Gresham College

Photo of the sign outside the entrance Photo of the sign outside the entrance
Photo by me, no talks on when I was there alas

Gresham College - founded in 1537 - offers free evening lectures on a variety of subjects led by world class experts.

All of their talks are uploaded to their YouTube channel so they can be enjoyed even if you’re not in London.

Talks

Automation Anxiety

Hear how people have worried about machines taking their jobs, from the first factory protests to concerns about driverless cars today, and why those fears haven’t always come true.

Free

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Economics Technology

Lessons from Guantánamo Bay

Hear about how Guantánamo Bay has changed roles over the years, from a place for Haitian migrants, to where terror suspects were held, and now back to dealing with migrants. Find out how new legal moves have quickly changed its use and what this might mean for other countries being asked to take in people.

Free

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Politics

Shakespeare’s Musical Fairies

The talk looks at how Shakespeare’s magical fairies have inspired all sorts of music, from Purcell and Mendelssohn to Britten and even Elvis Costello.

Free

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Literature Music

How It Ends: What We Know about the Fate of the Universe

There’s a look at how scientists try to predict the Universe’s fate while still not knowing much about dark matter and dark energy, then a guide through what the next 100 billion years might hold, ending with thoughts on how the Universe’s future could explain where it came from.

Free

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Science

Why Do We Fear?

This event looks at why fear exists, why we can get stuck with phobias, and why some people search out scary experiences for fun.

Free

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Health