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OPEN LECTURES: Prosecuting war criminals, atmospheric chemistry, and talking with machines

Posted on 28 February 2020

Find out something new at our free Open Lectures - everyone welcome.

The Devil Next Door
Tuesday 3 March 2020
Eli Gabay, member of the prosecution team in the historic trial of the Nazi collaborator John Ivan Demjanjuk, speaks on challenges of extraditing and prosecuting Holocaust war criminals.

Wonders on Wednesday 4 - Travel
Wednesday 4 March 2020
Visiting other places or cultures has always held a fascination. From accounts of the Grand Tour to pocket guides and visits to the seaside, come along and travel with us.

The air that we breathe: An around the world tour of atmospheric chemistry
Wednesday 4 March 2020
Professor Lucy Carpenter will describe how she and her colleagues search for changes in atmospheric composition which affect human health and climate, including recent discoveries in the science of air pollution.

Natural justice and a sense of place: Some examples of how soil can be used as intelligence and evidence
Thursday 5 March 2020
Professor Lorna Dawson will talk about the discipline of forensic soil science, with examples from real case work and from fiction where evidence from the earth has been of importance in helping to solve crimes and to bring about natural justice.

Populocracy: The tyranny of authenticity and the rise of populism
Thursday 5 March 2020
International Women's Day Lecture - Catherine Fieschi discusses populist politics and how they affect the nature of political relationships.

Talking with machines
Thursday 5 March 2020
What connects the grandfather of Charles Darwin to artificial intelligence? How have humans tried to talk to machines, make machines talk, and use technology to find ways to communicate? What do talking machines say about us?

Detention and enforced disappearances in Syria
Friday 6 March 2020
As a previous detainee, Joumana Alshtiwi will discuss prison conditions in Syria, focusing particularly on the situation of women.

Find out more

Want to plan further ahead? See our full events listing.

Interested in music performances? Have a look at York Concerts.