Gresham College was founded in 1597 and has been providing free lectures in the City of London for over 400 years.This four-century-old tradition continues today with three or more lectures a week available to watch on YouTube and our website.Gresham College is able to continue to offer free public lectures thanks to the generosity of our supporters. 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://www.gresham.ac.uk/support/Links:Support us: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/get-involved/support-us/make-donation/donate-todayFacebook...
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Nov 14, 2026 · 55:55
Bethlem Hospital was an integral part of London's charitable provision for the poor in medieval and early modern times. Hand in hand with public benevolence went great public…
Nov 14, 2026 · 49:03
THE 2019 GRAY'S INN READINGUploaded 10-06-26Lord Kerr intends to address the recent decision in Stocker v Stocker and the challenges which confront judges when required to take…
Nov 14, 2026 · 52:27
Dr Mark Turin discusses his own experience of preserving and revitalising the Thangmi language in Nepal. He discusses the problems encountered, both cultural and political, but…
Nov 14, 2026 · 1:22:27
It is commonplace for governments to complain that the cost of healthcare is rising. Various reasons are put forward: some claim that modern medicine is inevitably more…
Nov 14, 2026 · 1:22:05
Peter Sutherland, Chairman of Goldman Sachs International, examines the challenges of leadership at a time of financial and geo-political dislocation.Uploaded 26-08-11The…
Nov 14, 2026 · 52:18
It is time for the banking and financial sectors to stop apologising and start changing. But how?Professor Costs outlines three key themes for change needed in order to estable a…
Nov 14, 2026 · 49:08
In contrast to their stark socio-economic and environmental differences, the communities of Harbury, UK and Sekenani, Kenya are building 'collaborative ecosystems' that are…
Nov 14, 2026 · 1:09:53
A cultural and medical history of tuberculosis, and its threat to the world today.Uploaded 16-04-12The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the…
Nov 14, 2026 · 1:08:48
After the UN Climate Action Summit in September, our Environment Professor will be talking to three experts about whether we still have a meaningful chance of averting a climate…
Nov 14, 2026 · 1:22:47
Traditionally a lawyer's own views and political affiliation are irrelevant to the pursuit of the legal process. Uploaded 11-06-26This lecture will examine - and celebrate - the…
Nov 14, 2026 · 1:06:02
This lecture will look at change ringing, which is ringing a series of tuned bells (as you might find in the bell tower of a church) in a particular sequence, and this has…
Nov 14, 2026 · 1:05:24
Professor Ben Quash questions the place of 'the sublime', as defined by Immanuel Kant, in contemporary Christian art.Uploaded 26-04-12This talk was a part of the Gresham College…
Nov 14, 2026 · 56:31
A lecture to mark the publication of Robin Wilson and Raymond Flood's new book. Mathematics pervades our daily lives. Our credit cards and the nation's defence are kept secure…
Nov 14, 2026 · 58:02
PART OF OUR BLACK HISTORY MONTH SERIESUploaded 10-06-26A choir of ex-slaves, raising funds to build their University, toured America from 1871, suffering discrimination and…
Nov 14, 2026 · 1:18:17
Why are there so many different scoring systems in operation in sport? We look at how structuring matches into a series of sets affects the relative roles of luck and skill in…
Nov 14, 2026 · 58:49
In the age of exploration, Catholic missionaries fanned out across the world, meeting with extraordinary success but also extraordinary opposition: nowhere more so than in Japan,…
Nov 14, 2026 · 1:20:04
This lecture will explore the 'celebrification' of contemporary popular culture. In particular how the idea of celebrity is intrinsic to the making and marketing of popular…
Nov 14, 2026 · 1:10:45
The pervasive scope of the European Convention of Human Rights has been demonstrated by the furore over the voting rights of prisoners. Is the ECHR a vital cornerstone necessary…
Nov 14, 2026 · 56:52
Jonathan Bate will explore the life and work of the original celebrity poet - Lord Byron. Uploaded 10-06-26He will show how Byron was simultaneously a Romantic and an…
Nov 14, 2026 · 1:14:45
"Brain Reconstruction: The next biomedical breakthrough, or a biological impossibility?" by Professor Jack Price, Professor of Developmental Neurobiology and Head of the Centre…
Nov 13, 2026 · 1:04:21
This talk will explore the "growth mindset", the evidence-based view that talents are developed rather than genetic. It provides practical tips on how to develop new skills with…
Nov 13, 2026 · 1:00:32
This lecture reports on the findings of The Independent Tribunal into Forced Organ Harvesting from Prisoners of Conscience in China (June 2019), which examined reports of…
Nov 13, 2026 · 1:01:51
Boris Ord composed one tiny Christmas carol - 'Adam lay ybounden'. But Ord's largest contribution to the carol genre was his work as choirmaster at King's College, Cambridge from…
Nov 13, 2026 · 1:02:25
Over the last decades, HIV/AIDS has emerged as a major new disease, reversing gains in life expectancy that had been won over many decades in numerous countries, and becoming a…
Nov 13, 2026 · 1:14:10
The relative role of the State and the individual is a recurring theme of political theory. It is also a practical question in public health - what are the respective…
Nov 13, 2026 · 57:47
Professor George Pattison examines a number of works in light of Baudelaire's definitive description of "the painter of modern life'', and considers the potential implications of…
Nov 13, 2026 · 1:14:15
From 2007 the Governors were replaced by Trustees; but there was still disquiet about the best method of regulating the BBC. BBC regulation is fragmented: some regulatory…
Nov 13, 2026 · 1:02:34
Stories about islands punctuate the careers of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, from Powell's breakthrough with Edge of the World (1936) to the Hebridean journey of I Know…
Nov 13, 2026 · 1:12:46
As the commuters of London leave and the last tubes close their doors for the night, there are bands of people across the city descending unseen to work on the tube lines. What…
Nov 13, 2026 · 58:36
The full-rigged ship was the essential technology that enabled the trans-Atlantic slave trade to flourish. Between 1698 and 1807 around 11,000 ships were fitted out in England…
Nov 13, 2026 · 1:10:09
2011 is the 300th anniversary of the completion of Christopher Wren's Cathedral. This coincides with the completion of an historic £40 million programme of cleaning and repair,…
Nov 13, 2026 · 57:04
Professor Carole Rawcliffe offers an overview of the hospital as it existed in the Middle Ages, along the way outlining the place of women and religion in the medical practice of…
Nov 13, 2026 · 56:44
Over the course of her Professorship, Professor Delahunty has striven to talk openly about the way in which the Family Court deals with emotive and challenging issues such as…
Nov 13, 2026 · 57:30
2019 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Sir Joseph Bazalgette, and will see the building of the first major addition to the system he created to prevent sewage entering…
Nov 13, 2026 · 1:07:42
Is Santa really Dutch? Were Christmas Trees introduced by Prince Albert? Was Christmas once a time of faith, rather than riotous feasting? Uploaded 11-06-26In this lecture,…
Nov 13, 2026 · 1:01:03
By exploring the architecture, stained glass windows and art installations of a variety of religious buildings, Frances Spalding shows the numerous ways in which ideas of 'the…
Nov 13, 2026 · 1:16:54
Illuminated manuscripts are some of the most beautiful artefacts to survive from the Middle Ages. Their production involved transforming animal skins into parchment; copying…
Nov 13, 2026 · 53:32
The birth of rational medicine contributed to the scientific revolution which occurred amongst eastern Greek communities in the 7th-to-5th centuries BCE. Uploaded 11-06-26Medical…
Nov 13, 2026 · 1:04:16
In the face of enslavement, colonialism and cultural suppression, peoples of African descent have fought to maintain cherished cultural practices. Uploaded 11-06-26Dr Gus…
Nov 13, 2026 · 57:10
Mergers and acquisitions (M and A) are perhaps the most important decisions that a company ever faces, yet very many deals destroy substantial value. Uploaded 10-06-26This talk…
Nov 13, 2026 · 1:02:02
If there was any single belief that characterized the Victorian era it was Christian belief. Religion pervaded social and political life to an extent almost unimaginable today.…
Nov 13, 2026 · 1:00:48
Mathematics and art are more similar than is commonly thought. Each is concerned with the process of being highly creative with abstract objects and of producing everlasting work…
Nov 13, 2026 · 58:07
When Thomas Sprat's The History of the Royal-Society of London appeared in 1667, it was less a history than a manifesto for the future, designed to convince Charles II that…
Nov 13, 2026 · 1:03:20
Beyond the Solar System, all astronomers have to work with is the light that falls to the Earth from distant cosmic objects. Newer, larger telescopes are always needed to boost…
Nov 13, 2026 · 1:08:53
Artist Roger Wagner offers an overview of his own career and perspectives on the pressures faced by a modern Christian artist. He details the influence of artists such as Giorgio…
Nov 13, 2026 · 1:11:34
Is the NHS medieval? Is this an insulting claim to make? Insulting to modern hospitals or those of the Middle Ages?Uploaded 31-08-11Professor William Ayliffe considers modern…
Nov 13, 2026 · 1:05:48
Sound investment decisions are critical for our long-term financial future. But psychological biases can lead investors to make costly mistakes - overconfidence can cause them to…
Nov 13, 2026 · 48:08
Thousands of people are estimated to be working as slaves within the UK, in highly exploitative conditions, with no rights, and under threat of violence. This lecture will…
Nov 13, 2026 · 55:45
In the 330s BCE, the great philosopher and scientist, Aristotle of Stagira in northern Greece, returned to Athens and founded his Lyceum. The first institution in world history…
Nov 12, 2026 · 1:07:10
This lecture examines the mathematics behind computing, starting with the history of the explosive growth of computer technology, from code breaking through to all aspects of…
Nov 12, 2026 · 1:01:23
This lecture considers moments of US and UK sexual citizenship situating these in terms of LGBT campaigning groups' actions, institutional reactions and broader public relations…
Nov 12, 2026 · 1:19:59
As the economic crisis continues to felt across the world, how should we think of the banking sector that, even if it didn't directly cause the crisis, at least failed to put a…
Nov 12, 2026 · 1:06:50
The reputation of Stanley Spencer continues to grow. All his life he painted Christian themes with his fresh and distinctive vision. For him art was the product not so much of…
Nov 12, 2026 · 55:06
Was Covid-19 the ultimate wake-up call about how we live on planet earth? Uploaded 11-06-26Looking at the effect on the environment of a near-stoppage of the world's economies,…
Nov 12, 2026 · 54:52
Changes in the Sun's output can endanger health, power supplies and satellite systems. To prepare adequately for such events and to make judicious use of solar energy we need to…
Nov 12, 2026 · 1:01:08
Strauss: Sextet from CapriccioBrahms: String Sextet Op.18Professor Christopher Hogwood, Gresham Professor of Music, with players from the Royal Academy of MusicUploaded…
Nov 12, 2026 · 51:06
At the end of the conference, 'Thinking Theologically About Modern Art', the speakers review issues raised by the proceeding talks.The speakers are: * Professor the Rt Revd Lord…
Nov 12, 2026 · 40:27
THE 2019 JOINT LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY ANNUAL LECTUREUploaded 10-06-26This talk looks at mathematical modelling of real, complex fluids in flow situations - some with serious…
Nov 12, 2026 · 1:04:36
Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in both men and women. A substantial proportion of bowel cancer is preventable. The outlook depends strongly on how advanced it is at…
Nov 12, 2026 · 1:01:11
Classic time management frameworks advise us to focus on the important rather than the urgent. But these frameworks seem not to be applicable to the 21st century, where…
Nov 12, 2026 · 1:02:01
This lecture looks at the place occupied by indigenous cultures in today's globalised world.Uploaded 31-08-11At a time when the world is confronted with economic insecurity,…
Nov 12, 2026 · 55:58
In the 3rd century BCE, the Sicilian polymath Archimedes significantly advanced human understanding of mathematics, geometry and astronomy. Uploaded 11-06-26By applying his…
Nov 12, 2026 · 59:07
Is there, as Allan Doig suggests, "a God-shaped hole in the middle of modern art"? Should contemporary church commissions meet criteria of accessibility, aesthetic quality and…
Nov 12, 2026 · 50:06
Vertical banded gastroplasty surgery (or stomach stapling) has drawn attention in recent decades to the hidden, but unruly, stomach. This organ has been the focus of…
Nov 12, 2026 · 1:25:49
Just how near are we to using our brains routinely to control machines for work or leisure purposes? Will we be able to improve the performance of our existing brains? Have…
Nov 12, 2026 · 1:17:01
Medieval drawings are frequently viewed as the poor cousins of fully-painted miniatures. But in England, an appreciation of drawing persisted throughout the Middle Ages. Based…
Nov 12, 2026 · 1:02:26
The very young and very elderly are particularly susceptible to many infections and for many infections, age will predict how likely someone is to die once infected. The…
Nov 12, 2026 · 1:11:19
Pattern and structure are essential to music, from the permutations in a Bach fugue, to the structure of a round. Uploaded 11-06-26This lecture will explore the mathematics of…
Nov 12, 2026 · 52:47
"...It was lovely last weekend. Warm enough to wear shorts and sandals taking the dog for a walk in the park. How can this nasty red rash on my ankle have anything to do with it?…
Nov 12, 2026 · 53:41
After World War II, without forgetting the terrible suffering earlier in the century, there was a new confidence expressed in the artistic commissions of the time. Older artists…
Nov 12, 2026 · 1:17:19
How do we investigate violent and unexpected deaths at the inquest? Who investigates? Uploaded 11-06-26When do deaths get referred to the Coroner? Are inquests non-adversarial…
Nov 12, 2026 · 1:05:37
In the early 1880s, informal imperial expansion gave way to formal imperial acquisitions. Between this point and the outbreak of the First World War, more colonial territory was…
Nov 12, 2026 · 59:05
World War Two set British filmmakers a challenge: to be relevant and entertaining and to inspire without patronising. Powell and Pressburger brought wit and imagination to their…
Nov 12, 2026 · 46:37
In recent years, multiple space missions have been launched. Many have set out across our galaxy to explore other systems and planets, capturing people's imaginations and helping…
Nov 12, 2026 · 1:00:40
Many composers have been influenced by birdsong. Mozart treasured the songs of his pet starling, even giving the bird a ceremonial funeral. David Matthews, one of Britain's…
Nov 12, 2026 · 57:32
The Chief Scientific Adviser is the head of Home Office Science, which provides scientific advice and support to the whole range of the Home Office's work as the lead government…
Nov 12, 2026 · 59:03
Every year thousands of people across London phone up a student-run listening service in order to talk about the problems and issues that they are facing, or simply to just have…
Nov 12, 2026 · 54:05
The origin of life is one of the biggest questions in science, but until recently it was, experimentally, a question in chemistry. Now, gene sequences and a better understanding…
Nov 11, 2026 · 1:08:53
Most people fear giving speeches, almost as much as the rest of us dread listening to them. The lectern has a cruel capacity to render even the mighty vulnerable. Fortunately…
Nov 11, 2026 · 59:32
Touch is central to the performance of medicine. Traditionally, doctors depended on touch to diagnose illness. Revolutions in imaging technology, machine learning and artificial…
Nov 11, 2026 · 56:12
00:00 // Why Are Sleep and Music So Connected?Uploaded 21-08-2603:18 // Ancient Myths Linking Music and Sleep05:30 // How Composers Create Dreamlike Music07:05 // Debussy's…
Nov 11, 2026 · 42:58
Eve was the original Evil Woman. She was tempted by Satan, introducing sin into the world. In turn, she seduced Adam, bringing the wrath of the Creator upon humanity for all…
Nov 11, 2026 · 1:02:37
Most English people initially saw the Reformation as an unexpected catastrophe, wrenching their religious lives out of shape, and stripping their communities of resources they…
Nov 11, 2026 · 1:01:25
Exercise, diet, rest, and sleep are sometimes seen as optional extras that are desirable if you have the time. They are also topics about which many myths and half-truths abound.…
Nov 11, 2026 · 1:04:03
This lecture-recital will explore the life of Clara Schumann (1819-1896) through her music and surroundings, her achievements and influencers. Uploaded 10-06-26Deservedly revered…
Nov 11, 2026 · 1:08:05
Pavlo Beznosiuk, one of the world's leading baroque violinists, explains and demonstrates the challenge of music for solo violin; works by Nicola Matteis and Heinrich Biber lead…
Nov 11, 2026 · 57:06
The word Romanticism makes us think of mountain tops and stormy seas, but the younger generation of English Romantics (above all, John Keats) were Londoners through and through.…
Nov 11, 2026 · 1:14:12
Innovation is seen as the key to economic growth. But is this true of innovation in services, which now employ 75% of us, as well as in manufacturing industry? This lecture…
Nov 11, 2026 · 1:03:42
Musical notation is both inexact and changeable; the assumptions of one period may be lost on following generations, and the greater part of written music still remains…
Nov 11, 2026 · 1:05:22
We can think of world-leading Australians in sport (Don Bradman), media ownership (Rupert Murdoch) and film (Nicole Kidman). In music, some great performers come to mind,…
Nov 11, 2026 · 1:02:39
Money may well make world go round but cash is surely an encumbrance we can do without. What does a cashless society look like? What is the technology behind the digital economy…
Nov 11, 2026 · 1:00:15
Professor Wilks will discuss the argument that 'superintelligent' AI may turn against us, as Hawking and Bostrom have warned. It will be argued that these worries misrepresent…
Nov 11, 2026 · 1:11:54
2011 is the 300th anniversary of the completion of Christopher Wren's Cathedral. This coincides with the completion of an historic £40 million programme of cleaning and repair,…
Nov 11, 2026 · 1:03:52
The fall of Margaret Thatcher left a legacy that was both contested and divisive. During the 1990s, the Conservative Party, under the impact of divisions on Europe and on…
Nov 11, 2026 · 58:59
China's media provide a window into the Chinese mind, as the country asserts itself in the world as a great power. What do Chinese people think is the purpose of life? What…
Nov 11, 2026 · 1:00:12
A lecture and performance on Mozart's Oboe Quartet in F major, k.370by Christopher Hogwood, with Mea Wade and players from the Royal Academy of Music.Uploaded 21-02-12Harnessing…
Nov 11, 2026 · 1:13:15
Clinical practice is often seen as the acquisition and application of scientific knowledge to diagnose and treat diseases. Yet every patient is different. Uploaded 11-06-26This…
Nov 11, 2026 · 58:29
This series has argued that the origins of modern secularism lie in the age of the Renaissance. This last lecture will track that legacy down to the present. From Tom Paine…
Nov 11, 2026 · 1:09:17
Notions of national security past and present. How Whitehall has dealt with it. How we might do it better in the future.Uploaded 11-11-11The transcript and downloadable versions…
Nov 11, 2026 · 1:09:19
One of the Coalition Government's first actions was to attempt a bonfire of the quangos. In order that the baby should not be thrown out with the bathwater, one has to consider…
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