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. More titles and short descriptions will be added over the coming weeks.
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.
Enter pursuing a bear - Dr John Lennard
Infamously, Antigonus must ‘Exit pursued by a beare’, and is shortly reported killed and eaten by it, the reporter being a Clown with a wildly histrionic manner as the play somehow flips from tragedy to comedy despite various deaths. Shakespeare’s only stage-bear has been much maligned, too many critics having a horror of both men in bear suits and real bears, but it is a deeply allusive and theatrically hard-working beast, and a well-penned part with many questions to answer. This lecture goes in ursine quest, and meets several other stage-bears along the way, as well as some real ones.
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. You 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.
Science, mystery and human drama in the Enlightenment - Analysis of Bird in an Air Pump (1768) by Joseph Wright of Derby - Dr Sarah Pearson
In a darkened room a group of figures gather around a table, eyes fixed on the spectacle of a panicking white bird trapped within a glass sphere - what is the drama unfolding in this image? Wright of Derby's masterpiece is a painting of the Enlightenment, an era when scientific advancement presented new subject matter to artists. In analysing this image we see that scientific experiment is presented as a moment of high drama where each viewer reacts in a different way, with horror, with fascination , with disinterest. Not just an depiction of scientific thought, we will consider how this layered image also adresses life, religion and society at a time of great change.
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.
"If a lion could speak".... - 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.
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.
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.
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.
Stonehenge: a changing place in a changing world - Professor David Jacques
What is peace and how can we build it? - Dr Peter Dixon
We may think that peace is when the fighting stops. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Looking at the war in Ukraine, we may be able to see how difficult it is to bring the violence to a halt. But even if that succeeds, achieving lasting peace and stability is much more difficult. To help understand why this is so, this lecture explores what lies behind violent conflict, the different ways people understand ‘peace’ and the ways in which sustainable peace might be achieved.
'Ten books you won't be told to read (anywhere else) - Dr John Lennard
Supporting youth mental health - Dr Ruth Sellers
Evidence suggests that mental health difficulties are common and can have a range of adverse impacts. Much evidence focuses on understanding risk-based processes but what does evidence tell us about factors that may promote positive mental health? This lecture will explore some of the evidence regarding factors that may mitigate youth mental health, and promote positive mental health. We will consider the evidence for a number of factors (eg, supportive relationships and social support, coping/problem solving, exercise). We will consider what insights we can draw to better support children and adolescents to promote positive mental health outcomes.
The meaning of modern monarchy - Dr Sean Lang
Seventy years after the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain celebrated the coronation of King Charles III. But why is modern Britain still a monarchy and what does monarchy mean in the 21st century? This talk will look at the changing role of Britain's monarchy, its international role, and why the lessons of monarchy are still relevant to the modern world - even to modern-day republics.
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.
Medical emergency: climate emergency - Dr Claire Barlow
When the pandemic hit in spring 2020, one of the many international crises was the urgent need for protective masks, gloves and aprons. Demand in the UK healthcare sector quadrupled, and supplies simply weren’t available. Most items are designed for single use, so there’s constant demand for increased production, carrying sky-high financial and environmental costs. And what happens to all this equipment when it’s discarded? Some of it ends up littering our streets and hedges; internationally, masks are contributing to contamination of our oceans. Does it have to be like this? Hygiene must take top priority in healthcare, but what scope is there for reducing environmental impact while still keeping people safe?
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.
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.
Developing your skills - Lucy Romijn
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.
COVID-19 and contemporary conceptions of liberty - Toby Fenwick
Studying in the UK - Roshan Walkerly
The future of electronics - Gwen Wyatt-Moon
How DNA manipulations are changing the way we fight infections - Dr Ashraf Zarkan
Infections are illnesses caused by harmful micro-organisms (pathogens) which are mainly bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. Throughout history, humanity has been threatened by countless outbreaks of infections, with COVID-19 being the most recent one. While numerous treatments and preventatives have been developed in the past to face these threats, the discovery of DNA and the rapidly evolving field of DNA manipulation have been playing a major role in developing new strategies to fight infections. This talk will give an overview of the field of DNA manipulation with examples of its application in fight against infections.
Applying to Cambridge - Olivia Matthewson
The ethics of AI - Dr Alex Carter
In this lecture, Alex Carter asks whether or not it is possible to create ethical machines. Arguing that we cannot, I nevertheless consider ways of managing artificial intelligences ethically; and transparently. Ultimately, I argue that any ethical status machines have derives from us humans.
Visions of your future - Dr James Gazzard
