Did the Classic Maya really predict the end of the world on 21 December 2012? What caused them to record a date that would occur over a thousand years into their future? This lecture will review a variety of apocalyptic prophecies, specially th

Social physics in the big city - audio

Dec 14th, 2012 41m 55s

We live in an era of abundant data, and more data is being opened up to the world every day. More and more of us are handing over detailed personal and location data via social media and smartphones. How can researchers use this data to model a

Sex work today: myths, morals and health - audio

Dec 14th, 2012 41m 13s

What is it about exile that inspires photography? This talk explores the earliest known exile photography, created in the studio formed by Victor Hugo’s family and friends in their exile on the Channel Island of Jersey between 1852 and 1855. In

Those that don't drink, don’t die so fast: drink, health and insurance in Victorian Britain - audio

Dec 14th, 2012 36m 3s

In the nineteenth century, mainstream medical opinion suggested that abstaining from alcohol was a health risk. The advent of insurance policies for abstainers helped to chip away at this certainty, as well as encouraging policyholders to think

Sustainable Energy for All: this year, next year, sometime – or never? - audio

Dec 14th, 2012 44m 27s

What does ‘sustainable energy for all’ mean? How much energy, ‘sustainable’ over what period, and who are the ‘all’? If this ambitious goal is achievable, then how can it be done, and by when? And who will pay for achieving it? To mark the UN I

Presymptomatic treatment for Alzheimer’s disease: feasible or fanciful? - audio

Dec 14th, 2012 30m 29s

Alzheimer’s disease affects an estimated 400,000 people in the UK – that number will double over coming decades without treatments to delay or prevent disease. We are now able to ‘see’ the earliest brain changes of Alzheimer’s disease, which ca

Hugo Elsewhere: The Jersey Studio and the photography of exile - audio

Dec 14th, 2012 43m 40s

Art for science’s sake - Audio

Nov 6th, 2012 41m 4s

For centuries, scientists have sought help from artistic practice as a visual aid. This lecture will explore case studies from the 18th to the 21st century, to show that artists have often participated in the growth of scientific knowledge by d

What is modern slavery? - Audio

Nov 6th, 2012 37m 12s

Is slavery confined to the past? Sadly not. Instances of grave labour exploitation exist in present-day Europe and elsewhere. This lecture will discuss abuses of labour conditions suffered by domestic workers, victims of trafficking and others.

Can't take, won't take: why patients do not take their medicines - Audio

Nov 2nd, 2012 37m 42s

There will be over a billion prescription items dispensed in England in 2012, costing the NHS over £9bn. Most of these will be for patients with chronic conditions, yet we know that perhaps up to half of these patients will not take their medic

The Large Hadron Collider and the Higgs boson: Latest news from the energy frontier - Audio

Nov 2nd, 2012 41m 44s

The Large Hadron Collider at CERN is using proton-proton collisions to explore physics at higher energies than ever before. This is the region where the weak and electromagnetic forces unify, where mass originates, and where a new particle – lo

Does Size Really Matter? Yam ceremonies in Papua New Guinea - Audio

Oct 24th, 2012 38m 28s

The Abelam people of Papua New Guinea are known for their elaborate initiation ceremonies. While these are no longer performed, the Abelam nevertheless continue to cultivate, decorate and display massive yam tubers, reaching up to 10 feet in le

To Boldly Go - Audio

Oct 24th, 2012 40m 15s

In the 100 years since Scott's expedition to Antarctica, we have redefined the way we explore the physical world. Parallel advances in our understanding of the human body have allowed us to extend human exploration across the globe on into the

Drawing over the colour line: Geographies of art and cosmopolitan politics in London 1919 - 1939 - Audio

Oct 24th, 2012 34m 16s

What role did individual Black and Asian actors play in the changing artistic, social, cultural and political scenes that emerged in inter-War London? Dr Bressey’s current research project examines the archives of art collections as well as per

Snails in art and the art of snails - Audio

Oct 24th, 2012 37m 41s

Snails are beautiful and decorative animals, with many species marked by patterns on the shell that differ from one individual to another. But why? Prof Jones has spent forty years trying to find out. It might seem a trivial question but it is

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