Gresham College Lectures

Close examination of the events leading up to the Iraq War 2003 and detailed analysis of the decision making process by Professor Vernon Bogdanor FBA CBE http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/the-iraq-war-2003

Britain and the United States had long been fearful that Saddam Hussein, the dictator of Iraq, was developing weapons of mass destruction in breach of the armistice agreement which had ended the first Gulf war in 1991. After the terrorist attack on the United States on 11 September 2001, President Bush determined on regime change, a policy first announced by his predecessor, President Clinton. Britain's Labour government, led by Prime Minister, Tony Blair, as well as the Conservative opposition, supported the United States. There was, however, considerable opposition to the war, opposition which appeared justified when no weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq. The Iraq war led many to feel that government was insufficiently accountable to Parliament, and it increased popular distrust of political leaders, a distrust which remains today.

The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/the-iraq-war-2003

Gresham College has been giving free public lectures since 1597. This tradition continues today with all of our five or so public lectures a week being made available for free download from our website. There are currently over 1,900 lectures free to access or download from the website.

Website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk
Twitter: http://twitter.com/GreshamCollege
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greshamcollege
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/greshamcollege

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An overview of the impact of development and developers on the water environment by Professor Carolyn Roberts http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/development-developers-and-the-water-environment

Would you want a quarry near your house? Driven by EU law, environmental impact assessment is now a requirement for developers planning mineral extraction, waste disposal sites and major housing schemes. Initially, the emphasis lay on the prevention of environmental damage, but very rapidly this shifted into the language of 'sustainability', and what might be gained from development.

In theory, beautiful and inspirational new landscapes can be created, that encourage outdoor recreation and biodiversity. But there is still some reluctance from industry, and local residents inevitably oppose development.

The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/development-developers-and-the-water-environment

Gresham College has been giving free public lectures since 1597. This tradition continues today with all of our five or so public lectures a week being made available for free download from our website. There are currently over 1,900 lectures free to access or download from the website.

Website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk

Twitter: http://twitter.com/GreshamCollege

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greshamcollege

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/greshamcollege

Professor Dr Simon Thurley identifies the five events that shaped London’s landscape as we know it today http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/the-five-catastrophes-that-made-london

London is the most dynamic old world city on the planet – renewal has been at the heart of its success. Disaster has never been courted, but when it has come it has provided the platform for advances that have been at first sight architectural but with hindsight economic and social.

The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/the-five-catastrophes-that-made-london

Gresham College has been giving free public lectures since 1597. This tradition continues today with all of our five or so public lectures a week being made available for free download from our website. There are currently over 1,900 lectures free to access or download from the website.

Website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk

Twitter: http://twitter.com/GreshamCollege

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greshamcollege

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/greshamcollege

When referring to the play within the play ‘The Real Thing’ entitled ‘House of Cards’, Professor Jack explains the different meanings of this phrase in her lecture ‘Theatre and Love: Tom Stoppard, The Real Thing’.

The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/theatre-and-love-tom-stoppard-the-real-thing

Gresham College has been giving free public lectures since 1597. This tradition continues today with all of our five or so public lectures a week being made available for free download from our website. There are currently over 1,900 lectures free to access or download from the website.

Website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk

Twitter: http://twitter.com/GreshamCollege

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greshamcollege

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/greshamcollege

An overview of the impact of development and developers on the water environment by Professor Carolyn Roberts http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/development-developers-and-the-water-environment

Would you want a quarry near your house? Driven by EU law, environmental impact assessment is now a requirement for developers planning mineral extraction, waste disposal sites and major housing schemes. Initially, the emphasis lay on the prevention of environmental damage, but very rapidly this shifted into the language of 'sustainability', and what might be gained from development.

In theory, beautiful and inspirational new landscapes can be created, that encourage outdoor recreation and biodiversity. But there is still some reluctance from industry, and local residents inevitably oppose development.

The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/development-developers-and-the-water-environment

Gresham College has been giving free public lectures since 1597. This tradition continues today with all of our five or so public lectures a week being made available for free download from our website. There are currently over 1,900 lectures free to access or download from the website.

Website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk
Twitter: http://twitter.com/GreshamCollege
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greshamcollege
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/greshamcollege

Support the show

This concluding lecture considers a leading theme of Christian theology – that we have some innate tendency to believe in God (e.g., Pascal, George Herbert, and C. S. Lewis). The lecture then considers the evidence from recent "evolutionary cognitive science of religion" that religion is natural. The lecture assesses these findings, and considers their implications for debates about the future of religion in western culture.

The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/why-god-wont-go-away

Gresham College has been giving free public lectures since 1597. This tradition continues today with all of our five or so public lectures a week being made available for free download from our website. There are currently over 1,900 lectures free to access or download from the website.

Website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk

Twitter: http://twitter.com/GreshamCollege

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greshamcollege

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/greshamcollege

Professor Dr Simon Thurley identifies the five events that shaped London's landscape as we know it today http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/the-five-catastrophes-that-made-london

London is the most dynamic old world city on the planet - renewal has been at the heart of its success. Disaster has never been courted, but when it has come it has provided the platform for advances that have been at first sight architectural but with hindsight economic and social.

The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/the-five-catastrophes-that-made-london
Gresham College has been giving free public lectures since 1597. This tradition continues today with all of our five or so public lectures a week being made available for free download from our website. There are currently over 1,900 lectures free to access or download from the website.

Website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk
Twitter: http://twitter.com/GreshamCollege
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greshamcollege
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/greshamcollege

Support the show

When referring to the play within the play 'The Real Thing' entitled 'House of Cards', Professor Jack explains the different meanings of this phrase in her lecture 'Theatre and Love: Tom Stoppard, The Real Thing'.

The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/theatre-and-love-tom-stoppard-the-real-thing

Gresham College has been giving free public lectures since 1597. This tradition continues today with all of our five or so public lectures a week being made available for free download from our website. There are currently over 1,900 lectures free to access or download from the website.

Website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk
Twitter: http://twitter.com/GreshamCollege
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greshamcollege
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/greshamcollege

Support the show

This concluding lecture considers a leading theme of Christian theology - that we have some innate tendency to believe in God (e.g., Pascal, George Herbert, and C. S. Lewis). The lecture then considers the evidence from recent "evolutionary cognitive science of religion" that religion is natural. The lecture assesses these findings, and considers their implications for debates about the future of religion in western culture.

The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/why-god-wont-go-away

Gresham College has been giving free public lectures since 1597. This tradition continues today with all of our five or so public lectures a week being made available for free download from our website. There are currently over 1,900 lectures free to access or download from the website.

Website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk
Twitter: http://twitter.com/GreshamCollege
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greshamcollege
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/greshamcollege

Support the show