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The Invention of Mathematical Proof in the Renaissance
In practice, mathematicians have been 'proving' their results in many ways, in many places, for thousands of years. In principle, however, what is a …
3 years, 4 months ago
How Mathematical Proofs Are Like Recipes
This talk considers mathematical proofs through an analogy to cooking recipes: that proofs give recipes for mathematical actions to be carried out by…
3 years, 4 months ago
Britain's Foreign Policy in a Fast-Changing World
The 2022 Peter Nailor Memorial Lecture
For 40 years Britain's national strategy rested on two main pillars: close partnership with the United States, …
3 years, 4 months ago
Toussaint Louverture and the Haitian Revolution
Toussaint Louverture (the “Black Spartacus”), was one of the main leaders of the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804), which overthrew slavery and led to t…
3 years, 4 months ago
Triads, Major and Minor
The major triad is considered the foundation of tonal music, its privileged position owed to its presence in the harmonic series of acoustics. The mi…
3 years, 4 months ago
Why Net Zero?
What will it take to stop global warming and how long have we got?
These are huge questions for humanity, nature, society and geopolitics. Understandi…
3 years, 4 months ago
The Lost Cities and Amazing Heritage of Kenya
The coast of Kenya has a series of impressive medieval ruins. Amongst the monuments are tombs, grand houses, mosques, and palaces. East African archa…
3 years, 4 months ago
The Maths of Coins and Currencies
People have used money – and made counterfeits - for thousands of years. Archimedes came up with a clever way of finding out if you’ve been cheated b…
3 years, 4 months ago
Tuberculosis: A Cultural History
Tuberculosis (and especially drug resistant strains) is a major global health problem, with over nine million people developing the disease annually …
3 years, 4 months ago
The Microbial Basis of Life
Single-celled microbes underpin all life on Earth, and even complex organisms like humans retain a surprising amount of their microbial heritage. Lif…
3 years, 4 months ago