Politics & Society

Architect Sarah Wigglesworth will explore the cultural challenges that architecture can and should be addressing and where we have erected barriers to doing so. Sarah argues that architects are relatively powerless within the broader forces that shape our cities, arguing for an architecture in which people will have greater control of the built environment around

For more information about the event and to listen to the podcast go to the RSA event page: http://bit.ly/1jGC6Vt What makes us human? In the first of an exciting series of events celebrating the return of the popular and accessible Pelican books, evolutionary anthropologist Robin Dunbar will discuss the evolution of the human species. Follow

One of the world’s most influential psychologists Martin Seligman calls for a reinvention of governance and education, and a revolution in our personal lives. Listen to the full audio: http://www.thersa.org/events/audio-and-past-events/2011/flourish

We’ve heard a lot in recent years about the science of quick-thinking and intuitive choices, but is this method always best? Bestselling author Steven Johnson explains how the science of deliberative decision-making can help us make better long-term choices – both personally and within society. Watch bestselling author, Steven Johnson in our latest RSA Spotlight

‘Pirates didn’t just break free from society, they rewrote the rules’. Founder and former CEO of award-winning marketing agency Livity, Sam Conniff Allende unveils the innovative strategies of Golden Age pirates, drawing parallels between the tactics and teachings of legends like Henry Morgan and Blackbeard with modern rebels, like Steve Jobs, Malala and Elon Musk.

We are bombarded each day with bad data, half-truths, and even outright lies in amongst the facts. But how can we know if we are being sold mistruths? Neuroscientist and New York Times bestselling author Daniel Levitin explains that although we may expect newspapers, the government and Wikipedia to be factually correct, so often aren’t.

Government, business, the lives we lead, the way we relate to the natural world around us – it’s all become too big and distant and industrialised. Inhuman. It’s time to do something about it. It’s time to make the world more human. Watch the full replay: https://www.youtube.com/embed/d9jlRBvRHMQ RSA Spotlights – taking you straight to the

The Left and Right of Capitalism with Jonathan Haidt. What we believe influences what we perceive far more than we would like to admit to. Renowned social psychologist Jonathan Haidt uses an optical illusion to demonstrate how our brains are influenced, and how most of us stick unswervingly to one of two persuasive stories about

James Wallman, journalist and trend forecaster, visits the RSA to explain why more and more of us are suffering from “stuffocation” — where, instead of feeling enriched by the things we own, we are stifled and overwhelmed by them. In our busy, cluttered lives, “more” is no longer “better”. After the event, this video will

Many have argued that the world’s problems may be ultimately ‘spiritual’ in nature, and much of the population, atheists and believers alike, claim to have a spiritual dimension to their lives. But what do we really mean by the spiritual? The RSA launches a major new series rethinking the cultural and social value of spirituality,

The millennial, or ‘jilted’ generation make up a quarter of the UK’s population, and yet they are frequently derided as narcissistic, tech-dependent and lazy. But are these epithets fair? They are the first generation to do worse than their parents, and many graduated into a climate of joblessness, extortionate housing costs, and instability. Bestselling leadership

RSA Spotlights – taking you straight to the heart of the event, highlighting our favourite moments and key talking points. Climate change is no laughing matter, but when all else fails, perhaps it’s time to take humour a bit more seriously? With the climate clock ticking we witness a seemingly endless cycle of public talks,

Thanks to modern medicine, now is the very best time in history to be getting old – people are living longer than before, leading healthier lives and as a society we’re living more productively into our later years. Daniel Levitin quashes myths around ageing and calls out common misconceptions around older generations. Watch Daniel Levitin,

#RSABeyondGDP Our politicians are hung up on keeping the growth curve rising. But does GDP really tell us all we need to know about a country’s wealth and well-being? In this new RSA Short, Kate Raworth makes a powerful argument to look beyond economic growth alone for a true measure of prosperity and progress. Kate

Author Tobias Jones discusses the meaning of community and how it plays an important part in the matrix of social solutions. Watch the full replay: https://youtu.be/ag-XhfyGilE Watch Tobias Jones in our latest RSA Spotlight – the edits which take you straight to the heart of the event! Watch the full replay: https://youtu.be/ag-XhfyGilE Missed our last

Philosopher and author Robert Rowland Smith, philosopher Mark Vernon, and Jung biographer Gary Lachman reflect on Carl Jung’s legacy, 50 years after his death. Listen to the full audio: http://www.thersa.org/events/audio-and-past-events/2011/carl-jung-legacy-and-influence

RSA Minimate: Climate Change and the Future of Humanity – David Wallace-Wells Global warming is the existential challenge of our age. The time for denial and delay is over. The time for commitment and collective action is now. In this compelling new RSA Minimate, bestselling author David Wallace-Wells warns us of the grave dangers ahead

We’ve heard a lot about ‘big data’ in the last few years, but who is connecting the dots about what firms are doing with this information? Law professor Frank Pasquale visits the RSA to argue that we all need to be able to know more and to set limits on how big data affects our

Join Tim Harford as he brings you the principles you need in business and in life, to survive, innovate and prosper in a complex and ever-shifting world.

Former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis discusses what he believes will happen in the next round of negotiations between the European Union and Greece and explains what he feels is fundamentally wrong with the terms upon which those negotiations will proceed. Watch economist Yanis Varoufakis in our latest RSA Spotlight – the edits which take

For more information about the event and to listen to the podcast go to the RSA event page: http://bit.ly/1iK0hRJ Leading criminologist Shadd Maruna asks: can we make a decisive shift from targeted programmes of intervention within a predominantly punitive criminal justice culture, to a much more pervasive rehabilitation ethos that extends to entire institutions, services

Leading primatologist Dario Maestripieri visits the RSA to reveal how our ancient past governs our current behaviour. Chaired by Suzy Walton, Deputy Chair, The RSA Listen to the podcast of the full event including audience Q&A: http://www.thersa.org/events/audio-and-past-events/2012/games-primates-play-the-evolution-and-economics-of-human-relationships Our events are made possible with the support of our Fellowship. Support us by donating or applying to

America prides itself on being a classless society, where hard work and talent get you ahead, however the United States is marked by a deepening class divide. Influential political thinker Richard Reeves argues that the ‘opportunity-hoarding’ US upper middle classes are making it much harder for everyone else to climb the economic ladder. Watch Richard

What would it take to flip the education system so that teachers are at the steering wheel of education reform worldwide? How do we achieve a shift of focus from individual teacher quality to collaborative professionalism? Educationalist Professor Andy Hargreaves considers how the teacher community could come together to create such a movement for change.

Leading sociologist Manuel Castells examines new social movements, new forms of change and political democracy in the global network society. SUBSCRIBE to our channel! Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RSAEvents Like RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rsaeventsoff… Listen to RSA podcasts: https://soundcloud.com/the_rsa See RSA Events behind the scenes: https://instagram.com/rsa_events/

Do you live in a world of business jargon, personality tests, and team-building exercises? Writer, technology analyst and Silicon Valley satirist Dan Lyons explores why and how the world of work is changing, and how we can recoup dignity and fairness for modern workers. Watch Dan Lyons in our latest RSA Spotlight – the edits

RSA Spotlights – taking you straight to the heart of the event, highlighting our favourite moments and key talking points. Inequality is seen as threatening the sustainability of the world economic system. But what the political leaders have not said is what they would do about it. There are repeated calls for equitable growth but

Oxfam senior researcher and former co-author of the UN’s annual Human Development Report Kate Raworth visits the RSA to explain ‘doughnut economics’ — the bold new theory that is sweeping the development world. Listen to the podcast of the full event including audience Q&A: http://www.thersa.org/events/audio-and-past-events/2012/doughnut-economics-creating-a-safe-and-just-space-for-humanity Follow the RSA on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/thersaorg Like the RSA on

Award-winning journalist Robert Peston, who broke the story of Northern Rock and covered the ensuing run on the bank, its eventual collapse, and the global crash that followed, reflects back on fast-moving events of the time, and the role of the key factors, from politicians, to bankers, to regulators. Watch Robert Peston, Political Editor, ITV,

The pace of modern life is accelerating, and the self-help shelves are groaning with advice on how to keep up. But the demands of life in the fast lane come at a price: anxiety, fatigue and depression are at an all-time high. Leading Danish philosopher and psychologist Svend Brinkmann argues that we must not be