Name: Prof. Tim Blanning - “The Cultural self-fashioning of Frederick the Great” by Wolfson College Cambridge
Duration: 52 min 46 s
Description: The impressive material assets Frederick inherited when he came to the throne of Prussia in 1740 were counter-balanced by the serious psychological damage inflicted by his father's astonishingly brutal regime. This illustrated lecture will discuss how he then set about creating for himself an environment in which he could recover his self-respect and express his cultural and sexual preferences.

This episode sees Joanne Yau get to grips with the basics of nuclear energy, as well as taking a good look at their green potential. Featuring PhD researchers from the Nuclear Energy Futures CDT (Hannah Tipping, Martin Gillet, Will Thomas, Jason Lee and Parth Kulkarni). 

Produced by Claire Watt.

Talking nuclear fusion and fission with Atomic Academy

In this episode, Catalina Taylor chats with Dr Brian Ferguson, an immunologist and Associate Professor of Immunology at the University of Cambridge, about how vaccines work and why we need them. 

Produced by Claire Watt.

Vaccines (past, present and future) with Dr Brian Ferguson

In this podcast, Soraya Shakibi talks to Clare Wilkes about her work with temperature scarves, exploring this unique blend of crafts and environmental consciousness.

Produced by Claire Watt.

Climate tracking and temperature scarves with Clare Wilkes

In this episode, Iona Warne interviews Dr Jo, of Dr Jo Science, to investigate some surprising facts about the human body, as well as looking into how science can best be communicated to children. 

Facebook.com/DrJoScience
Produced by Claire Watt.

Wonders of the human body with Dr Jo

This podcast, hosted by Gaia Dratwinska, looks at Nicholas Ong’s research into the life and music of Russian composer, Valentia Serova (1846-1925), the creator of the first opera by a woman to be performed at the Bolshoi theatre in Moscow. 

Produced by Claire Watt.

Discovering Russian composer, Valentia Serova, with Nicholas Ong

Rory Cellan-Jones talks to Emmanuelle Auriol, Nina Jörden and Francesca Barigozzi about the underrepresentation of women in certain sectors, the persistence of the motherhood wage gap, and the impact of flexible work arrangement on women’s careers.

This episode asks why are women disadvantaged in the workplace? Experts explore why women are underrepresented in certain professions. Why is the motherhood wage gap so persistent? How does flexible work impact women's careers? And what does policy need to do to reduce gender inequalities in the workplace?
Podcast host, Rory Cellan-Jones (former technology correspondent for the BBC), discusses these issues with leading academics Emmanuelle Auriol (IAST), Nina Jörden (Bennett Institute for Public Policy) and Francesca Barigozzi (University of Bologna). 
Listen to this episode on your preferred podcast platform
Season 3 Episode 6 transcript

For more information about the podcast and the work of the institutes, visit our websites at https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/.
Tweet us with your thoughts at @BennettInst and @IASToulouse.
Audio production by Steve Hankey
Associate production by Stella Erker
Visuals by Tiffany Naylor
More about our host and guests:

Rory Cellan-Jones was a technology correspondent for the BBC. His 40 years in journalism have seen him take a particular interest in the impact of the internet and digital technology on society and business. He has also written multiple books, including “Always On” (2021) and his latest “Ruskin Park: Sylvia, Me and the BBC” which was published in 2023. @ruskin147

Emmanuelle Auriol is a full professor at Toulouse School of Economics. Her work, which combines theoretical and empirical approaches, focuses on industrial organization and development economics. She studies market failures, whether they are caused by the rent-seeking behavior of agents with market power, or by cognitive biases such as intrinsic motivations, religious beliefs, or discriminatory social norms, especially against women.

Francesca Barigozzi is a Professor of Economics at the Department of Economics of the University of Bologna. She is an applied microtheorist, and her fields of research include family economics, public economics, information economics, health economics, and behavioral economics. She holds a PhD in Economics from Toulouse School of Economics. She has been a visiting professor at Ecole Centrale Marseille, Boston University, and Toulouse School of Economics. Her current research activity focuses mainly on family economics, gender issues, and personnel economics. 

Nina Jörden is a research associate at the Bennett Institute. Her work focuses on questions around the future of work: What do employees need to be resilient and productive? What will “good work” look like in the future? How can work be meaningful and meet societal needs? Nina addresses these questions in both the private and public sectors. Nina holds a PhD in Organisational Studies from Loughborough University, an MSc in Human Resource Management from Loughborough University and a BA in Psychology and Management from the International School of Management, Germany. @jorden_nina

Why are women disadvantaged in the workplace?

The episode explores the topic of extreme weather and its impact on communities and asks: What does extreme weather mean for us?

The speakers highlight the importance of connecting research to real-world impacts and the need for collective action. They discuss the devastating losses of climate disasters, the challenges of adaptation and the power of nature. They also emphasise the importance of empowering marginalised communities and amplifying their voices in climate action. 

In addition, the episode explores innovations in policy, including capacity building, local action and storytelling - getting local communities affected by climate change to tell their stories. 

We conclude by encouraging listeners to ask questions, take climate action, and connect to local initiatives.

Takeaways

Extreme weather events have devastating consequences, including the loss of traditions, cultures, and intangible heritage.
Collective action and collective intelligence are crucial in addressing climate change and its impacts.
Youth empowerment and inner well-being are essential for building resilience and creating a sustainable future.
Data, responsible AI, and storytelling play a significant role in tackling misinformation and driving climate action.
Innovations in climate policy include capacity building, community empowerment, and inclusive decision-making.
Chapters

00:00

Introduction and Climate Reality

01:19

Experiences in Extreme Environments

04:01

Impact of Extreme Weather Events

05:56

Bringing People and Voices into Climate Action

06:26

Unseen Consequences of Extreme Weather

09:49

Loss of Traditions and Indigenous Knowledge

10:12

Finding Balance and Adapting to Extreme Weather

12:36

Challenges in Super Tanker Countries

13:31

Proving the Urgency of Collective Action

14:59

Leveraging Data and Responsible AI

16:27

Innovation in Climate Policy

20:33

Recognizing the Importance of Nature

22:46

Inner Development Goals and Wisdom

25:11

Tackling Misinformation and Polarization

27:31

Innovation in Policy and Climate Action

32:46

Taking Action and Asking Questions

What does extreme weather mean for us?

Verity Harding, Gina Neff and Lawrence Rothenberg talk to Rory Cellan-Jones about whether nations competing for AI supremacy can really collaborate to slow down dangerous developments and what are the tradeoffs.

In this episode, Rory Cellan-Jones (former technology correspondent for the BBC) chats with Verity Harding (Bennett Institute for Public Policy), Gina Neff (Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy), and Lawrence Rothenberg (IAST and University of Rochester), about artificial intelligence (AI) and the fine balance between innovation and regulation. Together, they explore what makes ‘good’ regulation and the crucial role of global collaboration in shaping the future of AI.

They share the latest developments of AI regulation in the UK, US and EU, emphasising the need for effective regulation to address the risks of AI. They also discuss what regulators can learn from past tech revolutions, like in vitro fertilisation, and highlight the critical importance of collaboration to ensure AI improves people’s living and working conditions. 

Listen to this episode on your preferred podcast platform 

Season 3 Episode 7 transcript

For more information about the podcast and the work of the institutes, visit our websites at https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/

Tweet us with your thoughts at @BennettInst and @IASToulouse

With thanks to:

Audio production by Steve Hankey
Associate production by Stella Erker
Visuals by Tiffany Naylor and Kevin Sortino 
More information about our host and guests:

Rory Cellan-Jones was a technology correspondent for the BBC. His 40 years in journalism have seen him take a particular interest in the impact of the internet and digital technology on society and business. He has also written multiple books, including “Always On” (2021) and his latest Ruskin Park: Sylvia, Me and the BBC which was published in 2023.

Verity Harding is a globally recognised expert in AI, technology and public policy. She is currently Director of the AI and Geopolitics Project (AIxGEO) at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy. She is also Founder of Formation Advisory Ltd, a tech consultancy firm. Her debut book is AI Needs You: How we can change AI’s future and save our own  (Princeton University Press 2024).

Professor Gina Neff is the executive director of the Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy at the University of Cambridge. Her research focuses on the effects of the rapid expansion of our digital information environment on workers, workplaces, and our everyday lives.  Her books include Venture Labor (MIT Press 2012), Self-Tracking (MIT Press 2016) and Human-Centered Data Science (MIT Press 2022).


Lawrence Rothenberg is a member of the Scientific Council of the IAST and has been a member of the faculty at the University of Rochester for roughly three decades (1989-2002, 2005-present). He began his career in the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences at Cal Tech, and from 2002-2005 was the Max McGraw Distinguished Professor of Environmental Management in the Department of Management and Strategy and the Co-Director of the Ford Center for Global Citizenship at the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University.

Can governments regulate AI without stifling innovation?

This work was commissioned by The Fires of London with funds from the Arts Council of Great Britain, and was first performed by them, conducted by Peter Maxwell Davies, on 31 January 1979 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. This new revised and corrected version was completed in 2024, and uses Sibelius software with NotePerformer sounds.

It was inspired by 3 Medieval books concerning religious experience: The Cloud of Unknowing; Revelations of Divine Love; Incendium Amoris.

THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING (revised and corrected)

The impressive material assets Frederick inherited when he came to the throne of Prussia in 1740 were counter-balanced by the serious psychological damage inflicted by his father's astonishingly brutal regime. This illustrated lecture will discuss how he then set about creating for himself an environment in which he could recover his self-respect and express his cultural and sexual preferences.

Prof. Tim Blanning - “The Cultural self-fashioning of Frederick the Great”

As one of the 31 colleges in the University of Cambridge, Wolfson College is a leading academic research institution, with postgraduate students and mature students from throughout the world.

Prof. Tim Blanning - “The Cultural self-fashioning of Frederick the Great”

Wolfson College Cambridge

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