Programme talks
The following speakers are amongst those who have been invited to deliver pre-recorded talks as part of the Virtual Pre-University Summer Programme.
The teenage brain - Dr Saz Ahmed
Why do adolescents seem so much more impulsive and so much more driven by peer influence than adults? This talk will discuss how different brain regions show varying patterns of development in adolescence and explore how the growing and developing brain may underlie typical 'teenage' behaviours.
Nanobiotechnology in health and environment - Dr Iris Batalha
This talk will give you an overview of the multidisciplinary field of nanobiotechnology, which brings together chemists, physicists and biologists. Students will learn how nanoparticles can be tuned and tailored for certain medical applications by playing with parameters such as chemical composition, size, shape and physical properties. The environmental benefits and risks associated with this growing field will also be discussed.
An introduction to Cambridge English and close-reading - Dr Jenny Bavidge
Learn about the history of 'Cambridge English' and the development of 'close-reading'. We'll analyse several extracts and think about the ways in which we make meaning from literary works and take a look at a notoriously difficult question faced by undergraduates in their final exam.
Why the 2020s could and should be the decade for nature's recovery - Dr Craig Bennett
It’s no longer good enough just to talk about the protection and conservation of nature when, particularly in countries like the UK, so much of our nature has already been severely depleted. We need to stop and reverse the decline of nature, and put nature in recovery. And we need to do this at pace and at scale if we’re going to have any hope of tackling the climate and ecological emergency. In this lecture, to coincide with the launch of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, Craig Bennett will explore what might this look like in practice. How might it happen, at the local, UK and global scale? What might the benefits be for our economy, our health and wellbeing? And how does it fit with the story of human progress?
The crash that shook the Universe: detecting waves in space and time - Dr Matthew Bothwell
Astronomy is the oldest science. The first astronomers had to use their eyes to study the night sky: the invention of the telescope, around 400 years ago, was a scientific revolution which allowed us to see a whole new - previously hidden - Universe. Another genuine revolution happened around a century ago, when radio astronomers discovered how to harness electromagnetic waves beyond visible light to understand the cosmos around us. The third grand revolution in astronomy happened on the 14th of September 2015. That was the date that humanity detected our first ‘gravitational wave’: a completely new way to see the Universe. As with every grand astronomical revolution, this discovery has opened an entirely new window to the cosmos. Matt Bothwell will talk all about that discovery: how it happened, what we saw, and what comes next.
Russia and Ukraine: a family tragedy - Sir Tony Brenton
Russia and Ukraine both originated in the Kievan state a millennium ago. They share East Slavic ethnicity and the orthodox religion. Much of Ukraine speaks Russian and Ukraine was a leading component in the Russian Empire and then the Soviet Union for over 300 years before becoming independent in 1991. Since then however their relations have deteriorated very sharply, culminating in this year's war. What happened? And where are things likely to go from here?
Lord Byron: still ‘mad, bad and dangerous to know’? - Simon Browne
Byron has divided critics since he first published in 1807. Wildly popular to contemporary readers, though reprimanded for immorality by censorious reviewers, he now lives on as the original Heathcliff - and is reprimanded for his aesthetics rather than his morality. This talk will look at some of the elements that made him the hero of his age.
“If a lion could speak...”: Wittgenstein on alien forms of life - Dr Alex Carter
Ludwig Wittgenstein once remarked that, ‘If a lion could speak, we could not understand him’ (PI §223). Wittgenstein means that language is rooted in a lived experience. This talk explores the philosophical barriers to understanding alien (non-human) forms of life; from extinct civilisations, to AI and alien life.
What is peace and how do we build it? - Dr Peter Dixon
We may think we know what peace is. It’s when the fighting stops, isn’t it? Unfortunately, things are not that simple. While the current war in Ukraine breaks the trend, most violent conflicts in recent years have been civil wars with complex causes. Even well-meaning interventions can just make matters worse. This talk will explore the different meanings of the word ‘peace’ and the factors that come into play when ‘we’ intervene to try to bring it about. The talk will briefly look at some of the causes of conflict, especially civil war, and how the most powerful outsiders may not be the right ones to bring lasting and sustainable peace.
10 reasons why you need to understand evolution - Dr Paul Elliott
The Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection was jointly conceived by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace over 160 years ago. It remains the most important theory ever devised in Biology, and its consequences impact our lives in a multitude of ways. This lecture will examine the importance of the theory in terms of understanding COVID-19, ensuring global food security, improving healthcare and championing science.
Turning points in the History of Science - Dr Seb Falk
What do we mean by scientific discovery (or invention)? How should we celebrate it? This lecture will examine some iconic achievements from the history of science. From Newton’s apple to Nobel prizes, we will unpack the popular myths surrounding them, using an array of media sources and objects in Cambridge’s museums.
Life after Gravity: Newton’s London career - Dr Patricia Fara
For the last thirty years of his life, Isaac Newton lived in London and ran the Royal Mint as well as the Royal Society. Formerly a reclusive scholar at Cambridge, now he moved in aristocratic circles, exerted political influence and became very rich. Through exploring a painting by William Hogarth that is packed with Newtonian references, Dr Patricia Fara describes aspects of Newton’s life and fame that usually receive little attention. Taking the picture as her cue, she reintegrates him into a metropolitan world where men and women benefited from global trading based on slavery.
Legality and the Ukrainian War - Toby Fenwick
On 24 February 2022, the Russian Federation launched what it euphemistically describes as a 'special military operation' by invading Ukraine. First, we will look at the legality of Russia’s invasion and ask what the international community can do to support Ukraine. Second, we will look at whether crimes have been committed and if so, who can be held responsible.
COVID and contemporary conceptions of liberty - Toby Fenwick
Barring a new variant that sidesteps the vaccine, the COVID-19 pandemic is increasingly under control in those countries which have successful testing and vaccination programmes. However, before vaccines were available, unprecedented powers to lockdown communities and require mask wearing to stop transmission were taken by governments worldwide, leading to protests and civil disobedience in several western countries. What does this tell us about contemporary conceptions of liberty, and of the political divide that it has exposed?
Visions of your future - Dr James Gazzard
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” In this talk, we’ll challenge one another about our personal visions of the future; exploring how we might seek to act as individuals, citizens and lifelong explorers. We’ll cover some practical steps post-university, and some more values-based concepts within a context of always seeking to learn and ‘stay curious’.
Alan Turing and the Enigma machine - Dr James Grime
Alan Turing may best be remembered as one of the leading code breakers of Bletchley Park during World War II. It was Turing's brilliant insights and mathematical mind that helped to break Enigma, the apparently unbreakable code used by the German military. We present a history of both Alan Turing and the Enigma leading to this triumph of mathematical ingenuity.
Disruptive technologies - Dr Oliver Hadeler
Disruptive technologies have the potential for economic and social impact, altering the status quo and creating new opportunities. Past examples include the mechanised loom, moving assembly line and the personal computer. Today we ponder the influence and power of artificial intelligence, gene editing and renewable energies. In this talk we will be looking at the science behind some of these technologies and explore their potentials and challenges for society.
Are physicists really superheroes? Have you got what it takes to solve a problem? - Dr Lisa Jardine-Wright
What is it about physics that attracts so few but repels so many? Physics enables everyone to solve problems every day but a common reaction to Dr Lisa Jardine-Wright’s introduction “I’m a physicist” is “wow – really?”. The subject, its image and its practitioners are often prejudged and misrepresented. A 2020 study has highlighted the preconceptions of students, teachers and parents about physics (https://www.iop.org/about/strategy/limit-less/member-stories). What is it that prevents students from considering physics in their future? In this lecture Dr Jardine-Wright will ask you to reflect on your own perceptions of physics and challenge you to change the face of the future of physics.
Sherlock Holmes and the British Empire - Dr Seán Lang
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary detective first appeared at the height of Britain’s imperial power, and colonial and American themes appear regularly in Holmes’s cases. How might Holmes’s Empire-conscious readers have understood these stories and how can we use them to get a grasp of how the British saw their Empire and their role within it?
Harry Potter and the Evils of Prejudices - Dr John Lennard
The Harry Potter series wasn't only an astonishing commercial and popular phenomenon - it was also sharply topical. While Harry and his friends fought Voldemort and his muggle-hating death-eaters, the Stephen Lawrence Enquiry reported, condemning "institutional racism" in the Metropolitan Police, and the British National Party began to win council seats. This lecture looks back at Rowling's series in context, and considers its powerful treatment of prejudice.
Outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics – a natural cycle or a growing threat? - Dr Tom Monie
The relationship between humans and infectious diseases has always been a tense one. We will look at some of the key diseases that have shaped history and consider the ongoing threat of new pathogens in light of the current coronavirus pandemic.
How are DNA manipulations changing how we live? - Dr Charlie Morgan
Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna were recently awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their discovery of CRISPR/Cas9, a revolutionary DNA editing technique. However, humans have been manipulating DNA for centuries and as a result changing how we live. This talk looks at the science, the promises, and risks involved in DNA manipulations.
How is precision medicine changing healthcare? - Dr Charlie Morgan
Precision medicine is changing how doctors think about patients and how researchers are investigating diseases as they search for new treatments. This talk looks at the challenges of a ‘one-size fits all’ approach and how new biotechnologies are informing both diagnosis and treatments decisions in the clinic.
International Development: what is it good for? - Dr Calum Nicholson (Two talks)
We’re told International development is about changing the world for the better. But why do we think we know how to change it? And why do we think we know what to change it to? At the end of this talk, you’ll see international development a little differently.
Opportunity costing - Dr Sooter Nomhwange
Opportunity costing underlines decision making both for individuals, businesses, and governments. This concept measures the benefit lost/gained from a choice made, in comparison to the best alternative that would have been forgone due to the original choice made. This concept remains an important aspect of business economics, as this can facilitate decision making analysis in both small and large corporations.
Scenes from Shakespeare, 1: Rosalind wooing Orlando - Dr Fred Parker
Boy playing girl plays boy playing girl... meets boy. This talk takes Act 4 Scene 1 from As You Like It as a focus for thinking about cross-dressing and role-playing in Shakespeare. Is it liberating to think that gender roles, and the attitudes to love that go with them, are like parts performed in a play? If love or marriage are being tested in this playful exchange, do they pass the test?
Scenes from Shakespeare, 2: Passing the time with Falstaff - Dr Fred Parker
In a tavern in Eastcheap, Prince Hal explores whether Falstaff can be made accountable for his actions. This talk takes Act 2 Scene 4 from Henry IV Part One as a focus for thinking about this famous double-act, and about what happens when comedy and history collide. Is Falstaff's irresponsibility a vital principle to be celebrated, or a dangerous temptation to be condemned? And why, really, is Hal spending time with him?
Growing the future: from farming linen to farming wind - Dr Darshil Shah
Bridging archaeology, botany and materials engineering, this talk explores the advancements we have made in growing flax fibres that now enable their uses to capture wind energy through plant material-based turbines. Linen is woven into the fabric of human societies: from its first use over 30,000 years ago for making effective stone tools, to its cultivation by Egyptians 5,000 years ago to wrap mummies, to its farming in contemporary France for uses extending into automotive components. We will reflect on historic and modern practices of growing flax, transforming the crop into high-quality fibres and textiles, and designing wind turbines as sustainable energy solutions.
The English Revolution, 1640-60 - Dr David Smith
This lecture examines some of the radical new ideas that emerged during the turbulent times of the English Civil Wars from 1640-60. Along the way we will meet a range of colourful and disparate groups, such as the Levellers, the Diggers, the Ranters, and the Fifth Monarchists, and find out how these new ideas were received and what changes they led to.
How to read an Ancient Greek poem - Dr Charlie Weiss
Dr Charlie Weiss offers a quick overview of the kinds of poems Ancient Greeks wrote and what you need to know to understand them better.
How to read a Latin poem - Dr Charlie Weiss
Dr Charlie Weiss offers a quick overview of the kinds of poems Romans wrote and what you need to know to understand them better.
