Speaker

Ruth Oulton

Prof. Ruth Oulton is a Professor of Quantum Photonics at the University of Bristol. Prof. Oulton studied at the University of Manchester (UMIST), and undertook her PhD in Sheffield on the optics of semiconductor quantum dots. She was formerly an EPSRC Career Acceleration Fellow and a Quantum Technologies Fellow, and held an Alexander von Humboldt fellowship in TU Dortmund, Germany.

Prof. Ruth Oulton is a Professor of Quantum Photonics at the University of Bristol. Prof. Oulton studied at the University of Manchester (UMIST), and undertook her PhD in Sheffield on the optics of semiconductor quantum dots. She was formerly an EPSRC Career Acceleration Fellow and a Quantum Technologies Fellow, and held an Alexander von Humboldt fellowship in TU Dortmund, Germany.

More Videos

A robotic claw and a human hand move chess pieces on a board, symbolizing the interplay between technology and human involvement in strategy games.

David Malone,Hilary Lawson,David Chalmers,Kate Devlin

What Machines Can't Do

Will computers ever match human intelligence?

LED sign displaying the message

Corruption and Climate Change

Piers Corbyn | We misunderstood climate change

A hand gently touches a vibrant pink hibiscus flower surrounded by dark green foliage in a shaded forest setting.

Gabrielle Walker,Rupert Read,Bruce Parry,Kate Soper

Humans versus Nature

Are humans part of nature or a hostile enemy?

A blackboard filled with various mathematical equations, diagrams, and stick figure drawings representing love and relationships, illustrated in a whimsical style.

Blind Data

The secrets behind compatibility science

A close-up of a human hand and a mechanical prosthetic arm, showcasing the intricate design and functionality of the artificial limb.

Roger Penrose,Warren Ellis,Gabrielle Walker,Nigel Shadbolt

March of the Machines

Is AI a threat to mankind?

A pair of hands cradles a glowing Earth, surrounded by a dark cosmic backdrop, symbolizing care and responsibility for the planet.

Jonathan Derbyshire,Bjorn Lomborg,Nigel Lawson,Polly Higgins,Crispin Tickell

The World in Our Hands

Rationality and climate change

Three large question marks on a red background, with symbols for Wi-Fi, email, and a cursor icon beneath each mark, suggesting inquiries about technology or communication.

Christopher Hamilton,Barry C. Smith,Serena Kutchinsky,Bruce Parry

The Puzzle of Progress

Has technology brought us the good life?

A dramatic skyline view of London featuring the iconic Gherkin building with the River Thames flowing and dark clouds overhead.

Felicity Evans,Paul Kingsnorth,Tamsin Omond,Piers Corbyn,Martin Palmer

The Dark Side of Environmentalism

Are we just trying to repent of our consumerism?

A digital overlay of circuitry on a human face, blending technology and humanity to symbolize artificial intelligence and innovation.

Margaret Boden,Hubert Dreyfus,Paul Dolan

Mind Machines

The future of AI

Elderly man with white hair and glasses smiling outdoors, wearing a navy blue polo shirt, with greenery in the background.

Crispin Tickell,James Lovelock

James Lovelock: Creativity in Science & Gaia Theory

The life of a lone scientist

Silhouettes of industrial smokestacks emitting white smoke against a vibrant pink and orange sunset, with power lines in the foreground.

Michael McIntyre,Gabrielle Walker,Robert Carter,Richard Corfield

What We Don't Know About CO2

The science of climate change

Abstract swirl pattern with intertwining white and light blue lines forming a circular design against a dark green background.

Can We Control AI?

Nigel Shadbolt | The right questions to ask on AI

Abstract digital design featuring green tones and swirling patterns of binary code, symbolizing technology, data, and digital innovation.

Paul Moss,Ben Hammersley,Warren Ellis,Edie Lush

Is Digital Thinking Different?

The internet revolution & the human brain

A dramatic scene of Big Ben partially submerged in stormy waters, with dark clouds, lightning, and a London Underground sign visible nearby.

Climate Change and Britain’s Future

Huhne predicts wars and violence

A stylized human head silhouette with gears and mathematical symbols inside, representing intellectual thought and creativity.

How to Thrive in a Digital Age

A stylized illustration of a retro robot with a single eye and antenna, set against a pink textured background.

Creative Robots

How to make an inventive bot

A vividly patterned butterfly with blue and orange wings resting on a green leaf, surrounded by lush foliage.

Rupert Sheldrake

The Habits of Nature

Do natural laws evolve over time?

A woman with short, gray hair speaks animatedly at a microphone against a colorful quilted backdrop.

Susan Blackmore

Genes, Memes and Temes

A glass garden orb reflects the sky and surrounding foliage, nestled among succulent plants in a natural setting.

The Myth of Scarcity

What is the future of sustainable farming?

A distressed bird covered in black oil, lying on a wet, sandy shore, highlighting the severe impact of oil spills on wildlife.

The Fifth Crime

A woman with blonde hair and a black jacket gestures while sitting in front of a colorful patterned backdrop.

Rachel Armstrong

Designing Life

A shirtless man with a beard stands amidst tropical foliage, holding an object, on a beach with the ocean in the background.

Nine Million Steps in Solitude

What it’s like to walk the Amazon

A silhouette of a male figure covered in a grid pattern of reflective squares, set against a black background, creating a striking contrast.

Staying Human in Cyberspace

Mindfulness in cyberspace

A vintage waffle maker opened to reveal freshly made waffles, with syrup dispensers and a serving plate nearby.

The Internet is Not a Waffle Iron Connected to a Fax Machine

Aerial view of industrial smokestacks emitting vapor above a layer of clouds, illustrating the intersection of urban development and natural landscapes.

Global Overhaul

Rupert Read | Why going green matters

An airplane takes off, creating a striking swirl of red smoke in the sky, highlighting motion and turbulence against a blue backdrop.

Future Storm

Where will lightning strike next?

A person wearing a white mask sits at a laptop against a red background, illustrating themes of anonymity and digital identity.

Brooke Magnanti

Why Trolls Matter

The threat to 'polite' society

A middle-aged man with glasses is speaking, dressed in a suit, against a patterned background.

Peter Hacker,Henrietta Moore,Lillian Edwards,Alan Winfield,Hilary Lawson

Rise of the Machines

AI: a science fiction fantasy?

Close-up of a middle-aged woman with short blonde hair and red glasses, speaking intently while seated against a colorful geometric background.

Henrietta Moore

My Avatar, Myself

How to extend yourself into the virtual

A human hand reaching toward a robotic hand, symbolizing the connection between humanity and technology.

Touching Cyberspace

Back to the physical

Cory Doctorow,Joscha Bach,Mazviita Chirimuuta

The AI enigma

Is artificial intelligence a threat?

A glass globe representing the Earth rests on a background of U.S. dollar bills, symbolizing finance and global economics.

Isabel Hilton,Carla Denyer,Guy Shrubsole,Socrates Mokkas

Profit, planet, and pretence

Can capitalism solve the climate crisis?

Abstract digital design featuring concentric circles of various colors, creating a sense of movement and depth against a dark blue background.

Who's afraid of the big, bad data?

Big data as a force for good

A woman in a striped shirt gestures while speaking, with a green landscape and water in the background, suggesting she is engaged in an outdoor discussion or interview.

Science is broken

An interview with Helen Czerski

A stylized illustration of a brain surrounded by mixed media elements, including newspaper clippings and abstract shapes against a coral background.

Hilary Lawson,Sabine Hossenfelder,Güneş Taylor,Nick Lane,Yoshua Bengio

The consciousness test

Is AI sentient?

A colorful 3D visualization of a human brain with intricate, flowing lines representing neural connections and pathways.

Rupert Sheldrake,Natasha Vita-More,Susan Schneider

Mind over matter

The potential of mind-computer interface technology

Digital abstract background with glowing blue lines and grids representing advanced technology and data processing.

Anders Sandberg,Linda Yueh,Stephanie Hare,Michael Parker

The accurate, the perfect and the dangerous

The potential and the threat of data

Woman smiling outdoors near a river, surrounded by greenery, with soft natural lighting creating a serene atmosphere.

Zanna Clay | In-depth Interview

On animal empathy, evolution, and beyond

A vibrant sunset viewed through a breaking ocean wave, showcasing shades of orange, yellow, and blue reflecting on the water's surface.

How oceans shaped the world

Saving the heart of our planet

A man in a black fleece jacket sits outdoors, gesturing while speaking, with a green, lush background of trees and a stream.

The dawn of machine consciousness with Joscha Bach

A close-up view of a robotic hand with articulated fingers, showcasing advanced mechanical design and technology.

Fotini Markopoulou

AI, emotions and the tech evolution

Building a better world around AI

Robotic figures wearing helmets engage in a card game at a table stacked with playing cards and money, set against a fiery abstract background.

Dominic Walliman,Liv Boeree

The dream and danger of AI

How to tame AI

Aerial view of a lush green forest with two bodies of water shaped like a world map, surrounded by dense foliage and mist.

Science alone won't solve climate change

Tackling the climate emergency

A solitary figure walks along a wooden path leading into a starry galaxy, surrounded by dark, towering walls.

Natasha Vita-More

How to live forever

Radical life extension' technology

A large machinery clears forested land, releasing smoke into the air, surrounded by trees in a hazy landscape, highlighting environmental degradation.

Linda Yueh,Helen Czerski,Troy Vettese,Rebecca Henderson

Capitalism and the climate

Our planet and the economy

A gorilla sitting against an orange wall, intently looking at a tablet or smartphone.

Digital Apes

Technology as a force for good

A surreal landscape featuring a massive, glowing brain-like planet above a mountain, with a figure standing on a futuristic pathway against a vibrant cosmic backdrop.

Güneş Taylor,Joscha Bach,Liv Boeree,Eliezer Yudkowsky,Scott Aaronson

AI and the end of humanity

Does AI change what it means to be human?

A stylized digital illustration of Earth surrounded by glowing rings and swirling cosmic elements, set against a star-filled galaxy backdrop.

AI and the story of the universe

How AI will help us make scientific discoveries

Martin Rees,Linda Yueh,Thomas Sterner,Judith Curry

The next environmental crisis

Are our current solutions just a short term fix?

A man with long hair and glasses speaks animatedly in front of a volcanic eruption, with lava flowing down a rocky surface in the background.

Anders Sandberg

How volcanoes could change the world

The power and promise of geoengineering