How has British Imperialism shaped the modern world?

Posted on: June 11th, 2024 by mlpEditor

We’re delighted to welcome back acclaimed author, journalist and broadcaster Sathnam Sanghera for this special in conversation event with eminent historian Professor Alan Lester.

Sathnam’s seminal 2021 bestseller Empireland revealed how Empire continues to shape life in Britain today. Its inspired sequel Empireworld, published in 2024, takes a significant step further in examining the wider global significance of British Imperial power. Sathnam and Alan’s conversation will reflect on just how deeply British Imperialism remains baked into our world today.

Together, they will look at how the effects of Empire continue to be felt globally, shaping cities, cultures, and societies in profound ways. Alan Lester, a Professor of Historical Geography, will share his own and other specialist historians’ profound insights into the intricate relationship between colonial legacies and the contemporary debates surrounding them.

The event will offer a critical look at Empire’s lasting impact, both negative and positive, on the 2.6 billion inhabitants of former British Colonies. From the spread of Christianity by missionaries, to the shaping of international law, to possibly being the single most significant incubator, refiner, and propagator of white supremacy in the history of the planet.

Through their conversation, Sathnam and Alan will explore why a nuanced understanding of colonial history, clearly important for Britain today, has become so politically controversial – engendering backlash from the right and often taking a personal toll on writers and academics entering the debate.

We are at a point of unprecedented social change. Does this moment offer an opportunity to acknowledge and embrace Empire’s contradictions and paradoxes? Can we move beyond sterile monologues and embrace meaningful dialogues about history, identity and global legacies? Can Britain hope to have a productive future in the world without acknowledging what Empire did to the world in the first place?

Sathnam and Alan will discuss all of this and more. Don’t miss this very special event.

The Square Kilometre Array: a radio telescope for the 21st century

Posted on: June 11th, 2024 by mlpEditor

Hear about the truly astounding next-generation radio telescopes, built by a global consortium anchored in North West England, from one of the project’s leaders.

What are radio telescopes exactly? And why is the history and development of them particularly significant to our region?

Radio telescopes are used by astronomers to study radio waves emitted by distant objects in the universe. They can be used in the daytime as well as at night and are less sensitive to atmospheric conditions.

Since astronomical radio sources – planets, stars, nebulae and galaxies – are extremely distant, the radio waves coming from them are very weak. Moreover, radio waves have long wavelengths relative to optical waves. For these reasons, radio telescopes need large antennae and highly sensitive receiving equipment. It is also better to locate radio observatories as far as possible from centres of population to avoid interference from man-made electronic devices.

The world-famous Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank, Cheshire – which has a large single dish antenna – meets these criteria and has been used to make significant contributions to radio astronomy over the years. How has the technology developed since the Lovell was completed in 1957?

Rather than being based on a single antenna, the latest generation of radio telescopes use arrays of antennae that are linked together to form the equivalent of a much larger single antenna. Over the last three decades, astronomers and engineers from around the world have been planning, designing and, finally, building two huge, next-generation radio telescopes. One is located in the Karoo in South Africa, the other in the Murchison region of Western Australia. The whole project is run by the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO), whose headquarters are located at Jodrell Bank.

Phil Diamond’s talk will provide insights into the scientific motivations behind the SKA, covering subjects as diverse as the evolution of the Universe and the origins of life. He will describe the history of the project, in which Manchester and Jodrell Bank play a key role, and explain some of the differences between SKAO and traditional observatories, both optical and radio. As an example, one of the key differences is the sheer volumes of data that will be generated. What are the strategies and techniques being developed to manage this oncoming deluge of data? Phil will talk to us about that. And we’ll also get the chance to see the latest images of the construction progress, which is now at a very exciting phase.

Don’t miss out on what promises to be a brilliant talk by a multi-award-winning scientist from the University of Manchester. The event is open to anyone interested in science and technology and you don’t need any specialist knowledge to enjoy it.

Rest as a Radical Act – We Invented the Weekend

Posted on: June 4th, 2024 by mlpEditor

Rest is sometimes seen as a luxury by those who want to ‘get ahead’. We are being asked to do more, to achieve more, to live ‘fuller lives’. But many of us are experiencing burnout. Something needs to change. We need to reframe rest – to see it as an investment in our wellbeing; as an antidote to burnout culture.

If you’re feeling frazzled, this panel discussion promises some incredible insights from people whose stories you really need to hear. What does ‘self-care’ actually mean or look like? What’s the difference between physical rest and creative rest? How can we make space for rest? Inspiring panellists will talk about their personal journeys towards greater wellbeing, and share insights into what they have learned along the way.

Kya Buller is joined by Scottee of Wonkee Yoga, Emma Campbell from the podcast Open, and Business Psychologist Liam Brodigan.

It’s going to be an impactful discussion, so don’t miss out.

We’re still shopping?! – We Invented the Weekend

Posted on: June 4th, 2024 by mlpEditor

This panel discussion will bring together leading sustainable fashion campaigners Patrick Grant and Wayne Hemingway, with academic and cultural commentator Professor Rachel Bowlby, to interrogate the past, present and future of consumer behaviour and sustainability around shopping.

For decades, shopping and the high street has been intrinsic in our culture. Our shopping districts have changed rapidly, emptied in many cases, or have been replaced by eateries.

Where we buy our clothes is shifting with reselling websites expanding at an exciting pace, online personal shopping services gaining traction and renting clothes becoming more commonplace. We ask, what could the future of shopping look like? Are consumers more empowered to make sustainable choices?

Deborah Smailes from the University of Manchester will guide the conversation adding her extensive experience of the fashion industry and sustainable garment production.

Good Enough Life – We Invented the Weekend

Posted on: June 3rd, 2024 by mlpEditor

What did anthropologist Daniel Miller discover about the role community and place plays in making our lives more fulfilling when he spent time living in a small Irish town?

Dr Sheila McCormick interviews Daniel to explore his findings, and encourage us to reflect on the idea of living a ‘good enough’ life. Professor Daniel Miller’s latest book Good Enough Life tackles the age-old question: ‘what is the purpose of life?’.

By turning to the ‘ordinary’ lives of people in a small Irish town, Miller explores the ways the smaller things in life can lead to fulfilment. Professor Daniel Miller, in conversation with Dr Sheila McCormick (University of Salford), discusses the inspiration behind the book and his methods in beginning to measure happiness. Together, McCormick and Miller prompt the audience to reflect on what creates fulfilment in their own lives.

These Boots Are Made For Walking – We Invented the Weekend

Posted on: June 3rd, 2024 by mlpEditor

Walking or hiking are highly popular with many in Greater Manchester. Surrounded by hills in all directions, it’s no wonder.

The hobby has undergone a massive resurgence in recent years with large numbers of us heading to the countryside on weekends to spend time in nature or explore the city on foot. What do we get out of walking?

While walking and access to nature are, in theory, free, are they spaces we all feel able to access?

Has the rise in working from home seen less people engaging in active travel?

Is the rapid increase in younger people hiking driven by the ‘gorp core’ or ‘granola girl’ aesthetic, a product of lockdowns, or something else?

We explore these topics and more with Ebony Hikers, Girls Who Walk Manchester, and GM Moving, hosted by outdoor industry creative Neil Summers.

Thriving Communities – We Invented the Weekend

Posted on: June 3rd, 2024 by mlpEditor

A celebration of the vibrant cultural communities that have been created on our doorstep, to help us lead fuller, richer and more creative lives.

Weekends offer many of us the chance to spend time pursuing interests with others. Being a part of a cultural community enriches our lives and allows us to explore different aspects of our identities outside work. And these shared passions and interests ultimately make us happier and healthier.

This panel discussion will feature some incredible local people who have fostered very special communities right here in Greater Manchester. From cycling, to crafting, to running to chanting. Whatever your passion, coming together, getting out there together, and creating together is one of the best aspects of the weekend. Let’s celebrate that.

Poetry Boat Cruise – We Invented the Weekend

Posted on: June 3rd, 2024 by mlpEditor

Join celebrated Manchester poet Oliver James Lomax and Manchester Lit & Phil for a very special journey around Salford Quays on the Poetry Boat.

Oliver will perform a number of poems from his collection, drawing on themes such as the Northern Landscape, belonging and identity. He will help us celebrate some of the joys of the weekend and the history of our city through his inspiring and reflective set. Don’t miss this unique event.

About Oliver: Oliver James Lomax is a poet, educator, and trustee of the Working-Class Movement Library in Salford. He passionately believes in cultural equality and the power of the arts to enable everyone in society to have a voice. A regular performer on the spoken word scene here in Greater Manchester and beyond, Oliver informs us this will be the first time he will be doing a set on a boat. Read our interview with Oliver

Universally Manchester Festival: Lit & Phil Salon

Posted on: June 3rd, 2024 by mlpEditor

We’re hosting an absorbing afternoon as part of the Universally Manchester Festival, with three speakers set to challenge your mind and really get you thinking – about artificial intelligence (AI), enzyme engineering and 3D printing.

Lit & Phil speaker Dr Emily Collins, expert on AI, robotics, psychology, ethics and more will delve into the ethical parameters of AI – the reliability, trustworthiness and transparency of it. She’ll be framing her talk around the social history of The University of Manchester, and how it was founded in part as a response to the Industrial Revolution.

Dr Richard Obexer will speak on the amazing world of enzyme engineering, and its future use. And Brian Derby will provide insights into the wonders of 3D printing.

There’ll be time for questions and discussion will be encouraged – so get involved, learn some unexpected facts and come away with a deeper understanding of these compelling, important subjects.

Visit the Universally Manchester website to book tickets

How should we pay for driving?

Posted on: May 20th, 2024 by mlpEditor

This talk explores a fairly simple but hugely contentious question: how should we pay for driving?

As a society we have become accustomed to paying fuel duty and an annual tax on maintaining a vehicle. To varying degrees, we also pay for parking and, in a very small number of places in the world, for driving in the busiest or most congested central areas or on bridges and motorways. The principles behind what we pay, what we pay it for and how it eventually gets used have not been clearly stated or consistently applied.

The economic principles behind the ‘optimal pricing’ of driving have been understood for many decades but remain largely stuck on the bookshelves. Major protests in the UK and, more recently, in France and Germany have shown that rising fuel prices can be a flash point for wider political unrest. Change, at a local scale as shown in London, Nottingham and Stockholm is possible – but by no means inevitable or easy as referenda in places like Manchester and Edinburgh have shown.

Professor Greg Marsden (Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds) will argue that whatever you think of the current arrangements for paying for transport, there is a need for a new way forward because of the change to electric vehicles. The transition – where part of the population is driving electric and part fossil fuel vehicles – will become increasingly unfair.

If we do not take any decisions to change the way we pay for travel, then we can also anticipate greater congestion as electric vehicles are cheaper to run than their fossil fuel counterparts. We will both drift further away from the economic principles of the allocation of scarce resources (road space) and from a major source of tax revenue which, in part, funds the transport investments of the day.

Some of the main questions facing us are: What principles should guide any transition from paying at the pump to paying at the plug? What is the relationship between what we pay for driving and what gets spent on transport? How should this debate be resolved? Who gets a say in this? And what is the role of elected representatives at local levels?

Using examples from around the world, Greg will discuss options and opportunities and advance the debate. Doing nothing is an option…But not a good one.

 

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