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The Clockwork God: Isaac Newton and the Mechanical Universe

Isaac Newton saw his demonstration of the regularity of the universe as having great religious significance. Newton’s ideas were initially seen as very supportive of religion; yet within 50 years, they were being seen in a very different light.

How Special Is Our Universe?

Theories of the multiverse suggest that life-containing universes are incredibly rare. We live in one of these, whether by cosmological natural selection or by the consequences of a theory yet to be formulated.

Shakespeare's Heroes

What do we mean by a hero and where does our understanding of the ‘heroic’ idiom come from? In this lecture, Jonathan Bate will show how Shakespeare’s idea of the hero was shaped by the classical tradition, going back to the ancient tale of Troy and Virgil’s epic poem The Aeneid.

Watching the Heavens: Astronomy and the Meaning of Life

What did the sky-watchers of the ancient world think about the night sky, and its implications for human existence? Moving on to the great discoveries of Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo, we will consider the basic science and ask about the deeper significance of these discoveries.

Are We Alone In The Universe?

The answer to ‘are we alone?’ affects our claim for being special in the cosmos, and we shall never know unless we search.

Shakespeare's London and Ancient Rome

Jonathan Bate tells the story of how and why Shakespeare was steeped in the classics, from his earliest plays such as Titus Andronicus and The Comedy of Errors to his dramatisations of the stories of Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra.

How Were The Stars Formed?

Professor Silk, Gresham Professor of Astronomy, opens his lecture series with the question 'How Were The Stars Formed?'

Observing the Dark Ages

An exploration of a time when there were no stars or galaxies, and the universe was transparent - how were the first indications of the state of the universe in the dark ages discovered?

The Art of Astrophotography

The book launch for Ian Morison's new book The Art of Astrophotography.

The Accelerating Universe

Professor Silk will explore the origin of this paradigm shift in our cosmic horizon, and discuss the origin of the acceleration as a phenomenon that we call dark energy.

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