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Hat Sessions breathe the life into ideas.
We traversed life guiding philosophies, sensory experiences, and future predictions, alongside a whole host of thought leaders and big thinkers at HowTheLightGetsIn Hay 2024.
To dive back into the big ideas join us this Septemeber at HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024!
Peter Singer is one of the world's leading philosophers, renowned for his challenging and often controversial views. From animal ethics to effective altruism, Singer has shaped the philosophical landscape. Join this event to uncover the key events in his life that led to his ideas, and hear him answers his critics and defend the convictions that have made him the force that he is today.
"The Dangerous Philosopher." - The New Yorker
President Obama's choice to lead NATO forces in Afghanistan, and later Director of the CIA, General Petraeus has been at the forefront of international affairs for the better part of three decades and is a strident critic of recent US foreign policy. In a world more precarious than ever, join him to hear his assessment of how to respond to the troubling state of global affairs and gain insight into how his own life experiences influenced his philosophy and outlook on the world.
"General Petraeus is among the very best military leaders of his generation." - John Kerry, former Secretary of State
The genre of 'true crime' has an implausible title. After all, whose truth are we telling, how do we find this truth and isn't the real 'truth' to create a success for the writer or director? Join family victim of 'The Staircase', Margie Ratliff, and documentary director, Camilla Hall, as they explore the psychological impact of being the subject of a crime, then later a TV sensation, and how to find a way to enjoy true crime without compromising the humanity, or the dignity of its subjects.
"Sensational, game-changing" - The Guardian
The ability to inhabit a character, especially one underappreciated and consigned to the annuls of history, is both fiendishly difficult and personally revealing. Join Wonka, Peep Show and Shakespearean actor, Paterson Joseph, as he reveals the key experiences that led him to his personal philosophy and outlook on life. Asked what he would like to be remembered for, he replied that he wished to illuminate the lives of black Britons before his parents' Windrush generation. Come and discover what looking back Paterson Joseph believes he has learnt from life. Jenny Kleeman interviews.
"Joseph is an interesting mix of equanimity and eruptive fury." - The Telegraph
The more we understand the world, the more it seems to unravel into larger and more complex mysteries that may well be unsolvable. Join Cambridge particle physicist and CERN hadron collider researcher, Harry Cliff, to explore the fascinating anomalies and oddities that confound scientists. From energy inexplicably emanating from Antarctica to dilemmas over the expansion of the universe, Cliff takes you through the many mysteries of physics and argues that there is a limit to what science can and will uncover.
"Lays out the gaps and anomalies at the edge of modern science, which may make the best theories of today look as quaint as those of long ago." - New York Times
War is often thought to be predominantly male. But in reality, women and conflict are inseparable. Rape is "the cheapest weapon known to man", wrote Christina Lamb in her book Our Bodies, Their Battlefield. Amidst a career taking her from warzone to warzone, join journalist, Lamb, as she discusses the role sexual violence plays in modern war. Interviewed by Isabel Hilton.
"Lamb.. .does society a service by forcing us to look." - New York Times
Touch is one of our universal human experiences. It's how we interact with the world, show affection, and nourish the soul, but what ideas lie behind the magic of touch? In this informative and entertaining workshop, The Centre for the Study of the Senses will offer a range of sensory experiences to explore how our senses work and put us in deeper touch with our surroundings and ourselves. Expect to see the world differently when you leave. With philosopher of the senses Barry C. Smith.
"Well up to the task in questions about taste and perception, subjectivity and objectivity." - The TLS
Join esteemed philosopher Angie Hobbs and former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams in an illuminating dialogue that bridges ancient wisdom with contemporary challenges. Delve into the profound intersections of philosophy and Eastern Orthodox traditions as they explore the timeless insights of Plato and their relevance in today's complex world. From the ethics of governance to the pursuit of justice, Hobbs and Williams offer thought-provoking perspectives on how ancient philosophical principles can inform and guide us in addressing the pressing issues of our time..
We thought technology was going to open up new possibilities for human expression. Giving us access to new information, new inspiration, and tools and techniques for creation. Join film director, writer, and producer, Martha Fiennes, as she argues technology has all too often closed, not opened, our minds. Technology has built new mental prisons around education, media, healthcare, and everywhere else. Hear how she uses technology to break free in her work, and why we need to control tech, not let it control us. Interviewed by Richard Davey.
In the wake of the pandemic and the midst of the cost of living and climate crises, it’s easy for individuals to feel helpless. But can we ever have control over our destinies, or do social conditions always control our lives? Join ACFM podcast hosts Nadia Idle, Jeremy Gilbert and Keir Milburn for a lively discussion on the social, historical, structural, and psychological, forces that shape us and our fates. The event will be a live ACFM (Novara) podcast recording.
People in the workforce want their jobs to give them purpose and meaning. But in a world of remote working and disillusionment with capitalism, is there even such a thing as 'meaningful work'? And in the world of digital transformation, can there be meaning in life without it? Join Avery Anapol from The Conversation, FT podcaster Isabel Berwick, political philosopher Caleb Althorpe, psychologist and psychotherapist Nilufar Ahmed, and commentator Aaron Bastani, as they try to discover what meaningful work is, and debate whether it's worth pursuing.
Music has been profoundly changed by streaming. Algorithms direct discoveries, track preferences, and shape our desires. Are we controlling the algorithm or is the algorithm controlling us? Will the immediate availability of almost everything gradually remove the desire for the new and will a relative handful of artists dominate our listening for the foreseeable future? Artist Flo Gallop and a special guest, debate the future of music, and the value and threat of the technology.
The longest-serving Speaker of the House of Commons since the Second World War, John Bercow was once seen as on the right of the Tory party, later becoming a member of the Tory shadow cabinet. He moved to the left throughout his political career subsequently becoming a thorn in the side of the Conservative Johnson government. Join him as he outlines his vision for the future and why Britain desperately needs change.
"Charming, attractively self-deprecating, and he addresses the head-on charges against him." ‑ Prospect
A UK First. Back To Big Thinking
The Guardian
Press
