Luke Kemp
Why do societies collapse? Can history help us better understand the greatest challenges of our time? Cambridge researcher Luke Kemp has studied the rise and fall of hundreds of societies over the past 300,000 years to explore these questions. Drawing on new insights from history, archaeology, and anthropology, he offers a reinterpretation of world history that is as surprising as it is fundamental. In doing so, Kemp demonstrates that social inequality is one of the most significant drivers of societal collapse—and explores the implications of this insight for our shared future.
Dr. Luke Kemp is the author of *Goliath’s Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse* (2025) and a Research Affiliate at the Center for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER) at the University of Cambridge. Luke Kemp’s research is regularly featured in international media, including the BBC, The New York Times, and The New Yorker.
Language: English
Details:
Date: 27.10.2026
Time: 19:00
Type:
Goliath's Curse
What the Rise and Fall of Civilizations Reveals About Our Future
Event type:
Geist Heidelberg Lecture
Prices plus fees
Regular 15,90 €
Reduced 12,90 €
Member 9,90 €
