This year’s Balliol Online Lecture series showcased the breadth of research across the Balliol community – from the mysteries of the quantum qubit to the intricate workings of the human heart. Delivered by Balliol Fellows, lecturers, and academic visitors, the lectures offered fascinating insights into some of the exciting areas of current scholarship.
If you missed any of them, or would like to revisit a favourite, recordings of all our 2025 lectures are available below:
‘Occam’s Razor: Are Simple Explanations Better?’ by Professor Vijay Balasubramanian (George Eastman Visiting Fellow, 2024–2025)
‘Quantum Adventures with Trapped Ions: Clocks, Springs, and Qubits’ by Raghavendra Srinivas (former Early Career Fellow in Physics)
‘Building Animal Bodies: The Mechanisms that Regulate Animal Shape and Form’ by Professor Sebastian Shimeld (Professor of Evolutionary Developmental Biology, Julian Huxley Fellow and Tutor in Zoology)
‘Codes, Computers, and Quantum Physics’ by Professor David Lucas (Emeritus Fellow in Physics)
‘Sound and Fury Signifying Nothing? Business Alliances and Climate’ by Professor Peter Tufano (Emeritus Peter Moores Professor of Finance at Saïd Business School, and Special Supernumerary Fellow)
‘Apples, Black Holes, and Holograms: A Brief History of Gravity’ by Romain Ruzziconi (Walker Early Career Fellow in Mathematical Physics)
‘The End of Black Politics’ by Professor Kimberley Johnson (John G. Winant Visiting Professor of American Government)
‘The Sudanese Giraffe Who Went to France: The Life and Afterlife of Zarafa, 1824–2024’ by Professor Heather Sharkey (Oliver Smithies Visiting Fellow)
‘A Cultural History Told Through Depictions of the Heart: Botticelli to Banksy’ by Professor Robin Choudhury (Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Senior Research Fellow in Biomedical Science)
Keep an eye out for the following upcoming talk in 2026:
20 January 2026: ‘Agency and Preference: Attitudes Toward Vaccination and Epidemic Risks’ by Professor John Drake (Oliver Smithies Visiting Fellow)