Newspapers across Britain (and elsewhere in the developed world) are closing by the month. Those that survive are cutting back on editorial staff, so the journalistic community is diminishing fast. Although newspaper company online platforms are racking u

Few would dispute that among the greatest drivers in helping Our Changing World to change are science and technology. And yet conversely and perversely the image of scientists – along with engineers and technologists – remains remarkably fixed. When ask

Professor Sir John Beddington, Former Government Chief Scientific Adviser, and Edinburgh alumnus, delivers the Enlightenment Lecture entitled Legacies of the 20th Century and Challenges for the 21st. This lecture also forms part of the 2014 Our Changing World lecture series. Recorded 19 November 2014 at the University of Edinburgh's McEwan Hall.

Professor Lord Robert Winston delivers an Enlightenment Lecture entitled "Medicine, Ethics and Society". This lecture also forms part of this year's Our Changing World series. www.ed.ac.uk/news/2013/enlightenment-131­013 Recorded on Monday 21 October at the University of Edinburgh's McEwan Hall.

Professor Mary Robinson speaks on how human rights interact with the modern world. In office from 1990 to 1997, Professor Robinson was the seventh President of Ireland and the first woman to hold that role. She left to take on the position of High Commissioner for Human Rights at the United Nations from 1997 to 2002. Human rights remain an area of interest and expertise for Professor Robinson. Since 2004 she has taught on international human rights at Columbia University in New York. In...

Professor Stefan Collini re-examines the history of the activity of literary criticism and discipline of English Literature. In the 250 years since the founding of the Chair of Rhetoric and Belles-Lettres at Edinburgh University, the activity of literary criticism and discipline of English Literature have had a tangled, complex and at times uneasy, even antagonistic, relationship. This lecture will re-examine this history, focussing particularly on the question of the various publics...

Professor Aubrey Manning, Emeritus Professor of Natural History, presents "Population: can we begin to talk sensibly?". Recorded 22 November 2011.

Professor Amartya Sen, Nobel prize laureate, delivers the Enlightenment lecture entitled "David Hume and the Demands of Ethics". The Professor of Economics and Philosophy at Harvard University gave his lecture as part of the University’s celebration of philosopher David Hume's 300th birthday. Professor Susan Manning will chair the event which will also feature Professor Emma Rothschild, Professor Barun De, Dr Viccy Coltman and Dr Michael Fry. Recorded 18 July 2011 at the University of...

Jon Snow, Broadcaster and journalist, presents the Enlightenment lecture, "A Changing Media in a Changing World". Recorded on Friday 19 November 2010.

Daniel C. Dennett, Professor of Philosophy at Tufts University, presents the Enlightenment lecture "Is Science Showing That We Don't Have Free Will?". In his lecture, Professor Daniel Dennett discusses some of the current work in psychology bearing on this question. He also drew on Hume, Darwin and Turing, three Enlightenment heroes. Part of the University of Edinburgh's Enlightenment Lecture Series. Recorded on 27 June 2007.

Professor Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel prize-winning economist, presents the enlightenment lecture entitled "Globalisation and the 21st Century Enlightenment " Recorded 28 August 2006.