Best Gresham College Podcasts (2025)

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Automation Anxiety - Daniel Susskind 47:43

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30m ago47:43

47:43

Ever since modern economic growth began three centuries ago, people have suffered from periodic bursts of anxiety about the technologies of the time taking on the work that they do. This opening lecture explores the history of ‘automation anxiety’ – from the Luddites who smashed framing machines at the start of the Industrial Revolution in Britain …

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092225 L1 Chemistry 221 Video Lecture 49:47

7h ago49:47

49:47

Chemistry 221 L1 Video Lecture from September 22, 2025. This video covers material from Chapter 1 including a discussion of "what is chemistry", types of chemistry, the importance of chemistry, atoms, molecules and mixtures, and more. CH 221 website: http://mhchem.org/221 Let me know if you have any questions! Peace!…

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Galileo’s Journey to the Underworld: The Case for Interdisciplinary Thinking - Sarah Hart 55:28

24d ago55:28

55:28

ttps://x.com/GreshamCollege Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/tv554JY9TPU In 1588, the young Galileo delivered some lectures that were impressive enough to secure him a mathematics professorship at the University of Pisa. His subject? The geometry of Dante’s Inferno. In this lecture we’ll look at some of Galileo’s deductions, and how the…

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A World Remade by Decolonization? - Martin Thomas 49:02

21d ago49:02

49:02

The lecture shares perspectives from global history, comparative politics, and international relations to revaluate whether the twentieth-century collapse of European colonialism was as definitive as often portrayed. It suggests that, while in some ways, ending European Empires remade our contemporary world, in others processes of decolonization ar…

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Oil, Decolonisation, and the Future of the Climate Emergency - Adam Hanieh 53:17

25d ago53:17

53:17

Decolonisation movements sought to win sovereignty and control over national resources, especially oil. This lecture explores oil’s influence on national independence struggles, from the 1955 Bandung Conference to the rise of OPEC and the nationalisation of crude reserves. It examines how these shifts reshaped global power, exposing both the succes…

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Shanawdithit: A Woman at the End of the World - Julia Laite 53:31

1M ago53:31

53:31

Shanawdithit was a woman who bore witness to the death of her world in the early nineteenth century, creating the only first-hand account we have of the Beothuk people from the Island of Newfoundland. This lecture seeks to narrate the history of her fascinating and important life, alongside the history of her island, which was England’s first trans…

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Outsmart the System: How Psychology Hacks Your Money Decisions - Raghavendra Rau 1:03:03

1M ago1:03:03

1:03:03

Ever feel like the financial world works against you? This lecture discusses "behavioral finance" – how our brains get tricked by money matters. We will explore how to use these insights to your advantage, navigate conflicts of interest with financial "experts," and make smarter decisions for yourself and your investments. This lecture was recorded…

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Democracy and International Criminal Justice in the Fragile World of the Rule of Law - Howard Morrison 46:53

1M ago46:53

46:53

The lecture will examine the pros and cons of democracy in today's world, focusing on the importance of domestic and international rule of law to maintain democratic ideals, which are fragile in times of conflict. There will be examples given, highlighting the current War in Ukraine and the political situation in the United States, the influence of…

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The Future of Health - Chris Whitty 51:34

1M ago51:34

51:34

Health over the last 150 years in the UK and internationally has been transformed and this rapid rate of change will continue. Improvements in public health and the shifting demographic structure are altering the trajectory and frequency of disease. Advances in science including new drug classes, diagnostics and AI are changing what is possible in …

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Getting Started in Chemistry with Dr. Russell! 24:51

2M ago24:51

24:51

Welcome! This is a video to help students get started in Dr. Russell’s chemistry classes at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon, USA. Website: http://mhchem.org Let me know if you have any questions! Peace!By Michael Russell

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Sum Stories: Equations and their Origins - Robin Wilson 54:42

2M ago54:42

54:42

How long is the coastline of Britain? What is a rhombicuboctahedron? Which US president proved Pythagoras’s theorem? These and many other intriguing questions will be addressed in this lecture on renowned mathematical equations and their history. The selected equations span various areas of mathematics and cover a timeline of 4000 years, from early…

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The Deceived Brain: Coding and Illusion - Alain Goriely 51:29

2M ago51:29

51:29

We perceive the world through the processing of information given by our senses. Sometimes, this processing is faulty leading to illusions: shapes or sounds that we perceive differently from their physical reality. These illusions have delighted children and scientists alike for centuries. This lecture reveals how simple geometric illusions can be …

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Finding AC 1303, AC 2501, AC 2507 and AC 2568 3:58

2M ago3:58

3:58

This video will help you find our three main chemistry classrooms (namely AC 1303, AC 2501 and AC 2507) as well as my office (AC 2568) at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon, USA. To get to all of these locations, go to the "F" or "G" parking lots (or as close to them as possible), both of which are located near the main MHCC entrance on …

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Welcome to Chemistry 221! 3:22

2M ago3:22

3:22

Welcome to Chemistry 221 with Dr. Michael Russell!By Michael Russell

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Chapter 1 Complete Lecture Part II 58:46

2M ago58:46

58:46

This the Complete Lecture for Chapter 1. This episode is part 2 of 2 episodes.By Michael Russell

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Chapter 1 Complete Lecture Part I 1:00:36

2M ago1:00:36

1:00:36

This the Complete Lecture for Chapter 1. This episode is part 1 of 2 episodes.By Michael Russell

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Chapter 1 Screencast - Sig Figs and Calculations / Scientific Notation 8:46

2M ago8:46

8:46

A screencast from Chapter 1 in CH 221 entitled "Sig Figs and Calculations / Scientific Notation"By Michael Russell

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Chapter 1 Screencast - Significant Figures (Sig figs) 15:26

2M ago15:26

15:26

A screencast from Chapter 1 in CH 221 entitled "Significant Figures (Sig figs)"By Michael Russell

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Chapter 1 Screencast - Precision and Accuracy 10:23

2M ago10:23

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A screencast from Chapter 1 in CH 221 entitled "Precision and Accuracy"By Michael Russell

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Chapter 1 Screencast - Density 11:02

2M ago11:02

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A screencast from Chapter 1 in CH 221 entitled "Density"By Michael Russell

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Chapter 1 Screencast - Temperature and Volume 11:59

2M ago11:59

11:59

A screencast from Chapter 1 in CH 221 entitled "Temperature and Volume"By Michael Russell

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Chapter 1 Screencast - Measurements, Metrics, Length, Mass, Time 10:00

2M ago10:00

10:00

A screencast from Chapter 1 in CH 221 entitled "Measurements, Metrics, Length, Mass, Time"By Michael Russell

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Chapter 1 Screencast - What is Chemistry? 8:58

2M ago8:58

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A screencast from Chapter 1 in CH 221 entitled "What is Chemistry?"By Michael Russell

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Chapter 1 Screencast - Domains of Chemistry 6:37

2M ago6:37

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A screencast from Chapter 1 in CH 221 entitled "Domains of Chemistry"By Michael Russell

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Chapter 1 Screencast - Phases, Mass and Weight 9:31

2M ago9:31

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A screencast from Chapter 1 in CH 221 entitled "Phases, Mass and Weight"By Michael Russell

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Chapter 1 Screencast - Mixtures, Elements and Compounds 9:32

2M ago9:32

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A screencast from Chapter 1 in CH 221 entitled "Mixtures, Elements and Compounds"By Michael Russell

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Chapter 1 Screencast - The Periodic Table 9:33

2M ago9:33

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A screencast from Chapter 1 in CH 221 entitled "The Periodic Table"By Michael Russell

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CH 221: A Video Introduction to Chapter Guide One 1:42

2M ago1:42

1:42

This is the video introduction to Chapter Guide One for Chemistry 221.By Michael Russell

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The Future of Immunity - Robin May 51:28

2M ago51:28

51:28

Our understanding of the human immune system today is vastly different from that of 50 years ago. This knowledge has led to immune-based therapies that would have seemed like science fiction to our grandparents: monoclonal antibodies, T-cell therapies, anti-cancer vaccines, precision immune suppression – the list is endless. In this lecture, we loo…

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The Maths of Music (and the Music of Maths) - Milton Mermikides and Sarah Hart 43:44

2M ago43:44

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This is the fourth lecture from the Gresham Festival of Musical Ideas. https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/series/musical-ideas-2025 Professors Sarah Hart and Milton Mermikides reveal the deep connections between music and mathematics. Whether that’s the Euclidean rhythms that shape funky grooves, the set theory that maps every possible chord, or a…

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The Evolution of Music - Milton Mermikides and Robin May 49:57

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This is the first lecture from the Gresham Festival of Musical Ideas. https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/series/musical-ideas-2025 Musical instruments have been found in the archaeological record from at least 40,000 years ago and despite the diversity of human civilization, we are yet to find a culture which lacks music. Other species also make ‘…

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Climbing Mount Groove: Music and Dance in the Brain - Milton Mermikides and Morten Kringelbach 43:03

2M ago43:03

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This is the second lecture from the Gresham Festival of Musical Ideas. https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/series/musical-ideas-2025 Why does a rhythm make us tap our feet—or even get up and dance? In conversation with Professor Milton Mermikides, neuroscientist Professor Morten Kringelbach reveals how the brain finds pleasure, meaning, and movemen…

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The Virtues of Music - Milton Mermikides and Melissa Lane 41:27

2M ago41:27

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This is the third lecture from the Gresham Festival of Musical Ideas. https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/series/musical-ideas-2025 This dialogue presents the what and why of Ancient Greek music, and its profound role in philosophy, society and the individual. Education without music was an impossibility in ancient Greece; virtue without music, equ…

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Remixing the Music of the Spheres - Milton Mermikides and Chris Lintott 43:16

2M ago43:16

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This is the fifth and final lecture from the Gresham Festival of Musical Ideas. https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/series/musical-ideas-2025 Professors Lintott and Mermikides present and discuss historical and contemporary musical representations of astronomical data including Pythagoras’s parallelism of tuning purity and celestial movement, Plato…

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Architecture of Enslavement, Colonialism and Independence: The Story of James Fort in Accra - Elsie Owusu 46:15

2M ago46:15

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Accra’s James Fort is an iconic monument for Ghana and modern Africa. This lecture explores the fort's evolution -from its role as a trading post in the early European-African encounters, through its significance during the trans-Atlantic trade and enslavement, to its later use as a modern colonial prison in the post-independence era. It also explo…

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The Operatic Showstopper: ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ - Dominic Broomfield-McHugh 47:49

2M ago47:49

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This lecture considers ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ from Carousel (1945). Perhaps Rodgers and Hammerstein’s most operatic song, it was originally written for Metropolitan Opera star Christine Johnson but has gone on to be recorded by artists as diverse as Elvis Presley and Marcus Mumford and sung at both the Last Night of the Proms and Liverpool Footb…

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Carbon Takeback: How We Will Stop Fossil Fuels from Causing Global Warming - Myles Allen 48:56

2M ago48:56

48:56

We have to stop fossil fuels from causing global warming – before the world stops using fossil fuels. There’s only one solution: safe and permanent disposal of one tonne of carbon dioxide for every tonne still generated by burning fossil fuels. But how do we achieve this without overheating the planet or stoking political conflicts? This lecture pr…

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Do Computers Get Sick? How Humans and Computers Fight Viruses - Robin May & Victoria Baines 50:20

3M ago50:20

50:20

Whether you are human or computer, viruses can ruin your day, so taking steps to avoid them is important. This lecture will ask whether there are similarities between human immunity and computer immunity? Can we use discoveries in one system to help protect against infections in the other? Might we one day take our laptops for regular vaccinations,…

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Illuminating the Dark Side of the Moon - Milton Mermikides 52:12

3M ago52:12

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Now over 50 years old, Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon remains the perfect example of a concept album. Blending cyclical forms, jazz and modal harmony, experimental electronics, multi-layered guitars, studio techniques and haunting lyrics, this lecture will examine why this album has retained its popularity, critical success, and enduring influe…

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Lawgivers in Modern Revolutions - Melissa Lane 50:13

3M ago50:13

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How have lawgivers featured in modern revolutions? This lecture considers key moments in revolutions, including seventeenth-century Britain, eighteenth-century France and (what would become) the United States, and twentieth-century Iran. The appeal to lawgivers (including ancient ones from many cultures) in revolutionary visions and in consolidatin…

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Taking the Constitution into the Classroom - Clive Stafford Smith 37:23

3M ago37:23

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The U.S. Constitution had to be formed through debate before it could be ratified. Mirroring this, a British constitution must emerge through debates held by the next generation. This lecture indicates schools are a good environment to foster this. For students, there are many contentious issues that tap into discussions at the heart of writing a c…

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A New Sky - Chris Lintott 44:17

3M ago44:17

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The JWST is the most expensive and powerful telescope astronomers have ever constructed. Its launch in 2021 started a new phase in our exploration of the cosmos, with the observatory's golden mirrors producing instantly iconic images of the Solar System's giant planets, nearby star-forming regions and galaxies, and our distant universe. The lecture…

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Blind Spots & Bad Decisions: Why We Fall for Financial Traps - Raghavendra Rau 1:08:09

3M ago1:08:09

1:08:09

Why do smart people make dumb financial choices? This lecture explores the surprising link between our psychology and money mistakes. We will see how fear, overconfidence, and even our desire to be liked can cloud our judgment, especially when dealing with financial "experts". Learn how these psychological blind spots worsen conflicts of interest, …

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The Moral Case for Stealing Data - Victoria Baines 51:53

3M ago51:53

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Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/hLBfAVyeMBs Throughout history, authorities have struggled to manage individuals’ urges to speak out against injustice and malpractice. IT has given us new means to obtain and publish data that others may wish to protect or even conceal. To some, those who hack and leak are heroes. To others, they are cr…

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From Thin Air: Minimalist and process music from Africa to Arvo Pärt - Milton Mermikides 52:28

3M ago52:28

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Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/3ntebbsM4Hw This lecture delves into musical forms which rely on the most economical of materials and concepts. From Steve Reich’s adoption of rhythmic cycles and phasing in Ewe drumming to the expressive power of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt’s music, we explore how profound effect can emerge from such ap…

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Modern Pagan Witchcraft - Ronald Hutton 44:33

3M ago44:33

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This lecture was recorded by Ronald Hutton on 14th May 2025 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London. Ronald is the Gresham Professor of Divinity. He is also Professor of History at the University of Bristol and a Fellow of the British Academy, the Royal Historical Society, the Society of Antiquaries and the Learned Society of Wales. The transcript of the lec…

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From Machiavelli to Nietzsche: How Modern Thinkers Saw Ancient Lawgivers - Melissa Lane 43:55

4M ago43:55

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Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/VOGzTymAYno For many modern thinkers, the lawgiver has been important as a founder or re-founder of civic identity and cultural values. From Machiavelli on Moses; to Rousseau on Solon, Lycurgus, and the need for a lawgiver to make a true social contract possible; to Nietzsche and his followers seeking a …

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The Troubled Brain: Ageing and Dementia - Alain Goriely 58:53

3M ago58:53

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Diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s are devastating neurological conditions that typically occur at old age and lead to systematic dementia and debilitating symptoms. The underlying mechanisms of these diseases are poorly understood. Yet, a striking feature of these conditions is the characteristic pattern of invasion throughout the brain, …

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Divine Law, Human Prophet: Moses in Hebrew and Greek - Melissa Lane 44:32

4M ago44:32

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This lecture was recorded by Melissa Lane on 6th March 2025 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London. Melissa Lane is Gresham Professor of Rhetoric. Melissa is also the Class of 1943 Professor of Politics, Princeton University and is also Associated Faculty in the Department of Classics and Department of Philosophy. Previously she was Senior University Lectur…

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Does Net Zero Mean the End of Livestock Agriculture? - Myles Allen 51:06

4M ago51:06

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This lecture was recorded by Myles Allen on 29th April 2025 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London. Myles is the Frank Jackson Foundation Professor of the Environment. Myles is also is currently Director of the Oxford Net Zero initiative. He was awarded the Appleton Medal and Prize by the Institute of Physics in 2010, and in 2022 a CBE for services to clima…