Best Gresham College Podcasts (2025)

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

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2h 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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Is It Safe To Swim In The Chicago River? 17:07

1h ago17:07

17:07

For the first time in 98 years, the Chicago River will host an open water swim event early this fall The event — which was approved by the city after officials denied it a permit last year — takes place Sept. 21. But is it safe to swim in the river? Chris Anchor from the Cook County Forest Preserve weighs in. Host - Jon Hansen Guest - Chris Anchor …

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

4d 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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Will Chicago Close More Streets And Create More Pedestrian Malls? 23:15

5d ago23:15

23:15

In 1979, Mayor Jane Byrne transformed a nine-block stretch of state street into a pedestrian mall. It did not go well. Since then, that example has been used as a cautionary tale against turning streets into pedestrian only areas. But is the tide turning? Host - Jon Hansen Reporter - Quinn Myers Read More Here Want to donate to our non-profit newsr…

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

7d 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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Could DuSable Lake Shore Drive Move Underground? There's A Plan For That 19:14

7d ago19:14

19:14

A long-awaited improvement plan for Grant Park calls for the famed park to be extended to the lakefront — with DuSable Lake Shore Drive routed underneath the expanded green space. That is, if city officials can find the money to pull it off. Host - Jon Hansen Reporter - Mack Liederman Read More Here Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK …

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The Future of Health - Chris Whitty 51:34

11d 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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Why Chicago's Affordable Housing Crisis Is Getting Worse 24:15

12d ago24:15

24:15

Why is it so expensive to build affordable housing in Chicago? One recent West Side development clocked in at $884,000 per unit. While the city says it’s working to address red tape that drives up expenses, advocates say more must be done to rein in “crazy” costs associated with affordable housing. Host - Jon Hansen Reporters - Michael Liptrot and …

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

14d 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

14d 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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She Taught Her Own HS Chem Class, Now She's Headed To Her Dream College 29:51

14d ago29:51

29:51

As her senior year got underway, two of the many people who reached out to Carolina Carchi were teachers she’d had in elementary school. “You were amazing when I had you, and you are still showing them how to turn a terrible experience into an amazing opportunity to learn and grow,” one wrote. Another wrote: “I. AM. SO. PROUD. OF YOU!!!!… You are A…

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

18d 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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Chicago's Rich History of Political Nepotism 20:00

19d ago20:00

20:00

Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HEREWho we areBlock Club Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization dedicatedto delivering reliable, relevant and nonpartisan coverage of Chicago'sdiverse neighborhoods. We believe all neighborhoods deserve to becovered in a meaningful way.We amplify positive stories, cover development and lo…

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

20d 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

20d 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

20d 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

21d 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

21d 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

21d 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

21d ago10:23

10:23

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

21d ago11:02

11:02

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

21d 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

21d 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

21d ago8:58

8:58

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

21d ago6:37

6:37

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

21d ago9:31

9:31

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

21d ago9:32

9:32

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

21d ago9:33

9:33

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

21d 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

21d 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 Flashy Fugitives: Ex-Loretto Hospital Leader And Contractor Are Living Large In Dubai 22:17

21d ago22:17

22:17

Entrepreneurs and doctors Anosh Ahmed and Sameer Suhail had matching cars, a matching taste for luxury watches and matching condos in Chicago’s Trump Tower. The two even had similar backstories: They’d immigrated to the United States as children — Ahmed from Pakistan and Suhail from Jordan — and had gotten their medical degrees from overseas school…

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

25d ago43:16

43:16

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

25d ago43:03

43:03

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

25d ago43:44

43:44

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

25d ago49:57

49:57

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

25d ago41:27

41:27

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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O'Hare's Bees Give A Second Chance To Formerly Incarcerated Chicagoans 21:18

26d ago21:18

21:18

Boeing 737s and Airbus A350s aren’t the only things taking flight at O’Hare Airport. A quiet patch of green space at O’Hare has been home to a collection of beehives for almost 15 years. In 2011, O’Hare became the first airport in the United States to have an apiary. Since then, the hives have produced thousands of pounds of honey. Host- Jon Hansen…

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

28d ago46:15

46:15

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 Chicago Way -- Powerful Alderman Resigning, And His Son Wants The Gig 17:08

28d ago17:08

17:08

Host - Jon Hansen Reporter - Melody Mercado One of Chicago’s most influential aldermen, Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. (27th) is stepping down by the end of the month to lead the Chicago Housing Authority — or retire from politics entirely. His son wants the job. Read More Here Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HERE Who we are Block Club Ch…

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

1M ago47:49

47:49

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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The Lightning Bugs Are Back This Year -- But Will This Be Their Curtain Call? 20:08

1M ago20:08

20:08

Swarms of flying insects are usually a nuisance. But this summer, Chicagoans are lighting up for a big return of lightning bugs. The flying beetles known for their bioluminescence are keeping the lights on across the city — more so than past summers, local bug experts have observed. Host - Jon Hansen Reporter - Mack Liederman Read More Here Want to…

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This Episode May Save Your Life -- Important Clues To Recognize A Stroke 23:15

1M ago23:15

23:15

Chicago hospitals have been key to helping more people surviving strokes. Today's episode, sponsored by Rush, explains what signs to watch out for, and how the hospital systems continues to improve outcome for patients. Host - Jon Hansen Guest - Dr. Laurel Cherian More About Rush Here Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HERE Who we are…

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

1M 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

1M 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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Some Chicago Officials Want ICE Agents To Take Off Their Masks 18:31

1M ago18:31

18:31

Host - Jon Hansen Reporter - Francia Garcia Hernandez A group of police district council members is urging city officials to prohibit federal immigration agents from wearing face masks and force them to identify themselves when working in the city. The call comes as masked federal agents have been seen making arrests at immigration courts, during r…

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

1M ago52:12

52:12

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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Chicago's Sunniest Month Is Here — Don't Let It Ruin Your Skin 24:15

1M ago24:15

24:15

Today's episode is sponsored by Rush. July is Chicago's sunniest month. But be careful -- it can age our skin and potentially cause skin cancer. Dr. Samantha Venkatesh from Rush with some useful tips to stay safe and enjoy the sunshine. For more on Rush, click here! Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HERE Who we are Block Club Chicago…

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WTF Is Banana Ball And Why Is It The Hottest Ticket In Chicago? 20:10

2M ago20:10

20:10

The hottest ticket for a game in town isn’t for the Chicago Cubs or White Sox. A new barnstorming league of dancing ballplayers making national headlines and packing football stadiums for reimagining the stodgy rules of America’s pastime have sold out Sox Park for two nights between Aug. 15-16. More than 182,000 people applied to a lottery just for…

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Lawgivers in Modern Revolutions - Melissa Lane 50:13

2M ago50:13

50:13

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

2M ago37:23

37:23

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…