Our lectures
Our Public Lecture Series is a showcase of research highlights from across the University. The lectures are given by Reading academics eminent in their field and cover a wide range of topical subjects.
Our Public Lectures take place on Wednesday evenings in the Palmer Lecture Theatre.
Thirst: Water and power in the ancient world
Wednesday 17 October 2012, 8pm
Palmer Building, Whiteknights campus
Professor Steven Mithen
Professor of Early Prehistory, and Pro-Vice-Chancellor for International and External Engagement
The planet faces a 21st century global water crisis – but is this really new? In this lecture, archaeologist Steven Mithen will take you on a journey through the ancient world, from the Minoans to the Maya, from the Angkor to the Andes, explaining how the rise of past civilisations depended upon remarkable works of hydraulic engineering to manage the water supply, while their collapse arose from excessive droughts and floods. What lessons can we learn from ancient civilisations that can help us manage our water today?
Hot in the city: Urban Heat Islands explained
Wednesday 14 November 2012, 8pm
Palmer Building, Whiteknights campus
Professor Janet Barlow, Department of Meteorology, and Director of the Centre for Technologies for Sustainable Built Environments (TSBE)
Most of us live or work in an urban area and have experienced the unique nature of an urban climate. The best known example is an Urban Heat Island, where the centre of a town can be several degrees warmer than its rural surroundings. What causes the Urban Heat Island? Can we alter the design of our cities to beat the heat in the future? This lecture will explore the meteorological processes controlling our city temperatures.
The Charles Dickens phenomenon: Dickensian values in the 21st Century
Wednesday 12 December 2012, 8pm
Palmer Building, Whiteknights
Dr Andrew Mangham, Department of English Literature
The name Charles Dickens has become synonymous with a certain set of values. In his novels and shorter writings, charity, compassion and the love of ‘fancy’ become important methods of understanding and surviving the modern age. What was it about the Victorian period that required such a restatement of human feeling? What can Dickens’ lessons teach us in our own hard times?
Whither al-Qaeda? The future of the 'Islamist threat'
Wednesday 30 January 2013, 8pm
Palmer Building, Whiteknights
Dr Christina Hellmich, Reader in International Relations and Middle East Studies
Since September 11, 2001 al-Qaeda has come to embody the new enigmatic face of terrorism, dominating discussions of national and international security. Yet in spite of this attention, conflicting assumptions about the group abound. Is al-Qaeda a rigidly structured organisation, a global network of semi-independent cells, or simply an idea whose time has come? What are the implications of Osama bin Laden’s death and the ‘Arab Spring’? Are countries like Yemen and Syria to become the new Afghanistan – and do we really need to worry about the ‘Islamist threat’?
Modern finance in the Middle Ages: What history can tell us about current financial crises
Wednesday 13 February 2013, 8pm
Palmer Building, Whiteknights
Professor Adrian Bell Head of the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) Centre
Ever since the financial crisis of 2007–8, finance has never been far from the front pages, but this is not new – we can find a credit crunch, sovereign default and rate rigging in medieval Europe. Just like current investment bankers, medieval merchants were engaged in financial engineering, risky lending to governments and manipulation of exchange rates. This lecture will explore how medieval financial innovations have many parallels with recent events.
Dietary dilemmas: Is there an optimum diet to prevent heart disease?
Wednesday 20 March 2013, 8pm
Palmer Building, Whiteknights
Professor Julie Lovegrove Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences and Institute for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research (ICMR)
Cardiovascular disease is a major killer in the Western world. Although there are a number of populationbased dietary recommendations, scientists disagree on what represents the optimum diet to reduce the risk of heart disease. Would changing our diet reduce this risk? Would a personalised diet based on our genetic make-up really improve how we respond to treatment? This lecture will examine the current evidence for the impact of dietary change on our heart health.