Throughout history, empires and civilisations have risen to greatness and then fallen into decline and vanish, leaving only ruins and some artefacts. Why? Are there common features of collapse? From the great societies of Mesopotamia to those of Khmer and the Maya and Aztec of the Americas; from the Roman empire to Carthage. They all follow a similar route. What are the lessons for our civilisation and our future? Presented at the York Festival of Ideas. The festival is led by the University of York, UK. Speaker Paul Cooper Host and producer of the podcast Fall of Civilizations, author of Fall of Civilizations: Stories of Greatness and Decline Listen to Big Ideas: Our fascination with ancient Rome