Debates

Debates are the beating heart of HowTheLightGetsIn and Hay 2024 was no different.  We saw Nobel prize winners lock horns with philosophers and leading campaigners and  go head to head with poltical theorists over a weeked of vibrant debate.

Join us this September for another weekend of fiery discussion tackling the most pressing issues and open questios of our time.

  Explore Now

A group of silhouetted figures stands in a circle, holding hands around a glowing, digital Earth, symbolizing unity and global connection.

Humanity and the Gods of Nature

Slavoj Zizek, Peter Singer, Nancy Sherman
Surreal landscape featuring a figure standing before a vast, colorful expanse with intricate patterns and a glowing sun at the horizon.

Journey to Other Dimensions

Avshalom Ellitzur, Marika Taylor, Roger Penrose
Silhouette of human evolution from primates to modern humans, set against a vibrant cityscape with the Empire State Building in the background.

Overcoming Evolution

Simon Baron-Cohen, Subrena Smith
A dark, ethereal sculpture of a figure bound by chains, surrounded by floating debris, conveying themes of entrapment and struggle.
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Violence, Vengence, and Virtue

Ilan Pappe, Bronwen Maddox, Peter Singer
A close-up view of a neuron with glowing projections, illustrating its intricate structure and connectivity in the nervous system.
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Turtles all the way down

Donald Hoffman, Hilary Lwson, Priya Natarajan
A person in traditional attire is casting a vote into a locked ballot box, emphasizing civic engagement and the electoral process.

The Democracy Show

S.Y. Quraishi, Amy Chua, Sophie Scott-Brown
An abstract representation of a black oval surrounded by dynamic lines radiating outward, symbolizing concepts of speed, motion, or a spatial vortex.
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Faster Than Light

Claudia de Rham, Tim Maudlin, Joao Magueijo
A surreal illustration depicting a giant, whimsical figure controlling a smaller character with strings, while a castle and distorted shapes are present in the background.
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The New Overlords

Ali Allawi, Claire Provost & Armen Sarkissian
A futuristic chessboard with glowing pieces, featuring a mix of metallic and transparent elements, set against a backdrop of illuminated world maps.
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Navigating the New world order

Bronwen Maddox, Armen Sarkissian & Christina Lamb
Illustration of the Tower of Babel, showcasing people in ancient attire and divine figures in the sky, as they respond to the construction of the tower.
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Trouble With Language

Tim Maudlin, Hilary Lawson
A person in a suit examines a large skull, set against a vibrant orange background, symbolizing themes of mortality and introspection.

The Real Me

Steve Taylor, Anneli Jefferson, Jack Symes, Frank Tallis
A hand holds a quill above a tall stack of books, with industrial smokestacks and chains in the background, symbolizing the power of knowledge and literature.
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The Tyranny of the Pen

John Ralston Saul, Joanna Kavenna, Ruth Padel
A colorful, retro illustration depicting a man, woman, and child looking at a house under a vibrant rainbow, with the child holding an American flag.
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Nightmare in Suburbia

Sophie Scott-Brown, Des Fitzgerald, Hannah Rich
A golden pot overflowing with coins sits in a forest setting, illuminated by sunlight with a rainbow arching overhead.

Something For Nothing

Paul Bloom, Nancy Sherman & Dan Ariely
Artistic portrait of Charles Darwin, featuring a colorful, abstract design incorporating elements of his profile and beard against a warm background.
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Darwin vs Consciousness

Stuart Hameroff, Antonella Tramacere, Denis Noble
A glowing, abstract representation of molecular structures within a glass sphere, showcasing vibrant colors and dynamic movement against a dark, ethereal background.
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Dark Energy and The Universe

Claudia de Rham, Priya Natarajan, Chris Lintott
A colorful illustration of diverse silhouettes of people, representing unity and inclusivity amidst varying shades and forms.
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The Equality Dream

Tommy Curry, Vicky Pryce, John Bercow & Lisa Cameron
A robotic arm with intricate mechanical fingers plays a keyboard, showcasing advanced engineering and design in robotics and music interaction.

The Creativity Crisis

Judith Donath, Martha Fiennes & John Ralston Saul
A modern interpretation of a classical statue, depicting a muscular figure engaged with technology, surrounded by colorful abstract patterns and wires.
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Controlling the Tech Titans

Kenneth Cukier, Alexander Evens, Joscha Bach, Shannon Vallor
A colorful explosion of cosmic elements resembling a nebula, with swirling clouds of gas and vibrant starlight amidst a dark, starry background.
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The Riddle of the Beginning

Scott Aaronson, Marika Taylor, John Lennox, Joscha Bach
A vibrant abstract portrait featuring a distorted face with flowing colors, expressing intense emotion through vivid hues of red, blue, yellow, and green.
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Optimising Ourselves

James Riley, Nancy Sherman, Jessica DeFino
A vintage map of the Southern United States, highlighting locations like Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi with intricate detailing and historical place names.
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Land, Ownership and Hypocrisy

Dale Turner, Tommy Curry, Peter Singer, Janne Teller
Silhouetted figures stand before a large, artistic depiction of scales symbolizing justice, set against an abstract cityscape illuminated in warm colors.
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A World Without Values

Tommy Curry, Eva Illouz, Robin van den Akker
A swirling galaxy in the cosmos surrounded by complex mathematical equations and formulas, conveying themes of physics and astronomy.

Mystery In The Making

Bjørn Ekeberg, Claudia de Rham, Harry Cliff
A vivid, artistic representation of a human profile filled with colorful, swirling patterns and natural elements symbolizing thoughts and creativity.
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Imagining the Unimaginable

Joanna Kavenna, Martha Fiennes & Simon Barion-Cohen
The Indian national flag waving against a dramatic sunset sky, with birds flying in the background.

The Indian Century

Meghnad Desai, S.Y. Quraishi, Kate Sullivan de Estrada
Colorful abstract circles with swirling patterns and vibrant hues of orange, blue, green, and yellow against a dark background.
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The Agents of Life

Johnjoe McFadden, Frances Ashcroft, Denis Noble
An abstract illustration featuring multiple stylized faces with swirling hair and expressions of distress, interconnected with flowing lines and shapes.

Having It All

Vicky Pryce, Aaron Bastani
A vibrant, glowing heart made of swirling pink and purple smoke, surrounded by ethereal blue wisps and sparks, creating a mystical and passionate atmosphere.
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Happily Ever After

Simon May, Jenny Kleeman, Myriam François
A glowing digital globe showcasing North America, interconnected by lines of light representing data flow and connectivity in a modern, technological world.
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Thinking set free

Subrena E Smith, Paul Bloom, Stuart Hameroff
Abstract portrait of a somber man, featuring bold colors and geometric patterns, conveying emotions of introspection and depth.

Better Left Unsaid

Theodore Dalrymple, Simon Wessely , Vanessa King
A futuristic figure with glasses, surrounded by glowing neural patterns and interconnected nodes, symbolizing the intersection of technology and human consciousness.
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The Values and Prejudices of Science

Ben Ware, Tim Palmer, Marika Taylor
An abstract painting featuring a prominent cross at the center, surrounded by a vibrant, colorful background of warm and cool hues.
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Belief, Value and Superstition

Paul Bloom, Fellipe do Vale, Catherine Rowett, Winston Marshall
A stylized sculpture of a multi-faced head is set against a vibrant, abstract background featuring geometric shapes and bright colors.
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After Postmodernism

Robin Van den Akker, Abby Innes, Hilary Lawson
A young woman in vintage attire reads a magazine illustrated with a colorful cover, featuring a girl in a garden, surrounded by leafy patterns.

Lost in stories

Matthew Beaumont, Ruth Padel & Theodore Dalrymple
A light bulb surrounded by vibrant splashes of blue, yellow, red, and green paint, symbolizing creativity and innovation against a dark background.
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Truth, Theory, and Ultimate Reality

Abby Innes, Time Maudlin, Bernard Carr, Lisa Randall
A close-up of a vibrant, sparkling eye with a unique blend of orange and blue colors in the iris, enhanced by glittery makeup.
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The Politics of Beauty

Janne Teller, Justine Kolata, Simon May, Jessica DeFino
A vibrant, abstract illustration featuring the faces of diverse women in bold colors, celebrating individuality and unity through artistic expression.
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Sex, Language, and Gender

Fellipe do Vale, Güneş Taylor, Aline Laurent-Mayard
Abstract close-up of glowing blue and purple fiber optic strands emitting light, creating a vibrant, dynamic appearance.
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Data, Deception and Truth

John Burn-Murdoch, Abby Innes, Kenneth Cukier