Debates

Debate is the beating heart of our festival - from Nobel Laureates to Pulitzer Prize winners, HowTheLightGetsIn is home to world-leading thinkers pushing their disciplines forward.

Explore our wide-ranging debates panel for this year's festival. View our expansive speaker lineup here and explore our full programme of events here.

 Book tickets now!

A stylized chess king piece stands at the center of a black and white chessboard, surrounded by pawns in a gradient background.

The End of Good and Evil

Slavoj Žižek, Rowan Williams, Maria Balaska, Richard Wrangham

Maverick philosopher Slavoj Žižek, former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and revolutionary primatologist Richard Wrangham debate whether it's time to say goodbye to good and evil.

A digital illustration of a world map in green, featuring a grid pattern and connecting lines, set against a dark background with glowing dots.

New Powers and Fading Forces

Fiona Hill, Shashi Tharoor, Malcolm Rifkind

Former Defence Secretary Malcolm Rifkind and leading Modi critic Shashi Tharoor discuss the West's role in a changing world. Are countries such as Russia, China and India forming a new world order that won't conform to Western values?

A vibrant, abstract design featuring swirling patterns of colorful lights and lines against a dark background, resembling a digital energy flow.

The Trouble With String Theory

Roger Penrose, Eric Weinstein, Brian Greene, Tasneem Zehra Husain

Nobel Prize-winning physicist Roger Penrose and popular string theorist Brian Greene go head-to-head on the fundamental structure of the universe: has the search for supersymmetry failed? If string theory no longer explains the world, what does?

 

A silhouetted figure stands on a rock, gazing at the vibrant Milky Way and star-filled sky during twilight.

The Centre of the Universe

Neil Turok, Lisa Randall, Martin Cohen
A purple and teal illuminated gaming controller positioned on a light background, showcasing a modern design and ergonomic shape.

The Game of Life

Slavoj Žižek, Steven Bonnell, Lisa Miller
A silhouette of a person walking towards large black blocks resembling dominoes, with a red sun rising in the background against a pink backdrop.

Guesses, Errors and Economics

Gillian Tett, Guy Standing, Richard Werner
A cosmic eye with vibrant blue and green colors, set against a starry space background, symbolizing vision and perception.

Imagining the Universe

Roger Penrose, Iain McGilchrist, Esther Freud
A digital illustration depicting the evolution of humans, transitioning from primitive forms to a modern, pixelated figure amidst a blue background.

Ancient Traits in a Modern World

Sunetra Gupta, Subrena E. Smith, Anders Sandberg
A sprouting plant next to a swirling dollar bill on cracked, dry earth, symbolizing the intersection of nature and finance in a drought-affected landscape.

Capitalism and the Climate

Helen Czerski, Rebecca Henderson, Troy Vettese
A colorful illustration of diverse, abstract human figures in various poses, embracing and interacting closely, with soft shapes and muted skin tones.

The Morality of Sex

Maya Oppenheim, Steven Bonnell, Myriam Francois, Isabel Millar
A futuristic visualization of a warp tunnel, depicting swirling lights and stars, suggesting the concept of traveling through space and time.

Down the Wormhole

Lisa Randall, George Ellis, Matt O'Dowd
A close-up of a dropper adding a liquid to a red test tube, surrounded by colorful test tubes filled with various liquids in vibrant hues.

Life, Death and Specialisation

David Healy, Nick Lane, Caitjan Gainty
A digital illustration of diverse figures connected by lines, symbolizing networking and communication within a social or professional context.

Me, My World and I

Gary Lachman, Hannah Critchlow, Barry C. Smith
An astronaut in a white spacesuit stands on a rocky, reddish landscape, surrounded by towering cliffs and dramatic rock formations.

The Danger and Desire of the Frontier

Nolen Gertz, Bahar Gholip, Cory Doctorow
A classical marble bust of a woman's head with a realistic brain positioned above it, set against a bright blue background.

Philosophy at War

Michael Shermer, Marika Taylor, Hilary Lawson
A silhouette of a human figure walking towards a bright light against a backdrop of swirling galaxies and stars, representing a cosmic or spiritual journey.

Your True Self

Joanna Kavenna, Betty Sue Flowers, James Tartaglia
Two abstract figures in vibrant colors engaged in conversation, with speech bubbles above them in blue and pink, representing dialogue and communication.

Rhetoric and Reality

Nolen Gertz, Betty Sue Flowers, Joscha Bach
A silhouette of a man in a suit connects two faces with tangled lines, representing dialogue or communication between contrasting thoughts. The background is bright yellow.

Taking Leave of Reason

Rory Sutherland, Michael Shermer, Joanna Kavenna, Rebecca Roache
A person's hand holds a camera lens, framing a serene forest scene in the background, showcasing greenery and trees.

Based on a True Story

Remi Adekoya, Esther Freud, Peter Egan
A wall displaying a variety of international flags, including Denmark, Netherlands, Italy, and Canada, casting shadows against a blue background.

Diplomacy, Deception and Disaster

Jessica Berlin, Laurie Bristow, David Omand, Malcolm Rifkind
A rolled-up hundred-dollar bill featuring Benjamin Franklin is tightly bound by barbed wire, symbolizing restraint or entrapment related to money.

The Weapon That Failed

Simon Jenkins, Bronwen Maddox, Michael Clarke
Two stylized figures stand on contrasting red geometric platforms, one in business attire on a higher ledge and another in casual clothing below, symbolizing disparity or competition.

Brains, Beauty and Bad Judgement

Rory Sutherland, Janne Teller, Remi Adekoya
Silhouetted figures of protesters raising their fists and holding signs against a bright red background, symbolizing a rally or demonstration for a cause.

Virtue Ethics and Mob Morality

Sophie Scott-Brown, Simon Blackburn, Peter Tatchell
Abstract digital landscape with flowing lines and shimmering particles in shades of blue and gold, creating a sense of movement and depth.

The Quantum Hoax

Joscha Bach, Ruth Oulton, Neil Turok, Dominic Walliman
A visually striking pattern of ornate keyholes set against a dark wooden background, with light shining through each keyhole, creating an intriguing, mysterious atmosphere.

What We Don't Know

Tommy Curry, Marika Taylor, Rupert Sheldrake
A close-up of green digital code cascading down a dark background, reminiscent of a matrix-style visual effect.

The Matrix, Myths and Metaphysics

Eric Weinstein, Becky Parker, Hilary Lawson
Close-up of a paintbrush applying vibrant blue and turquoise paint on a textured canvas, showcasing thick brush strokes and a mix of colors.

Beauty and the Meaning of Life

George Ellis, Suchitra Sebastian, Denis Noble
A wooden bookshelf shaped like a human head, featuring various books on its shelves, set against a brick wall.

The Future of Knowledge

Samson Kambali, Sophie Scott-Brown, Tim Blackman
A close-up view of classical stone columns with fluted designs, showcasing a warm gradient effect from orange to red at the edges.

Democracy in the Dock

Ruth Kinna, Jesse Norman, Thangam Debbonaire
A close-up view of colorful soap bubbles displaying intricate patterns and iridescent hues, showcasing the interplay of light and surface texture.

The Best and Worst of All Possible Worlds

Paul Horwich, Ben Burgis, Tasneem Zehra Husain
A silhouetted figure sits on a bench in a prison cell, with their head bowed and hands clasped, surrounded by dark bars casting shadows.

Beyond Reasonable Doubt

Emma Bryson, Harriet Wistrich, Peter Tatchell
A bronze statue of Lady Justice, depicted blindfolded, holding a pair of scales, symbolizing fairness and the moral force of the law.

Justice in Jeopardy

David Livingstone Smith, Harriet Wistrich, Myriam Francois
A silhouette of a man proposing to a woman against a sunset backdrop, capturing a romantic moment in an outdoor setting.

Manners Maketh Man

Billy Bragg, Grafton Tanner, Sophie Scott-Brown
Colorful paper crumples shaped like light bulbs above stylized figures, symbolizing ideas, teamwork, and creativity in a collaborative environment.

The Meaning Puzzle

Samson Kambalu, Rebecca Roache, Hilary Lawson
Two abstract figures face each other against a chaotic swirl of black and white lines, evoking tension and confrontation.

The Blame Game

Lola Young, David Livingstone-Smith, Guy Standing, Claire Ogley
A silhouette of a figure stands at the end of a dark tunnel, illuminated by a bright light, creating a sense of mystery and depth.

Beyond the Boundary

Lisa Miller, Nick Lane, Paul Bickley
A colorful, complex network of interconnected nodes and links, featuring various sizes of dots in red, blue, green, yellow, pink, and purple against a black background.

Reality, Models and Mayhem

Bjørn Ekeberg, Michael Shermer, Sunetra Gupta