Cambridge Skeptics

From galaxies retreating from us faster than expected to enigmatic forces subtly tugging at the fundamental building blocks of matter, the universe offers us an ever-growing compendium of cosmic riddles. These anomalies are challenging our most fundamental theories and may herald transformations in how we think about the basic constituents of matter, and even the history of the cosmos. Or they could be mirages, threatening to lead us astray. Harry will discuss how anomalies have shaped science in the past and explore the current conundrums that could herald the next era in our understanding.

Dr Harry Cliff is a particle physicist at the University of Cambridge who works on the Large Hadron Collider, a huge particle accelerator buried 100 metres underground at CERN near Geneva. He is part of an international team who use the LHC to study the basic building blocks of our universe, in search of answers to some of the biggest questions in physics. As Cambridge’s Public Physicist, Cliff is a prominent communicator of science and has given a large number of public talks, with millions of online views, and has written two critically acclaimed popular science books, How To Make An Apple Pie From Scratch (2021) and, Space Oddities (2024).

Please note, due to venue regulations, events are open to over 18s only.

As business leaders solemnly profess dedication to principles of environmental and social justice, their actions often betray an enduring commitment to the neoliberal idea of maximizing profit. Hiding behind the mirage of ESG, sustainability and corporate social responsibility, traditional corporations continue to exploit the very resources and communities essential to their success. In his recent book, The Profiteers, Cambridge professor Christopher Marquis shows it’s not enough to blame and shame—or even to reform the worst corporate actors. We must rethink and transform the entire system, leaving behind the current model of shareholder primacy to create a new, regenerative paradigm. He will also discuss a new generation of leaders doing just that - by taking actions to minimize their negative impacts and create new ways to properly absorb their hidden costs, they are providing blueprints to move the needle on vexing social and environmental issues.

Christopher Marquis is the Sinyi Professor of Management at the University of Cambridge and author of The Profiteers: How Business Privatizes Profits and Socializes Costs. His research examines business sustainability and social entrepreneurship, and he has written two prior award-winning books, including Better Business: How the B Corp Movement Is Remaking Capitalism and Mao and Markets: The Communist Roots of Chinese Enterprise, the latter was a Financial Times Best Book of 2022. Marquis is passionate about how academic research can help people around the world address some of the biggest crises of our day — including climate change, inequality, and discrimination. Before Cambridge Marquis worked at Cornell for 6 years, and Harvard for 11 years. He has a PhD in sociology from the University of Michigan and previously worked for six years in the financial services industry, most recently as a Vice President at JP Morgan Chase.

Please note, due to venue regulations, events are open to over 18s only.