University of Cambridge

Does the development of new digital technologies and instant access to the internet provide new opportunities or present new dangers? How can good journalism thrive in these new circumstances? With Jane Singer, Mary Fitzgerald, Roxane Farmanfarmaian and Luke Lewis. Chaired by journalist Julian Clover.

What lessons have we learnt from the financial crisis of 2008? Are we on the brink of yet another global collapse? Is it time to start thinking about economics rather differently? Join experts Ha-Joon Chang, Victoria Bateman, Kamal Munir and Vicky Pryce for a discussion. Chaired by Helen Joyce, The Economist.

The Earth's climate has changed throughout its history. So what's so special about now and what can we learn from past climate change? Join a panel of experts as we discuss the past, present and future of this global issue. With Douglas Crawford, Rachel Reckin, Victoria Herrmann and Ben Caldecott. Chaired by Chris Smith, Naked Scientists.

Mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare by discussing his relevance today. Beyond the Elizabethan theatre and around the world, what, if anything, can we still learn from the Bard? With Preti Taneja, Paul Edmondson, Edward Wilson-Lee and Emma Whipday. Chaired by Adrian Poole, University of Cambridge.

Contrary to popular notions of atheism as a product of the Enlightenment, Professor Tim Whitmarsh argues that it was a matter of serious public debate as early as in the classical Greek world. Discover the stories of those who first refused the divinities and find out more about the origins of the secular values at the heart of the modern state.

In a world where too often, it seems, only the economy matters, Fiona Reynolds argues that beauty should shape our lives. Dame Fiona is Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and was formerly Director-General of The National Trust.

The internet used to be an open road, with unrestricted access and use, based very much on trust and community values. Join panellists from Cambridge University's Computer Lab as they discuss recent developments, bumps and obstacles as we traverse down this open road.

Most people that used Email are aware of the rapid rise of spam, rendering it almost useless for many uses where reliability is essential. As the world moves on to use other services, we find that social media, blogging and news media access are also subject to various obstacles, some that impact performance, and some that intrude more explicitly, such as censorship, by site blocking, or bots, automated systems that create content, often for a particular political or commercial purpose.

In the Computer Laboratory, we've been studying these phenomena systematically for some years, and this panel will discuss what we have been finding.

Classicist James Clackson discusses what we can learn from the ancient Romans and Greeks about the impact of migration on language. How is this relevant to contemporary concerns about immigration and language change?

Professor John Harris of the University of Manchester presents this year’s Sir Hermann Bondi Lecture.

With our increasing abilities to manipulate genes, we will increasingly have to tackle the ethical issues involved. Even if governments and other regulating authorities catch up with these issues, the publics they represent or regulate also need the opportunity to do so. John Harris discusses the ethical and policy dimensions raised by gene editing, the creation of human/animal hybrids and chimeras, Artificial Intelligence and human enhancement, cognitive, physical and moral.

A recent study involving the largest set of trials in criminal justice research found that assaults against officers wearing body cameras were 15% higher than against those without cameras. What does this tell us about the effectiveness of body cameras and how they’re used?

Featuring Alex Sutherland (RAND Europe); Barak Ariel (University of Cambridge); and Julian Huppert (Former MP for Cambridge and University Lecturer)