Politics & Society

The New York Times’ health and science editor Barbara Strauch visits the RSA to reveal the latest research that shows that the middle-aged brain is more flexible, more capable and more surprisingly talented than previously thought.

Environmental expert Mike Berners-Lee provides the facts we need to make more carbon-conscious purchases and lifestyle decisions.

The Future of Humankind with Yuval Harari. What is the next stage of human evolution? How will we protect this fragile planet and humankind itself from our own destructive powers? Professor and author Yuval Harari envisions our future: a not-too-distant world in which we face a new set of challenges and possibilities. With his trademark

Leading evolutionary psychologist Robert Kurzban visits the RSA to argue that there is no “I” but that instead each of us is a contentious “we”.

César visits the RSA to present a new view of the relationship between individual and collective knowledge, linking information theory, economics and biology to explain the deep evolution of social and economic systems. In a radical rethink of what an economy is, one of WIRED magazine’s 50 People Who Could Change the World, César Hidalgo

Leading social psychologist Jonathan Haidt explores the uniquely human ability for self-transcendence, and shows how this is crucial for understanding the origins of morality and religion. Listen to the podcast of the full event including audience Q&A: http://www.thersa.org/events/audio-and-past-events/2012/the-groupish-gene-hive-psychology-and-the-origins-of-morality-and-religion Our events are made possible with the support of our Fellowship. Support us by donating or applying

The Sharing Economy with collaborative economy expert Rachel Botsman. The sharing economy has grown rapidly in the last 5 years, and is now popularized by big players such as Airbnb and Uber. What steps need to be taken now to unlock its full social potential and to ensure it remains an economic model that empowers

The House provides a unique setting for your special day, offering Georgian grandeur, contemporary style and surprising spaces under one roof. A short walk from the River Thames, Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square, it is an unrivalled location in the heart of London.

In the inaugural RSA Tindale Lecture, Alice Rawsthorn, leading design critic and author of the forthcoming book “Hello World: Where Design Meets Life”, explores the powerful and pervasive influence of design in our lives — and addresses design’s social responsibilities. SUBSCRIBE to our channel! Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RSAEvents Like RSA Events on Facebook:

Animator: Charlie Griffin Voice: Sam Conniff Allende BRIEF: Moving Pictures, conceive and produce an animation to accompany one of two selected audio files that will clarify, energise and illuminate the content Visit the RSA Student Design Awards website: http://sda.thersa.org/ Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RSAEvents Like the RSA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theRSAorg Listen to RSA podcasts:

How do our brains generate new ideas, and how can we nurture that process? Bestselling author Leonard Mlodinow reveals the secrets of flexible thinking. Watch academic, bestselling author and Star Trek scriptwriter Leonard Mlodinow, in our latest RSA Spotlight – the edits which take you straight to the heart of the event! Enjoyed this snippet?

Watch this 5 Minute Life Lesson interview with Bernadette Jiwa, global authority on the role of story in business, innovation and marketing, and author of “Hunch: Turn Your Everyday Insights Into the Next Big Thing”. These bite-sized interviews offer backstage access insights – with brand new, updated questions, hear about what makes Bernadette happy, who

In this new RSA Animate, renowned experimental psychologist Steven Pinker shows us how the mind turns the finite building blocks of language into infinite meanings. Taken from the RSA’s free public events programme www.thersa.org/events. Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RSAEvents Like the RSA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rsaeventsofficial/ Listen to RSA podcasts: https://soundcloud.com/the_rsa See RSA Events behind

Bestselling author, political adviser and social and ethical prophet Jeremy Rifkin investigates the evolution of empathy and the profound ways that it has shaped our development and our society. Taken from a lecture given by Jeremy Rifkin as part of the RSA’s free public events programme. The RSA is a 258 year-old charity devoted to

This exclusive, backstage access short interview with Instructor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School, Susan David reveals how a childhood teacher inspired her to write journals to cope with her father’s terminal illness and acted as an impetus for her career today. Subscribe now to get these bite-sized interviews straight to your inbox. Speaker: Susan

How do we build a future that doesn’t leave humans behind? Erik Brynjolfsson, co-author of Machine, Platform, Crowd argues that ‘deep learning’ technologies can do much more than routine work. So how do we harness technological progress to benefit the many, not just the few? Watch Erik Brynjolfsson, Co-founder and Director of MIT Initiative on

Safe thinking is everywhere. It defines our everyday routines, work habits and ideas. There’s just one problem with it: in a world of constant change, it ultimately lets us down. Creativity guru and viral video pioneer Jonah Sachs argues that the most remarkable individuals, are those who dramatically reject what they know. Sachs reveals how

Journalist and author Oliver Burkeman offers an alternative “negative path” to happiness and success that involves embracing the things we spend our lives trying to avoid. Listen to the podcast of the full event including audience Q&A: http://www.thersa.org/events/audio-and-past-events/2012/the-antidote Our events are made possible with the support of our Fellowship. Support us by donating or applying

“Academic magician” Professor Todd Landman reveals how successful people make their good decisions. Listen to the audio from the full event: http://www.thersa.org/events/audio-and-past-events/2011/rational-intuition-strategic-thinking-and-gut-instinct-for-successful-leadership

John Gray, one of Britain’s most provocative and stimulating philosophers, visits the RSA to discuss the ideas raised in ‘The Silence of Animals’ – the much-anticipated sequel to the best-selling ‘Straw Dogs’. Chair: Jonathan Derbyshire, culture editor, New Statesman Listen to the podcast of the full event including audience Q&A: http://www.thersa.org/events/audio-and-past-events/2013/the-silence-of-animals-on-progress-and-other-modern-myths Follow the RSA on

A distinguished panel share key insights and new ideas emerging from the Global Education Leaders’ Program, a community of education system leaders from twelve cities and countries collaborating to transform education in their contexts. ‘Redesigning Education’ captures the journeys of cities and countries around the world as they travel from the education systems they have

Anthony King and Ivor Crewe, two of Britain’s most distinguished political scientists, offer sharp analysis of the common patterns behind poor policymaking, and a spirited prescription for how to govern more wisely and effectively. Chaired by Matthew Taylor, RSA chief executive. To find out more about this talk, visit the event page on the RSA

Journalist and trend forecaster James Wallman explains 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. Follow the RSA on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/thersaorg Like the RSA on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thersaorg Our events are made possible with the support

LRN CEO and author of ‘How’, Dov Seidman visits the RSA to outline the implications for living and working in what he calls the ‘Era of Behaviour’, where the source of competitive advantage has dramatically shifted from what we do, to how we do it. Listen to the podcast of the full event including audience

Edgar Cahn, the visionary founder of the global TimeBanking movement, calls for urgent reform of our economic and social systems, policies and practices. Listen to the full audio: http://www.thersa.org/events/audio-and-past-events/2011/building-the-core-economy

Benedict Dellot discusses a new RSA report looking at the living standards of the self-employed. It touches upon issues such as earnings, mortgages, pensions and welfare, and makes the case for why we need to take the living standards of the self-employed more seriously. For more information about the report visit https://www.thersa.org/discover/publications-and-articles/reports/boosting-the-living-standards-of-the-self-employed/ RSA Insights, videos

AI with Demis Hassabis, co-founder and CEO of DeepMind. How far can AI really take us? Demis Hassabis offers a unique insight from the frontiers of artificial intelligence research, and shares his latest thoughts on AI’s potential to help solve our biggest current and future challenges. Watch Demis Hassabis, co-founder and CEO of DeepMind, in

Introducing RSA Spotlights – taking you straight to the heart of the event, highlighting our favourite moments and key talking points. In this excerpt from the event, Small Changes to Make a Big Difference, Steve Martin reveals the small changes that make the biggest impact when persuading others; and to consider how we make best

Mental health is one of the greatest challenges of our time. Vikram Patel, director of the Centre for Global Mental Health, calls for a model of community-based intervention that empowers ordinary individuals to plug the resource gap and provide quality health care for their peers. Listen to the podcast of the full event including audience

This is the full webcast from the RSA event including Q&A from the audience on Thursday 4 July at 1pm BST. There is also an edited HD video available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXSjc-pbXk4. For more information about this talk, visit the RSA event page http://www.thersa.org/events/audio-and-past-events/2013/the-power-of-vulnerability Dr Brené Brown has spent the past twelve years carrying out ground-breaking