Large telescopes and why we need them - Professor Carolin Crawford

An investigation through history and to the present-day and beyond, of the the science driving the need for such large telescopes as the Extremely Large Telescope or the Square Kilometre Array. We will also look at the many scientific and engineering challenges are involved in the design and construction of such large telescopes and their mirrors.

The Making of Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts - Dr Sally Dormer

Illuminated manuscripts are some of the most beautiful artefacts to survive from the Middle Ages. Their production involved transforming animal skins into parchment; copying texts; painting and gilding minatures; and binding folios between boards, a process that reveals much about medieval scribal and artistic practice.

The BBC: Defending the public interest - Baroness Deech

The BBC is an important source of value and truth not just within the UK but around the world through the World Service. How, then, should the Corporation be regulated if it is to maintain its position as a fair and independent source of news and entertainment?

Britain in the 20th Century: Thatcherism, 1979-1990 - Professor Vernon Bogdanor

Margaret Thatcher’s governments encouraged the spread of ownership in Britain and 'Thatcherism' seemed for a time to be in accordance with the trends of social change. So why did it come to an end? What was the cost? How should we judge her leadership of the nation today?

Mathematics and Sport: Final Score - Professor John D Barrow

From league tables to game-set-match, an investigation of the mathematics behind scoring systems in sport.

Malaria: Twenty-first Century Threat - Professor Frank Cox

Malaria afflicts some 250 million people of whom over a million, mostly children, die each year. But in 1955 the World Health Organization announced a plan to eradicate it. What went wrong? Will Malaria ever be beaten? What is being done about it?

Brain Reconstruction - Professor Jack Price

Is brain reconstruction going to be the next biomedical breakthrough, or is it just a biological impossibility? Professor Jack Price details the latest advances in this field of neuroscience, as well as covering the conceptual and regulatory obstacles that researchers face.