Original Ideas

What does the past tell us about the future? How does Archaeology impact the world we live in? In 2024, the Liverpool Institute of Archaeology celebrated its 120th birthday, and it has developed an international reputation for its quality of teaching and research. Gavin Freeborn is joined by University of Liverpool researchers Professor Larry Barham, Dr Ceren Kabukcu and Rachel Stokes to discuss their work - looking at how they were drawn to Archaeology, and the multi-disciplinary nature of the work, including the UK's Arts & Humanities Research Council funded Deep Roots of Humanity Project in south-central Africa (Zambia). They aimed to take a slice of time (roughly 500,000 to 300,000 years ago) before the evolution of Homo sapiens, because we know very little about this period as there are few well-dated sites. This led to the Old Wood discovery making worldwide headlines.For info: NERC facility refers to the Natural Environment Research Council. Learn more: liverpool.ac.uk/research/original-ideas/

Dementia is an illness without a cure yet, and whilst it's more common in people over the age of 65, it can affect young people too. A 2024 report from the Alzheimer's Society put the number of people in the UK living with Dementia at around 1 million.So what research is taking place into this debilitating disease? What are the hopes for the future, and what progress is being made in the fight against Dementia?Gavin Freeborn is joined by Dr Clarissa Giebel, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Liverpool's Institute of Population Health, where she leads the Dementia Research Group on Inequalities, and Dr Megan Polden, a post-doctoral researcher with a focus on dementia.More information available at liverpool.ac.uk/research/original-ideas/

As a UNESCO City of Music, and home to the Institute of Popular Music, Liverpool is a city with music at its heart. Exploring cultural phenomena from The Beatles to Taylor Swift, in this episode we look at the research taking place around popular music. What can we learn from the many different perspectives of popular music? How has it changed society in the past, and how will the music industry evolve in the future?Gavin Freeborn is joined by Dr Holly Tessler and Dr Mike Jones, as well as Dr Amy Skjerseth and Dr Samuel Murray, from the University of Liverpool's Department of Music and Institute of Popular Music. More information available at https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/research/original-ideas/

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that all children should have equal rights, no matter who they are, where they live, what gender they are, or whether they are wealthy or in poverty. No child should be treated unfairly for any reason, and protecting children is something that every society should work towards - from safeguarding the use of their data and images, through to enabling access to law and justice, and enforcing rights around citizenship.  So  how is academic research facilitating and enforcing children's legal rights? What academic work is taking place to safeguard children's rights right now? Gavin Freeborn is joined by Professor Helen Stalford, a leading expert on European Children's Rights, and PhD student Kindah Ali who has conducted research on the use of children's images by the media during wars. More information available at https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/research/original-ideas/

Joining other Feminist Cities around the world including Barcelona and Vienna, Glasgow became the UK's first self-proclaimed Feminist City in 2022. This inspired University of Liverpool staff to create the Liverpool Feminist City Network, connecting multiple areas of research. What is a Feminist City? How is academic research helping inform and create cities that are more inclusive for everyone? Gavin Freeborn is joined by leaders of the Liverpool Feminist City Network members Professor Catherine Durose and Dr Catherine Queen, plus early career researchers Dr Shreyashi Dasgupta and Dr Emma Spruce. More information available at https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/research/original-ideas/

Regarded as one of the most transformational technologies we've ever seen, AI is developing at an unprecedented rate. We've seen world leaders hold summits to explore the many benefits that AI can bring to society – but also warn of the need to use it responsibly.So what impact is AI making in academic circles? How is AI being used now to transform research across Chemistry and Computer Science, and what are the hopes for the future?Gavin Freeborn is joined by Professors Katie Atkinson and Andy Cooper, and early career researchers Dr Jack Mumford and Dr Gabriella Pizzuto. More information available at https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/research/original-ideas/

Over 3 billion people use smoky polluting stoves and fuels inside homes for cooking and heating. In the UK, a third of childhood asthma cases are related to poor air quality. Air pollution is one of the biggest threats we have to global health – how is research at the University of Liverpool driving change for lower to middle income countries? In the city of Liverpool, what research is taking place around the measurement of air quality, that could benefit the wider world? Gavin Freeborn meets Professor Daniel Pope and PhD student Chloe Gray. More information available at https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/research/original-ideas/