Search | Gresham College

Can Machines Be Conscious, and Would It Matter If They Were?

The question “Will AI artefacts ever be conscious?” was raised by Turing seventy years ago, and will not go away even though no one quite knows what it means, nor how we would know they were conscious if they were.

Physics: Its Birth in Greek Ionia

This lecture discusses the pioneering physical theories of Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes, Anaxagoras and Democritus.

Taming the Trolls of Social Media

Barely a day goes by without some lunatic assertion on social media. Thinking-people shake their heads, but what can be done about this?

The End of Matter?

This talk will separate science fiction from science fact and elucidate what we know about these mysterious objects, and how they have shaped, and continue to shape, our Universe.

The Origins of the Elements

In this talk, Dr Wilkins will discuss the astrophysical origins of the chemical elements, almost all of which have an origin ranging from the big bang, to exploding white dwarfs, the collapse of massive stars, and the merger of ultra-compact objects, neutron stars.

AI Weapons, War and Ethics

This lecture will explore fully autonomous weapons, the products of AI technology, and the arguments for and against their use.

Weighing the Universe

This lecture will explain the physics of the cosmic microwave background and the challenges in understanding where our universe came from.

Frozen in Time?

This talk will review the dramatic consequences on what we observe in the night sky that arise purely from the consequences of light-travel time effects.

Biometrics: How Unique are You?

How do biometrics help reduce crime and is it possible to have a biometric system yet not broadcast even more personal information than we do now?

The Maths of Future Computing

This lecture examines the mathematics behind computing, starting with the history of the explosive growth of computer technology, from code breaking through to all aspects of modern communication and security.

Suggested searches:

For the Love of Learning since 1597

Popular topics:

Search results