UCL Press Play

Communication, collaboration and sharing knowledge are integral to public health campaigns and avoiding disaster. Join Professors Judy Stephenson and Ilan Kelman, Professor of Disasters and Health, as they discuss the dangers of complacency and why 'natural disasters' are a misnomer. Plus, find out more about the event which led to the building of the Thames Barrier in London. Learn more about Pro...

Contrary to how the subject is taught in schools, history is an unbounded subject that is changing constantly. Join Professors Judy Stephenson and Margot Finn, FBA, Professor of Modern British History, as they discuss the importance of re-examining evidence, and how students' use of AI can limit their critical engagement. Plus, find out more about Prof Finn's surprising first publication. Read mor...

In this episode, Professor Judy Stephenson is in conversation with Professor Virginia Mantouvalou, Professor of Human Rights and Labour Law, and Co-Director of the UCL Institute for Human Rights. They discuss the challenges that migrant workers face in knowing and upholding their rights, as well as the struggles that offenders have to overcome to find work on release. Prof Mantouvalou also speaks...

The Bentham Project oversees the publication of The Collected Works of renowned philosopher and reformer Jeremy Bentham. In this episode, Professor Judy Stephenson hears more about the project from Professor Philip Schofield, Professor of the History of Legal and Political Thought, Director of the Bentham Project and General Editor of the Collected Works of Jeremy Bentham. Prof Schofield discusses...

The ripples of history are around us at all times, whether we notice them or not. In this episode, Professor Judy Stephenson is in conversation with Professor Matthew J. Smith: Professor of History, and Director of the Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery. Prof Smith discusses the field of Caribbean history, and the complex history of the Caribbean as a nexus of interatlantic im...

Join Professor Judy Stephenson in conversation with Professor Dame Henrietta Moore, Professor of Culture, Philosophy and Design, and Director of the UCL Institute of Global Prosperity. In this episode, Prof Dame Moore shares her unconventional analogy for the economy, and makes impassioned arguments for keeping our focus on how people actually live, and cross-discipline collaboration. Prof Dame Mo...

Join Professor Judy Stephenson in conversation with Professor Ella Cockbain, Professor of Human Trafficking and Exploitation, and Research Director for UCL Department of Security and Crime Science. They discuss the limits of anti-trafficking approaches and criminal justice responses to exploitation, and Prof Cockbain shares her journey from advertising to security and crime science. Prof Cockbain...

AI is becoming increasingly anthropomorphised and integrated into all aspects of our lives. Join Professors Judy Stephenson and Daniel Miller, Professor of Anthropology, as they discuss the different meanings and values that people assign to AI. Plus, learn more about what inspired Prof Miller to enter the field of anthropology. Daniel Miller is director of the Centre for Digital Anthropology at U...

Universities must be at the heart of climate action, and not just through research and tech. In this episode, Professor Tristan McCowan, Professor of International Education, highlights the power of community partnerships, indigenous knowledge and grassroots initiatives to drive local change. Professor McCowan argues that from resisting climate denial to modelling sustainable communities, universi...

More than just picnic pests, wasps are vital to our ecosystems, but are deeply misunderstood. Joining Professor Philip Schofield in this episode is Professor Seirian Sumner, Professor of Behavioural Ecology and avid defender of wasps. Professor Sumner dissects the evolutionary role of wasps as ancestors of bees and ants, their potential in cancer research, and their overlooked ecological value: ma...

Rising temperatures and ecosystem disruption are reshaping the global landscape of infectious disease. Computational biologist Dr Rory Gibb joins Professor Philip Schofield to discuss how climate change and social inequality are fuelling increases in mosquito-borne illnesses like dengue fever and West Nile virus. From cutting-edge vaccines to rethinking urban design, Dr Gibb explains why tackling...

Step into the minds of leading academics with UCL Press Play: a podcast and documentary series featuring groundbreaking voices and cutting edge ideas. Join UCL academics as they uncover groundbreaking new ideas and fresh insights on diverse topics such as queer histories, neurodiversity, and climate justice.

Natural disasters are inevitable. Or are they? Professor Ilan Kelman, Professor of Disasters and Health, argues that human decisions, governance failures and societal inequities determine the impact of catastrophic events. Speaking with Professor Philip Schofield, Professor Kelman sets out how education, early warning systems and social equity can prevent disasters, and the importance of fostering...

What does transitioning away from fossil fuels really look like, and who bears the greatest responsibility? Join Associate Professor Dr Fergus Green and Professor Philip Schofield as they unpack the politics of climate action. From phasing out fossil fuel extraction to navigating inequality, lobbying and populism, Dr Green argues that real climate progress demands political strategies that put peo...

Despite mine closures and talk of phasing out, global coal usage is at an all-time high, with countries like the UK still importing coal for key industries. Dr Andrew Seaton, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in History, joins Professor Philip Schofield to discuss how coal never truly disappeared but evolved in form and influence. From Britain's re-importation of coal to global surges in consumption,...

Vision impairment affects millions of people worldwide. Dr Michael Crossland, a Senior Research Fellow at UCL’s Institute of Ophthalmology, joins Professor Philip Schofield to discuss his research on how cutting-edge AI technologies can offer immediate support for those with low vision. They also explore how art, such as the work of visually impaired artist Luka Kille, provides a powerful way to e...

In this episode, Professor Philip Schofield sits down with Dr Jane Gilmour, Clinical Lecturer and Honorary Consultant Clinical Psychologist, to debunk the myths around the condition. Dr Gilmour offers a fresh perspective on Tourette's: sharing insights into treatment, and championing how society should not condemn what causes no harm. About the series How much do we understand the human mind? This...

As the number of children diagnosed with ADHD and autism rises, Professor Philip Schofield sits down with Dr Emily Midouhas, Associate Professor in Psychology, to explore how best to support neurodivergent children. Dr Midohas highlights the emotional and behavioural challenges neurodivergent children face, and offers fresh ideas on how to support neurodivergent students. About the series How much...

Can music unlock memories for people with dementia? In this episode, Professor Philip Schofield and Dr Jess Jiang, Senior Research Fellow in Neurodegenerative Diseases, draw on cutting-edge science as they explore the links between hearing and dementia. Dr Jiang explains how music not only supports treatment and emotional connection but also helps track disease progression for drug development. Ab...

Does neurodivergence shape the way that we sleep and dream? In this episode, Professor Dagmara Dimitriou, Professor of Sleep Education and Research, draws on two decades of research to explain why standard sleep advice often falls short for neurodiverse individuals. From infant dreams to nightmares – take a deep dive into the strange world of sleep and the brain.  Date of episode recording: 2024-1...

Date of episode recording: 2025-10-23 Duration: 26:38 Language of episode: English Presenter: Professor Philip Schofield Guests: Dr Michael Woodrow Producer: Justin Hardy Podcast Owners: Dr Paul Ayris, Margaret Stone, Lara Speicher, Helen Carney, Alison Fox

How much do we know about the mind, and is an autistic mind truly different? Professor Philip Schofield and Dr Sarah White, Associate Professor at UCL’s Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, answer these questions as they take a forensic look at the brain, and challenge outdated medical models and stereotypes of autism. This is essential listening for anyone interested in the intersections of philo...

Professor Philip Schofield sits down with Dr Luciano Rila, from the Department of Maths, to delve into the history of the UK’s first university-affiliated Gaysoc, founded by Jamie Gardiner in 1972, at UCL. Dr Rila discovered archival materials in UCL’s Special Collections revealing that though the society was initially met with backlash, UCL’s liberal tradition prevailed, and the movement gained m...

Professor Philip Schofield discusses queer aesthetics and the idea of a racialised panoptic gaze with Dr Xine Yao, the co-director of qUCL and an expert on American literature in the Department of English. They dig into the archive of bestselling, but now forgotten, American novels, and tease out the ways in which the biggest issues of the 19th century still resonate in everyday life today.   Host...

Professor Philip Schofield hosts Social Scientist Dr Jonathan Galton, to explore his research into the perceived political tension on the progressive left between queerness and Islam. Discussing the historical and cultural context surrounding queerness and Islam, they find surprising affinities between Bentham’s writing on freedom of religion and sexual liberty, and the contemporary theological wo...