The 10 Best Autumn talks

Top up your brain cells with our pick of lectures taking place around the country – and online

Samuel Muston
Wednesday 10 October 2012 22:33 BST
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1. Gresham College, London

Weekly, free, gresham.ac.uk

The City of London has provided free lectures and talks to the people of the city since the days of James VI – and there is still one going on most lunchtimes today.

2. IQ2: What on Earth Are You Eating?, London

23 Oct, £25, bit.ly/iqfood

AA Gill leads a panel of experts exploring what the secret of good taste really is. Is it the ingredients? Or something else?

3. YouTube EDU

Free, youtube.com/education

Looking a little bit cold outside? The bed a tad too comfy? Have a lecture in your lounge using some of the thousands of university lectures on YouTube EDU.

4. Royal Ulster Academy, Northern Ireland

Free, bit.ly/ulsterartists

Every week, one of the Academy's exhibited artists hosts a free lunchtime lecture in the Ulster Museum Lecture Theatre.

5. Model Ships, Model Science, National Museum of Scotland

25 Oct, free, bit.ly/scotlandmodelship

This makes the science-deaf child open their ears to the joys of the three sciences.

6. Edward Lear's Lines of Flight, British Academy

1 Nov, free, bit.ly/academylear

Matthew Bevis examines the intersections between birds and people in Edward Lear's paintings and poems.

7. Steven Berkoff in Conversation, ICA, London

26 Oct, £5/free, bit.ly/icaberkoff

Geoffrey Colman talks to the acclaimed actor, playwright and director Steven Berkoff. Forget your al-desko lunch, go see this.

8. IQ2: Hitler's Pope, London

14 Nov, £25, bit.ly/iqhitlerpope

History's popes are not an order of men divorced from controversy. This Intelligence Squared talk looks at the toxic legacy of Pius XII.

9. Why Nature and Heritage Matter, Birmingham Uni

30 Oct, free, bit.ly/brumheritage

Why does the past matter? The director-general of the National Trust, Fiona Reynolds, explains why heritage is so important.

10. TED Lectures

Free, ted.com

Another one for the intellectual who doesn't want to venture into the autumn cold. TED showcases the best talks by the best minds from all over the world.

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