-10-2552 minGresham College LecturesIs the Public Lecture Dead? - Martin ElliottWatch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/wiAFxEnq8t4Gresham College has been delivering public lectures since 1597 through times of great social, political and technological change. Its commitment to deliver lectures for free to the general public has led to intermittent financial challenges to its generous sponsors. The arrival of the internet, mobile devices and social media have offered both opportunity and further challenge.In an era supposedly characterised by shorter attention spans, and greater competition for that attention, what space is left for the public lecture and what is its purpose? Why d...2024-10-2251 minGresham College LecturesHuman Rights Law: Bringing Power to the Powerless - Clive Stafford SmithThis first lecture looks at the power that is given to advocates in a country that has a constitutional structure like the US. I have brought The American Constitution powers an American lawyer in ways unavailable to the British. I will illustrate this difference from my own experience of bringing 88 cases against the President of the US. I have thus far lost just one.This lecture was recorded by Clive Stafford Smith on 19th September 2024 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London.Clive is the Gresham Professor of LawHe is the founder and director o...2024-10-0136 minGresham College LecturesWhat is Modern Paganism? - Ronald HuttonWhat is modern Paganism, and how does it relate to witchcraft, Druidry and other phenomena? This lecture is designed to answer that question, and in doing so to provide an overview of the different traditions that make up Paganism today. It will show what they have in common, and what makes each one unique. It will suggest the ways in which Paganism differs from other religious traditions and what it has especially to offer the modern world. It will also address the question of its relationship with ancient paganism.This lecture was recorded by Ronald Hutton on 18...2024-09-2345 minGresham College LecturesDoes having a big brain make your smarter? - Alain GorielyWatch the Q&A session here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFCDvsq6N5gFor centuries scientists have tried to identify what is special about the human brain. How do we approach this problem from a mathematical standpoint? The first hypothesis is that bigger is better, in some sense. In this introductory lecture, scaling laws and simple ideas from statistics will be used to study this problem, both in humans and animals, as well as uncover some basic principles that govern brain size and test hypotheses connecting intelligence to size in humans and animals..2024-09-2055 minGresham College LecturesA Mirror in the Sky - Chris LintottThe first lecture in the series considers the most famous telescope of all, the Hubble space telescope. A project more than forty years in the making, Hubble overcame an initial disaster with a misshapen mirror to drive a revolution in every part of astronomy, providing iconic views of everything from a comet crashing into Jupiter to a surprisingly vibrant, distant Universe. This lecture focuses in particular on what Hubble has revealed about the life - and death - of stars.This lecture was recorded by Chris Lintott on 11th September 2024 at Conway Hall, LondonChris...2024-09-1744 min
Gresham College LecturesThe Stories We Make Up & The Stories That Make Us - Bernardine Evaristo OBEMany decades ago, as a young graduate from drama school, I was presented with a stark choice – either to shape my story myself, through writing, or to feel aggrieved at the detrimental narratives circulating about people like me in Britain at that time. I chose the latter, and in this talk I will talk about how story-making is a conscious act of speaking ourselves into being - drawing on literature, theatre and the visual arts.This lecture was recorded by Bernardine Evaristo on 25th June 2024 at LSO, St Luke's Church LondonThe transcript of th...2024-09-0635 min
Your Texas LandEpisode 1: Welcome to Your Texas LandWelcome to "Your Texas Land," a podcast collaboration between Braun & Gresham and Plateau Land & Wildlife Management. We delve into all things related to land in Texas, providing invaluable insights for landowners. In today's episode we introduce Cassie Gresham from Braun & Gresham and Shane Kiefer from Plateau Land & Wildlife Management as they talk through both companies and how they work together.2024-08-1452 min
Gresham College LecturesConnect To Prosper – The Power Of NetworksAn annual talk delivered by the President of Gresham College, The Rt Hon the Lord Mayor of the City of London.Cities are networked networks of connectivity and information sharing. They create, often indirectly, communication, transportation, commercial, and intellectual networks. For the City of London, expanding and changing networks develop its strengths. Over 40 learned societies, 70 universities, and 130 research institutes surround the City of London, creating a network of knowledge connections among science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics, and finance. In this annual lecture, Professor Michael Mainelli, President of Gresham College, Honorary Life Fellow, and Lord Mayor of...2023-11-221h 17
David Gresham Records PodcastJohn Lennon interview by David Gresham (June 1969)This controversial interview was conducted by legendary Springbok Radio DJ David Gresham in June 1969 with Beatles Icon John Lennon.
The reason for this interview taking place was that sometime earlier on John Lennon had made an alleged remark something to the effect of "The Beatles are bigger than Christ". Due to this alleged statement, South African Broadcasting Corporation (owner of all broadcasting at the time, including the country's national commercial radio station Springbok Radio) banned all forms of music by the Beatles outright.
In June 1969 when Gresham was in London & had mentioned this to Lennon's manager, they were absolutely...2023-07-1203 min
Gresham College LecturesPopulism, Aristotle and HopeThe Annual Sir Thomas Gresham Lecture 2023The period from 1988 to 2003, was one of extraordinary optimism. Every year the number of democracies increased, human rights improved, violent conflict reduced, there were fewer refugees and there was less global poverty. It was an era of triumph for the western liberal Democratic model for the United States and the politics of the centre ground.But the next 11 years was disrupted by series of humiliating shocks to the west – the fiasco of the Iraq war, the global financial crisis, and the emergence of social media all contributed to...2023-06-091h 13
Gresham College LecturesThe Mathematical Life of Sir Christopher WrenChristopher Wren, who died 300 years ago this year, is famed as the architect of St Paul’s Cathedral. But he was also Gresham Professor of Astronomy, and one of the founders of a society “for the promotion of Physico-Mathematicall Experimental Learning” which became the Royal Society.This lecture explores some of Wren’s mathematical work on curves including spirals and ellipses and the mathematics behind his most impressive architectural achievement – the dome of St Paul’s.A lecture by Sarah Hart recorded on 7 March 2023 at David Game College, London.The transcript and downloadable...2023-03-0959 min
Gresham College LecturesChristopher Wren’s CosmosSir Christopher Wren was one of the most remarkable Gresham Professors of Astronomy. Though best known today as the architectural mastermind behind the rebuilding of London after the Great Fire, Wren’s appointment to the Gresham chair in 1657 stemmed from his enthusiasm for turning his gaze well above London’s skyline and focussing his attention on the heavens above.This lecture will consider Wren’s contributions to astronomy and how Wren’s appreciation of and contributions to art and design, and science and engineering, were fully integrated in his life and made him a polymath on a par with...2023-03-0158 min
Gresham College LecturesLet’s Decolonise the History of Mathematical Proofs!What is a “valid mathematical proof”? To inquire into such a hotly debated question we might want to look at how past mathematicians tackled this question. This lecture will provide examples outside of what has been called a “colonial library”, using in particular Sanskrit sources, to argue that mathematical texts from all over the world contained not only proofs but also many other types of mathematical reasoning whose stories still need to be documented.A lecture by Professor Agathe KellerThe transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College...2022-10-3158 min
Gresham College LecturesBritain's Foreign Policy in a Fast-Changing WorldThe 2022 Peter Nailor Memorial LectureFor 40 years Britain's national strategy rested on two main pillars: close partnership with the United States, and a leading role in Europe. Both remain important, but the dramatic shifts in global geopolitics of recent years must make us re-appraise Britain's diplomatic priorities. How has Russia's aggression in Ukraine changed the focus of our foreign policy? How can the UK- outside the EU- best exercise influence to protect its interests and promote its values in a fast-changing world?A lecture by Lord Peter RickettsThe transcript and...2022-10-281h 10
Gresham College LecturesToussaint Louverture and the Haitian RevolutionToussaint Louverture (the “Black Spartacus”), was one of the main leaders of the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804), which overthrew slavery and led to the proclamation of the world’s first independent post-colonial state.The lecture discusses his extraordinary life and legacy, as well as the international impacts of the Haitian Revolution across the 19th and 20th centuries, and how its ideals of equality, justice, and solidarity are still relevant to our times.A lecture by Dr Sudhir Hazareesingh FBAThe transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresha...2022-10-2756 min
Gresham College LecturesTriads, Major and MinorThe major triad is considered the foundation of tonal music, its privileged position owed to its presence in the harmonic series of acoustics. The minor triad lacks this acoustic foundation, which led to it being treated as less stable, and even pieces in a minor key usually ended on the major form of the same triad.From the late 18th century onwards, major was paired with joy and minor with sorrow, and composers could play with these associations. A lecture by Marina Frolova-WalkerThe transcript and downloadable versions of the l...2022-10-261h 11
Gresham College LecturesWhy Net Zero?What will it take to stop global warming and how long have we got?These are huge questions for humanity, nature, society and geopolitics. Understanding our changing weather and its impacts is one of the greatest scientific challenges of our time. But understanding how to stop changing it turns out to be surprisingly simple. You don’t need to be a scientist or policy wonk to appreciate what it will take to stop global warming. Focusing on fundamentals has surprising implications.A lecture by Myles AllenThe transcript and downloadable ve...2022-10-2556 min
Gresham College LecturesThe Lost Cities and Amazing Heritage of KenyaThe coast of Kenya has a series of impressive medieval ruins. Amongst the monuments are tombs, grand houses, mosques, and palaces. East African archaeologists date the high point of this heritage to the 13th century. The Kenyan museums contain impressive, reconstructed artefacts that animated the urban life of these lost cities.In this lecture, Robin Walker will present this heritage and put it in its proper place as a powerful chapter in Africa's history.A lecture by Robin WalkerThe transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from...2022-10-2051 min
Gresham College LecturesThe Maths of Coins and CurrenciesPeople have used money – and made counterfeits - for thousands of years. Archimedes came up with a clever way of finding out if you’ve been cheated by a goldsmith. Making coins with the right proportions of the right metals presented a huge mathematical challenge for Fibonacci and other mathematicians in the middle ages.This lecture will discuss mathematical elements of coin design, denominations, and why former Gresham Professor of Astronomy Sir Christopher Wren favoured decimal coinage.A lecture by Professor Sarah HartThe transcript and downloadable versions of the lect...2022-10-1459 min
Gresham College LecturesTuberculosis: A Cultural HistoryTuberculosis (and especially drug resistant strains) is a major global health problem, with over nine million people developing the disease annually and 1.5 million dying from it. The history of TB reveals the complex and often contradictory meanings assigned to this disease. The terms used to talk about TB – phthisis, consumption, the “white plague”, and the “wasting disease”, for example – reveal a great deal about popular perceptions relating to contagion and individual social responsibility.A lecture by Professor Joanna BourkeThe transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College webs...2022-10-1359 min
Gresham College LecturesThe Microbial Basis of LifeSingle-celled microbes underpin all life on Earth, and even complex organisms like humans retain a surprising amount of their microbial heritage. Life began when free molecules became encapsulated in a lipid membrane and transformed into a self-replicating entity. Subsequently, multiple cells came together, forming a remarkable symbiosis that ultimately led to all complex, eukaryotic, cells and laid the foundations for multicellular life.Understanding this microbial legacy has some surprising implications, such as explaining why some antibiotics have unwanted side effects.A lecture by Professor Robin MayThe transcript and...2022-10-1356 min
Gresham College LecturesAre We Too Reliant on Medical Imaging?Imaging is used every day in medical healthcare, and the likelihood is that if you go to hospital that you will receive an X-ray, ultrasound or CT scan. With increasing reliance on complex imaging and the NHS now at breaking point, this lecture asks whether we have become too reliant on imaging and if so, how that manifests in today’s healthcare.This lecture assesses the potential advantages and disadvantages of such a system and what the potential solutions might be. A lecture by Professor Owen ArthursThe transcript and...2022-10-1255 min
Gresham College LecturesBypassing Banks Using TechFinancial intermediaries, like banks, mutual funds and brokers, who connect investors to firms (who need finance), have existed for thousands of years. Because they control a scarce resource, information, these intermediaries are expensive. Platforms, like crowdfunding platforms (organised meeting places for investors to meet firms) offer an alternative. Today's technological revolution is all about the competition between centralized intermediaries and decentralized platforms.This lecture discusses the technological innovations that are responsible for this competition: crypto, big data, and AI.A lecture by Professor Raghavendra RauThe transcript and downloadable...2022-10-1059 min
Gresham College LecturesDo We Need Juries?This lecture looks at the development of juries in the common law world, addressing key questions about the role of juries in England and Wales today. Juries in modern English law are mainly used in criminal trials, civil trials, and coroners’ inquests, and the English jury system differs from other common law jurisdictions, some of which use juries more, less, or not at all. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the jury system, and do jury trials or bench trials deliver fairer outcomes?A lecture by Professor Leslie Thomas KCThe tra...2022-10-0659 min
Gresham College LecturesThe End of Planetary AtmospheresPlanet Venus is a hellish place and seemingly hostile to life, although recent measurements claimed the detection of biogenic signatures. Less than a billion years ago, Venus’s atmosphere underwent a dramatic runaway greenhouse effect rendering it likely to be uninhabitable.This lecture will consider what can be learned about the possibility of catastrophic climate change on Planet Earth, in the light of thermodynamics and of what has happened to Earth’s twin, Venus.A lecture by Professor Katherine Blundell OBEThe transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the...2022-10-0558 min
Gresham College LecturesWar and Peace in Europe from Hitler to PutinHow can we understand the war in Ukraine in the light of European history over the past century? Is Putin a '20th-century Hitler' as some have called him? What are his aims, and how do they compare with those of the Nazis during the Second World War? Why are the Ukrainians resisting the Russian invasion so fiercely?This lecture attempts to explain the nature of the current conflict by setting it in its historical and geopolitical context.A lecture by Professor Sir Richard EvansThe transcript and downloadable versions of the...2022-09-301h 00
Gresham College LecturesGods of Prehistoric BritainBritain has one of the richest of all pagan heritages in Europe, defined as the textual and material evidence for its pre-Christian religions. The island is possessed of monuments, burial sites and a range of other remains not only from several distinct ages of prehistory, but also from three different major historic cultures.This lecture will look at what we know of prehistoric worship, focusing on Stonehenge and the bog body known as Lindow Man, to examine the difficulties of interpreting evidence for ritual behaviour for which no textual testimony survives.A lecture by...2022-09-2758 min
Gresham College LecturesWho owns the Internet?The emergence of the global Internet challenged the notion that states have sovereignty over what their citizens see and hear, and what they can say. Governments around the world shut or slow down internet access for political and security reasons, and prohibit the online publication of undesirable content. How are they able to do this, when so much of the world’s internet infrastructure is outside their control? And what are the prospects for future regulation of our online interactions?A lecture by Dr Victoria BainesThe transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture ar...2022-09-231h 01
Gresham College LecturesLong CovidNo one has been left untouched by COVID-19. Many individuals have been left with the physical and mental health consequences of the virus- now known as long Covid.This lecture looks at the medical issues, and the new therapies and treatments that are emerging. Those not physically infected by the virus continue to experience the broader impact of the virus; the increasing social inequalities and loss of employment, education and loved ones.A lecture by Professor Monica LakhanpaulThe transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College...2022-09-211h 09
Gresham College LecturesProgresses: Royal Courts on the Move in Tudor and Stuart EnglandMost summers Tudor and Stuart monarchs took their court on an extended progress round the home counties staying at their own palaces and the houses of their courtiers. The cost and impact of hundreds of people, their horses and servants, was considerable; for the aristocratic hosts a royal visit was a momentous event.This lecture draws on new research to reveal who they benefited, their impact on the economy, the landscape and on architectural ambition.A lecture by Professor Simon Thurley CBEThe transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available...2022-09-161h 04
Gresham College LecturesWhat Makes a Good Judge?Everyone agrees that good judges are essential for the maintenance of the Rule of Law in a democratic society. But what makes a judge a good judge and how should we recruit them? The talk will consider how the role of the judiciary has been regarded over the years, how the skills and qualities needed have changed and how they have stayed the same as well as looking at different approaches to judicial appointment in different jurisdictions.A lecture by The Rt. Hon Lady Rose of ColmworthThe transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture...2022-06-2952 min
Gresham College LecturesInigo Jones and the Architecture of NecessityInigo Jones is the architect best-known for the Banqueting House on Whitehall, one of the icons of British state architecture. He is less well known for the domestic buildings, the ‘architecture of necessity’ commissioned by the early Stuart monarchs and their consorts, most of which have been demolished and forgotten. New research into Jones's work for the early Stuarts throws new light on architecture and court life especially in the 1630s in the lead up to Civil War.A lecture by Professor Simon Thurley.The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the...2022-06-201h 01
A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business PodcastPower Talk Friday: Theresa Gresham: Asking for Help in Parenthood and Your Interior Design BusinessToday with Theresa Gresham Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. Single mom to a toddler and suddenly laid off when Covid started, Theresa Gresham moved into a 200ft studio to save on rent. Theresa shares her journey of building a Virtual Design Assistant business from scratch and learning the importance of self-care and hiring help. Pick it apart: [14:30] Theresa shares her story about starting her business after getting laid off due to Covid. [19:32] Theresa tells LuAnn how a parenting coach helped her flip her mindset about self-care. [23:20] Theresa shares how things changed when she...2021-04-0254 min
Gresham College LecturesDarwin, Breeding and BarnaclesFollowing the Beagle voyage, Darwin settled down to a quiet married life, relying on correspondence to gather facts. He wrote thousands of letters as he gathered facts to support his still-secret theory. Long before anyone had heard of evolution, Darwin produced four enormous books on barnacles, which helped establish his credentials (even his most committed opponents acknowledged that he couldn't be ignored). And the books were also Darwin's attempts to answer some complex questions about sex that will recur throughout the lectures.A lecture by Jim Endersby 5 October...2020-10-0559 min
Gresham College LecturesThe City of London - Culture, Creativity and the Culture MileThe 2020 Annual Lord Mayor's Gresham event will explore the value of culture for The City of London.The City of London is not only a great place to do business but also has a rich and vibrant cultural offer making it a great place to live, learn, work and visit. It is home to a year round programme in the Square Mile led by the City of London Corporation's Cultural & Visitor Services. Culture Mile, which stretches from Farringdon to Moorgate, is led by the City Corporation in partnership with the Barbican, Guildhall School...2020-01-091h 02
Gresham College Lectures100 Years of Women in LawA Gresham lecture that Delahunty gave in November 2017 was one of the first public identifications of the exodus of experienced women from the self-employed Bar - and gave a call for action. That loss affects the number of women who take Silk and that, in turn, drains the pool from which judges are largely drawn. In 2018 the Bar Council and Specialist Bar Associations acknowledged the issue and a "Retention of Women at the Bar' survey was launched. It's time to look at the results and test how the legal profession has responded to the...2019-11-2858 min
Gresham College LecturesSir Thomas Gresham and the Tudor CourtThis lecture will explore Gresham's service to the crown during the turbulent politics of mid-Tudor England. Gresham served three Tudor monarchs, and his career exemplifies the reliance of the Tudors on the intellectual gifts and financial capital of 'new men' in an age of religious transformations and expanding government and warfare. But his public career was dependent on the court itself, and the personal relationships he forged both with the preeminent statesmen of the age and with Queen Elizabeth herselfA lecture by Alexandra Gajda 14 NovemberThe transcript and downloadable...2019-11-1451 min
Gresham College LecturesSir Thomas Gresham 1519-2019THE 2019 SIR THOMAS GRESHAM ANNUAL LECTUREA special illustrated lecture will be presented by Dr John Guy to commemorate the 500th Anniversary of the birth of the College's founder and benefactor Sir Thomas Gresham. Information will be provided about a new biography.A lecture by Dr John Guy, Author of 'Gresham's Law: The Life and World of Queen Elizabeth I's Banker' 13 June 2019The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/thomas-gresham-1519-20192019-06-1356 min
Gresham College LecturesGresham's Exchange'Go to the Exchange, crave gold as you intend.'' (William Haughton, Englishmen for My Money, 1598). Sir Thomas Gresham's first great contribution to the life of London was the Royal Exchange, the purpose-built merchants' bourse which opened in 1567. Why did Gresham finance and build it? What did Londoners (and others) do there? And what does the Exchange tell us about Gresham's ambitions both for himself and for London?A lecture by Professor Stephen Alford, University of Leeds 8 May 2019The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are...2019-05-0836 min
Gresham College Lectures500 Years of Mathematics: Are We Living in a New Golden Age?Much has happened in the 500 years since the birth of Thomas Gresham, and mathematics is no exception. Most mathematicians were then in awe of the Greeks and felt little had been done since. But the start of modern mathematics soon followed, marked by the solution of the cubic equation. Mathematics has grown explosively since then and we are now in an age of great discovery. The last 500 years of progress in maths will be reviewed, to see where it is going next and ask whether we are truly living in a mathematical Golden Age.A lecture...2019-04-3059 min
Gresham College LecturesGresham's Bequest to Samuel Pepys and John EvelynThe valuable bequest of Sir Thomas Gresham to the development of scientific interest in seventeenth-century England can be traced through the testimony of Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn - not only great diarists but also 'particular friends'.A lecture by Margaret Willes, Independent Writer and Scholar 11 March 2019The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/gresham-pepys-and-evelynGresham College has been giving free public lectures since 1597. This tradition continues today with all of our five or so public lectures...2019-03-1138 min
Gresham College LecturesHow Astronomy Changed our View of the Cosmos: from Gresham to the 21st CenturyThomas Gresham lived from 1519 to 1579. The first telescope was designed in 1608 in the Netherlands, and first pointed at the heavens by Galileo a year later. The greatest discoveries since the pre-telescope era have been that of the existence of many other planets around distant stars, and the vastness of the universe. So much has happened since Gresham's era, yet many of the questions about our cosmic origins still remain.A lecture by Joseph Silk, Gresham Professor of Astronomy 6 March 2019The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham...2019-03-0654 min
Gresham College LecturesGresham's World: Global Traffic, Trade, and the Metamorphosis of EnglandGlobal trade and traffic, many of Gresham's contemporaries would say, had altered sixteenth-century England beyond recognition, from its food, fashion, and language, to the look and feel of its cities and neighbourhoods. How did its subjects respond to this transformation? Using contemporary print and theatre, this lecture will discuss how England and Englishness was defined, even as the boundaries between the home and the world became increasingly diffuse.A lecture by Nandini Das, Professor of English Literature, University of Liverpool 6 February 2019The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from...2019-02-0646 min
Gresham College LecturesEvolution since Sir Thomas Gresham: How Changes Over The Past Five Centuries Have Moulded EvolutionIn celebrating 500 years since the birth of Sir Thomas Gresham, Professor Jones will examine how changes since the sixteenth century have affected the evolution of human beings and that of the animals and plants around us. Professor Jones will deal with the accelerating shifts in plants, animals and humans as they cope with human activities, from gold-mining to global warming, and will speculate about where life might be on Gresham's six- hundredth anniversary.A lecture by Steve Jones, Visiting Professor of Genetics 29 January 2019The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are...2019-01-2953 min
Gresham College LecturesSir Thomas Gresham, London, and EuropeLondon was crucially dependent on continental Europe for its economic resilience in the mid-sixteenth century, and Sir Thomas Gresham's fortune piggy-backed off the special relationship with Antwerp. But the Reformation put the relationship under real strain. This wasn't a sixteenth-century Brexit (the division was within Christendom), but it posed similar challenges. How did England cope?A lecture by Dr Ian Archer, Keble College Oxford 9 January 2019The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/gresham-london-europeGresham College...2019-01-0954 min
Gresham College LecturesPi and e and the the most beautiful theorem in mathematicsGRESHAM COLLEGE WITH THE BRITISH SOCIETY FOR THE HISTORY OF MATHEMATICSThis year's event will focus on the beauty of Mathematical Relationships. The main speaker, Professor Robin Wilson will discuss Pi and e, and the most beautiful theorem in mathematics, preceded by shorter presentations by Professor John Barrow on Zero is a Hero and by Professor Raymond Flood on Just Imagine: The Tale of i. There will be a short break at 5.30 pm during which refreshments can be purchased from the Museum Cafeteria. Ends at 7 pm.The transcript and downloadable versions of...2017-10-2559 min