People’s thirst for knowledge lies far and wide. Luckily, there are ways to support it

What happens when the sun dies? Why is autism so often missed in women and girls? Does AI really understand us? If any of these questions spark interest, you’re in luck. They’re a tiny sample of topics covered by public lectures, all totally free and accessible, either online or in person. It takes only a flicker of curiosity to fan into life an appetite for learning – and that craving is nourished by public lectures.

Hop online and you instantly have access to more than 4,200 TED Talks. Many are filmed in front of a live audience and cover everything from feng shui to back pain. But what about in-person lessons? How accessible are they and do they differ from lectures that are filmed for online viewing?

Open to all

Professor Martin Elliott is Provost of Gresham College in London. Established in 1597, this institution has been providing free lectures for more than 400 years, thanks to the legacy left by its founding father, Thomas Gresham. ‘As a speaker, cameras are less exciting to talk to than a room full of people,’ says Martin. ‘The experience of a live audience enhances the whole experience for everyone.’ Gresham’s vision was for Londoners to have access to ‘new learning’, not in the Latin language of academics but in a way that was accessible to everyone. But the college is more than a resource for free talks. Martin believes it’s a filter for the truth, an institution where the finest minds in their fields introduce topics they’ve spent years studying and researching. ‘All the lecturers work incredibly hard. They’re not pulling stuff off the shelf. They’re writing something new with every lecture,’ he says.