Deepfakes, distrust and democracy
Ben Ansell concludes his series of Reith Lectures on why politics fails
Ben Ansell's third 2023 Reith Lecture on why politics fails.
Professor Ben Ansell gives the second of his 2023 Reith Lectures on why politics fails.
Professor Ben Ansell delivers the first 2023 Reith Lectures on Our Democratic Future.
Foreign affairs expert Dr Fiona Hill gives her BBC Reith Lecture on Freedom from Fear.
Author and musician Darren McGarvey, delivers his Reith Lecture on 'Freedom from Want'.
Rowan Williams delivers his BBC Reith lecture on faith and liberty in Welsh.
Rowan Williams delivers his BBC Reith Lecture on faith and liberty
Best-selling author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's BBC Reith Lecture on freedom of speech.
Stuart Russell suggests a way forward for human control over artificial intelligence.
What will artificial intelligence mean for the future of work?
Stuart Russell warns of the dangers of developing autonomous weapon systems
Stuart Russell asks how artificial intelligence could transform our world
Mark Carney argues that the market can be redirected to alleviating climate change.
Mark Carney looks at the tensions between economic and human values during the pandemic.
Mark Carney assesses what lessons have been learnt from the 2008 financial crash.
Why have financial values come to be considered more important than human ones?
Jonathan Sumption argues against Britain adopting a written constitution.
Jonathan Sumption assess the pros and cons of written and unwritten constitutions.
Jonathan Sumption argues that courts have usurped power via human rights law.
Jonathan Sumption explains how democracy can accommodate opposing opinions and interests
Jonathan Sumption argues that the law is taking over the space once occupied by politics.
Margaret MacMillan examines how we remember and represent war in art.
Margaret MacMillan assesses attempts to constrain and justify conflict.
Margaret MacMillan examines the role of civilians as supporters and victims of conflict.
Margaret MacMillan explores our complex relationship with the people who go to war.
Margaret MacMillan asks if war is an essential part of being human.
A re-examination of George Kennan's 1957 Reith Lectures, 'Russia, the Atom and the West'.
Sarah Montague and Grayson Perry discuss Nikolaus Pevsner's lectures on 'English Art'.
Sarah Montague and Brian Cox reconsider Robert Oppenheimer's 1953 Reith lectures.
Sarah Montague and Anand Menon revisit Robert Birley's Reith Lectures, Britain in Europe.
Michael Sandel revisits the inaugural Reith Lectures given by Bertrand Russell.
Hilary Mantel on how fiction changes when adapted for stage or screen.
Hilary Mantel on how historical fiction can make the past come to life.
The story of how historical obsession killed a Polish writer, told by Hilary Mantel.
How do we construct our pictures of the past asks Hilary Mantel.
Art can bring the dead back to life, argues the late novelist Hilary Mantel.
Philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah asks us to give up the idea of western civilisation.
Philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah argues for a world free of racial fixations.
Philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah argues against a mythical and romantic view of nationhood
Philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah says we overestimate scripture in our view of faith.
Professor Stephen Hawking delivers the second of his BBC Reith Lectures on black holes.
Professor Stephen Hawking delivers the first of his BBC Reith Lectures on black holes.
Atul Gawande calls for a new focus on systems to ensure doctors work more effectively.
Atul Gawande calls for a new approach to the 'great unfixables' - ageing and death.
Atul Gawande calls for a radical rethink of medical systems to transform healthcare.
Surgeon and writer Dr Atul Gawande explores the nature of fallibility in medicine.
Grayson Perry discusses the painful yet rewarding process of becoming an artist.
The artist Grayson Perry discusses art and revolution.
Grayson Perry questions the often-heard assertion that anything can be art.
The artist Grayson Perry on how to judge quality in contemporary art
Niall Ferguson asks what constitutes a vibrant and independent civil society.
Niall Ferguson asks if different systems of law are key to economic success.
Niall Ferguson reflects on the causes and lessons of the global financial crisis.
Niall Ferguson argues that institutions determine the success or failure of nations.
Ex-M15 boss Eliza Manningham-Buller discusses foreign policy in her third Reith Lecture.
Assessing the role of security and intelligence services in a democracy.
Eliza Manningham-Buller reflects on 9/11 in the first of her Reith Lectures 2011.
Aung San Suu Kyi examines what drives people to dissent in the second Reith Lecture 2011.
Aung San Suu Kyi explores what freedom means in the first of the 2011 Reith Lectures.
Prof Rees calls for the UK to stay at the forefront of scientific research and discovery.
Professor Martin Rees explains where the limits of our scientific knowledge lie.
Does science have the answers to help us save our planet?
Prof Martin Rees asks who we should trust to explain the risks we face.
Professor Sandel makes the case for a moral and civic renewal in democratic politics.
Professor Sandel considers how we should use our ever-increasing scientific knowledge.
Michael Sandel asks what role, if any, there is for moral argument in politics.
Prof Michael Sandel considers the expansion and moral limits of markets.
Spence discusses how Chinese ideas of sport and athleticism have slowly evolved.
Spence explores the relationship between China and the US over two centuries.
Spence examines China's relations with the United Kingdom through three centuries.
Spence reflects on China's most enduring thinker, Confucius.
Jeffrey Sachs calls for a new Enlightenment to help make globalisation work for all.
Jeffrey Sachs delivers the fourth of five lectures. He considers the challenges of poverty
Jeffrey Sachs talks about the need for international cooperation to achieve peace.
Sachs discusses China's emergence as an economic superpower and the effect on climate.
Jeffrey Sachs delivers the first of five lectures, recorded at The Royal Society in London
Daniel Barenboim considers the difference between power and strength in music and in life.
Daniel Barenboim examines how music has the power to bring people together.
Daniel Barenboim argues that classical music can and should be accessible to all.
Daniel Barenboim examines what he calls 'the neglected sense'; the ear.
Musician and conductor Daniel Barenboim examines the physical phenomenon of sound.
In his final lecture, Lord Broers explores the responsibilities of the technologist.
Lord Broers explores the origins and impact of nanotechnology.
Does modern innovation demand new approaches to product development?
In his second Reith Lecture, Lord Broers explores the origins of modern technologies.
Lord Broers sets out his belief that technology will hold the key to the future.
In his final Reith Lecture, Wole Soyinka examines the causes and impact of fanaticism.
Wole Soyinka explores the notion of dignity within a climate of fear.
In his third lecture, Wole Soyinka examines the power of political and religious rhetoric.
Wole Soyinka examines the difficulties in telling friend from foe in a climate of fear.
Wole Soyinka considers the nature of fear and its impact on individuals and society.
Professor Ramachandran explores how neuroscience alters man's understanding of himself.
Professor Ramachandran examines the phenomenon of synesthesia.
Professor Ramachandran examines the meaning of art from a neurological perspective.
Professor Ramachandran examines how we 'see' and become conscious of our surroundings.
Professor Ramachandran discusses the functionality of the brain in relation to neurology.
Onora O'Neill asks how we decide when to trust those who inform us about the wider world.
Onora O'Neill examines how transparency and trust are related.
Onora O'Neill examines the quest for more accountability in government and institutions.
Onora O'Neill examines extreme situations where danger and terror undermine trust.
Onora O'Neill asks whether there real evidence of a crisis of trust in society.
Professor Kirkwood argues that the longevity revolution has reached a turning-point.
Professor Kirkwood discusses meeting the challenge of an older population.
Professor Tom Kirkwood explores the connections between sex and death.
Professor Tom Kirkwood looks at a revolution in the life sciences.
Professor Tom Kirkwood explores the revolution in the human aging process.
Dr Vandana Shiva examines the impact of globalisation on the lives of ordinary people.
Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland examines issues surrounding health in developing countries.
Sir John Browne examines the role of business in delivering sustainable development.
Tom Lovejoy argues that biological diversity lies at the heart of sustainable development.
Chris Patten examines how governance affects sustainable development.
Professor Giddens examines one of the most powerful ideas of the 20th century.
How do changing roles within the family promote democracy and economic development?
Professor Giddens looks at the links between tradition and fundamentalism.
Professor Anthony Giddens examines the ways globalisation has affected our lives.
John Keegan considers how the causes of war are to be addressed and conflict resolved.
John Keegan considers the impact of battle on those who fight them.
John Keegan explores the evolving relationship between war and the nation state.
John Keegan explores the origins of warfare, when combat first became purposeful.
Military historian John Keegan explores the impact warfare has had on modern times.
Professor Williams explores solutions to prevent racism and reconcile racial tensions.
Professor Williams examines the impact of racialised science on attitudes to race.
Professor Williams examines the interaction of race and class in society.
Professor Williams explores 'racial voyeurism' and the denial of racial experiences.
Professor Patricia Williams assesses the effect of social blindness about colour and race.
Professor Jean Aitchison looks at the way we use language.
Professor Jean Aitchison examines the word-learning ability inbuilt in humans.
Professor Jean Aitchison explores how and why language develops so quickly in children.
Professor Jean Aitchison examines the origin of language in the human species.
Professor Jean Aitchison examines what troubles us about how our language is changing.
Richard Rogers considers the practical steps needed to create more sustainable cities.
Richard Rogers examines some of the economic, social and ecological problems London faces.
Richard Rogers examines the ways in which buildings can enhance the public sphere.
Richard Rogers explores how cities can be socially divisive and environmentally hazardous.
Richard Rogers explores both the civilising and brutalising aspects of urban life.
Marina Warner looks at myths of national identity and asks: what is home ground?
In her penultimate lecture Marina Warner asks: who are the real cannibals?
From King Kong to the teddy bear, Marina Warner examines the changing value of the animal.
Marina Warner examines the various depictions of children in myths and stories.
Marina Warner examines the threads linking ancient myths and modern machismo.
In her first lecture, Marina Warner examines the role of the 'she-monster' in myth.
Edward Said considers how far an intellectual should participate in the public sphere.
Edward Said asks the basic question for the intellectual: how does one speak the truth?
Edward Said examines amateur intellectuals and their influence on society.
Edward Said considers intellectuals as people on the margins of their own society.
Edward Said explores the role of intellectuals from different cultures and backgrounds.
Edward Said examines the definition and role of intellectuals in the modern world.
Steve Jones argues that humans may be as near to biological utopia as we will ever get.
Steve Jones examines the ways in which science has been used to support prejudice.
Steve Jones examines the correlation between genetic change and economic development.
Dr Steve Jones explores the power and consequences of natural selection.
Dr Steve Jones explores the importance of mutation in species and individual development.
Dr Steve Jones explores what genetics can tell us about what it means to be human.
Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explains why faith survives.
Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks assesses the explosive mix of religious revival and nationalism
Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explores the language of religion and community.
Dr. Jonathan Sacks explores the religious institution of marriage in society.
Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explores how objective standards influence our ethics.
Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks argues that religion is the best moral framework for society.
Jacques Darras explores how Medieval Irish monks hold the key to a United Europe.
Jacques Darras explores the memories of the Somme and the lessons learnt from WW1.
Jacques Darras suggests a new age of mobility and a revival of the 'Grand Tour' of Europe.
Jacques Darras explains how multiculturalism is not a modern concept.
Jacques Darras explores the embodiment of democracy within the civic squares of Europe.
Professor Geoffrey Hosking analyses how democracy can evolve after a totalitarian regime.
Professor Geoffrey Hosking analyses the détente between the Soviet state and the Church.
Professor Geoffrey Hosking discusses the national aspirations of the Soviet peoples.
Professor Geoffrey Hosking investigates the embryonic state of a civil Soviet society.
Professor Geoffrey Hosking investigates the communal amnesia found in Soviet society.
Professor Geoffrey Hosking analyses how a 'glasnost' affects the Soviet economy.
Professor Alexander Goehr stresses why society must fight to save the symphony.
Professor Alexander Goehr explores the creation of 'community' music by modern composers.
Professor Alexander Goehr explores how avant-garde music lost its edge.
Professor Alexander Goehr diagnoses the pressures of contemporary music-making.
Professor Alexander Goehr judges the effect of recorded sound on our perception of music.
The composer Alexander Goehr discusses rise and fall of the Symphony.
Lord McCluskey concludes his lectures on the state of the British legal system.
Lord McCluskey argues against the enactment of a Bill of Rights in the United Kingdom.
Lord McCluskey argues for the more unambiguous adjudication.
Lord McCluskey argues ultimate responsibility for legislation lies with Parliament.
Lord McCluskey examines how judges come to their conclusions.
Lord McCluskey questions the role judges perform in sentencing criminals.
David Henderson considers the wider context of market states and economics.
David Henderson examines how influential economists really are.
David Henderson explores the role of international trade on economics.
David Henderson considers the contrasts between different economic processes.
David Henderson examines the leading elements of do-it-yourself economics.
David Henderson examines the power of do-it-yourself economics.
Professor John Searle examines the evidence for and against the existence of free will.
Professor John Searle explores the limitations of human behavioural science.
Professor John Searle analyses how our mental activities can produce our behaviour.
Professor John Searle examines the discipline of cognitive science.
Professor John Searle considers whether a digital computer can be taught to think.
Professor John Searle examines the connections between the mind and the brain.
Sir Douglas Wass makes the case for a more autonomous Royal Commission.
Sir Douglas Wass examines the effect on government of more public access to information.
Sir Douglas Wass examines the executive power of Parliament.
Sir Douglas Wass asks which Civil Service reforms would strengthen it and which weaken it.
Sir Douglas Wass analyses the effectiveness of the British Parliamentary Cabinet.
Sir Douglas Wass examines what we mean by 'government'.
Irish literary critic Denis Donoghue explores societies' need to over analyse art.
Denis Donoghue evaluates the destruction of raw art by interpretation.
Denis Donoghue analyses how the categorisation of art is destroying its mystery.
Denis Donoghue examines how critics influence society's perception of art.
Irish literary critic Denis Donoghue evaluates how the creation of art can be a mystery.
Denis Donoghue explores how and why people destroy the mystery of art.
Professor Laurence Martin explores the future of strategic defence.
Professor Laurence Martin debates the disarmament and arms control of countries.
Professor Laurence Martin explores the conflicts of strategic policy over the Third World.
Professor Laurence Martin explores the strategic nuclear balance of countries.
Professor Laurence Martin explores the strategic limitations of nuclear weapons.
Professor Laurence Martin questions how nations protect national security.
Sir Ian Kennedy analyses how consumerism regulates the medical profession and health care.
Sir Ian Kennedy explores the the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness.
Sir Ian Kennedy reviews the ethical judgements used by the medical profession.
Sir Ian Kennedy reviews how he believes the National Health Service could be improved.
Sir Ian Kennedy explains why he believes modern medicine has taken the wrong path.
Professor Sir Ian Kennedy analyses the role of the doctor in the modern world.
Professor Ali Mazrui explores how Africa's location holds the key to its destiny.
Professor Ali Mazrui explains the significance of the size and fragmentation of Africa.
Professor Ali Mazrui examines the burden of Africa's economic underdevelopment.
Professor Ali Mazrui explores the conflicts between African and Western cultures.
Professor Ali Mazrui examines injustices that have been inflicted on the African people.
Professor Ali Mazrui examines the crisis of living standards in Africa.
Reverend Dr Edward Norman considers the importance of spirituality within Christianity.
Edward Norman explores the religious politics in his lecture 'Not Peace, but a Sword'
Reverend Edward Norman explores the Imperialism of Political Religion.
Reverend Edward Norman contemplates if human rights are the newest form of Commandments.
Reverend Norman explores who the 'Ministers of Change' are in society.
Reverend Edward Norman examines the politicisation of Christianity.
Professor A H Halsey evaluates the bond of fraternity found in the British Society.
Professor A H Halsey examines the relationship between generations in a nuclear family.
Professor A H Halsey traces the growth of organisations in Britain's society.
A H Halsey explores the changing concept of 'Status' in British society.
Professor A H Halsey investigates the class-ridden structure of Britain's Society.
Professor A H Halsey explores the fluctuating characteristics of the British identity.
Professor Blakemore explores how society attempts to regulate the behaviour of its members
Colin Blakemore explores the evolution of speech and language.
Neurobiologist Colin Blakemore explains how the brain creates and stores memories.
Neurobiologist Colin Blakemore explains how the mind creates sight and perception.
Neurobiologist Colin Blakemore discusses why humans need to sleep.
Neurobiologist Colin Blakemore explores the historic concepts of the brain.
Dr Daniel J Boorstin considers the importance of an adventurous spirit for exploration.
Professor Ralf Dahrendorf discusses the concept of difference and averages.
Professor Ralf Dahrendorf evaluates how equality has affected liberal justice.
Professor Ralf Dahrendorf explores the liberal options available to society.
Professor Ralf Dahrendorf defines liberty and evaluates its evolution in society.
Professor Alastair Buchan explores how transnational co-operation links to global change.
Professor Alastair Buchan analyses America's multilateral power structures.
Sir Andrew Shonfield considers the long-term future of the European Community.
Sir Andrew Shonfield asks how Britain's inclusion will affect the European Community.
Sir Andrew Shonfield explores the effects of the European Community's foreign policy.
Sir Andrew Shonfield explores Europe's political relationship with America.
Sir Andrew Shonfield identifies the problems in creating a European Federation.
Sir Andrew Shonfield debates the prospects of the European Community.
Richard Hoggart analyses how humans fundamentally understand each other via communication.
Donald Schon analyses society's need for a stable position of balance.
Sir Fraser Darling asks who is responsible for the protection of the natural world.
Sir Frank Fraser Darling considers the art of conservation.
Sir Frank Fraser Darling reflects on the problem of overpopulation.
Sir Fraser Darling explores the ecological consequences of the industrial revolution.
Sir Frank Fraser Darling explores the impact of Man on his environment.
Sir Frank Fraser Darling argues for the conservation of humans.
Lester Pearson contemplates the concept of nationalism in an international world.
Professor Edmund Leach explores the importance of the interconnectedness of the universe.
Professor Edmund Leach analyses the human fear of 'the other'.
Professor J K Galbraith explores the power large corporations could have over the state.
Robert Gardiner considers the problems of economic inequality and race relations.
Robert Gardiner explores the myths of race; from past history to current frustrations.
Leon Bagrit considers the problems and advantages of widespread automation in Britain.
Dr Albert E Sloman considers how to build a social environment within the university.
Professor George Carstairs considers why teenagers are drawn to violence and sex.
Margery Perham considers the problem of the European colonists.
Margery Perham explores how anti-colonialism led to emancipation in Africa.
Edgar Wind considers how machines have influenced the production and evaluation of art.
Edgar Wind explores how knowledge allows our aesthetic perception of art to be heightened.
Professor PM Medawar considers the future of human evolution.
Professor Bernard Lovell explores the continuous creation theory of the universe.
Professor Bernard Lovell contemplates the implications of evolutionary theory.
Professor George Kennan discusses the military tensions between the Russia and the West.
Professor George F Kennan considers the effect of Soviet Satellite States in Europe.
Professor Edward Appleton considers how to teach science in order to inspire new talent.
Professor Edward Appleton analyses the functional sciences created for industry.
Nikolaus Pevsner explores how England's town centres have traditionally been planned.
Nikolaus Pevsner examines the flowering of English landscape painting in the 18th century.
Nikolaus Pevsner places the artist William Blake in the context of an English tradition.
Nikolaus Pevsner examines 'the most English creation in architecture'.
Nikolaus Pevsner examines the contradiction at the heart of Sir Joshua Reynolds' work.
Nikolaus Pevsner considers the 'Englishness' of the artist William Hogarth.
Nikolaus Pevsner explores the English national character as expressed in terms of art.
Sir Oliver Franks analyses the political relationship between Britain and the USA.
Professor Robert Oppenheimer explains how human communities resemble atoms.
Professor Arnold Toynbee considers the psychological effects of culture.
Lord Radcliffe examines the early period of British administration in India.
Bertrand Russell argues for personal morality over tribal customs to guide conduct.
Bertrand Russell considers the roles of state control in a progressive society.
Bertrand Russell considers the role of human nature in the development of society.
Bertrand Russell argues for the importance of individual initiative in a community.
Bertrand Russell examines the effects of increasing state control.
In the inaugural Reith lecture, Bertrand Russell examines the impulses in human nature.