This April 2017 edition of short reflections ‘From Our Fellows’ demonstrates the interconnectedness of all the human sciences in dealing with both the very ancient and the very current. Graeme Barker investigates Neanderthals. Charlotte Roberts talks about ancient diseases – that are still with us. How we should organise today’s healthcare systems is examined by Ewan Ferlie. And all that talking concludes with a clarion call for free speech from Rae Langton.

Graeme Barker is Disney Emeritus Professor of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge. Here he talks about his excavations to discover more about the Neanderthals, and why we modern humans supplanted them.

Charlotte Roberts is Professor of Archaeology at Durham University. Here she reveals how studying the archaeological evidence for diseases such as leprosy sheds light on how we lived in the past. [at 11:02]

Healthcare obviously needs people who research and practise medicine. Here Ewan Ferlie – Professor of Public Services Management at King’s College London – explains how social science can help mobilise medical experts and expertise to achieve more effective delivery. [at 21:18]

We all believe in free speech. But is that what we are getting from the din of voices in the media and on the internet? Rae Langton – Professor of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge – thinks we need to work harder at it than that. [at 26:43]

British Academy: From Our Fellows

From Our Fellows 06, April 2017

The British Academy is the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences. We mobilise these disciplines to understand the world and shape a brighter future. ​

From artificial intelligence to climate change, from building prosperity to improving well-being – today’s complex challenges can only be resolved by deepening our insight into people, cultures and societies.​

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