The Future of medicine, the edge of cosmology and the ‘romantic history of copyright’… just three topics from Gresham College’s far-reaching new series of free lectures.
Gresham College is one of London’s oldest institutions. It’s put on public lectures since 1597, and is still going strong four-and-a-quarter centuries later.
Lectures here are free and for everyone — you don’t even need to book. Just turn up to hear about every topic under the sun… and beyond.
Most events run at Barnard’s Inn Hall, right next to Chancery Lane station. The hall dates from the Tudor period, so you’ll also get a dose of history with each lecture.
Gresham College has around 50 events lined up for the rest of 2026, all of which feature eminent experts explaining complicated topics for the general public. The season kicks off on 7 September, when Prof Jane Shaw asks ‘Why do we need empathy?‘.
Eclectic topics coming up over the next few months include (and this is just a selection of ten):
- Is the HIV Pandemic Over?, Prof Matt Higgins, 16 Sep
- Festival of Astronomical Ideas, various speakers, 25 Sep (all day event)
- The Science of Puppetry, How Real Can They Be?, Prof Robin May and Steve Allen, 13 Oct
- Why is there Music?, Professor Milton Mermikides, 21 Oct
- How Did Our Garden Grow? The History of Hatton Gardens, Vivian Watson, 12 Nov
- Speaking Through Othello: Black Performance and the Training of Feeling, Prof Jason Allen-Paisant, 18 Nov
- Life, Death and Bubbles: The Story of Earth’s Nitrogen, Prof Helen Czerski, 19 Nov
- 16th-Century London Dialect, Prof Laura Wright, 24 Nov
- How to See the World As a Child Sees It, Beckie Darlington and Andy Field, 9 Dec
- The Maths of Christmas, Prof Sarah Hart, 16 Dec
The full programme, including events into 2027, can be found on Gresham’s website.
If you can’t make it to Holborn, then you can also watch for free at home. All lectures are streamed live, and archived on the college’s website.
