Pod Delusion Extra

Greek journalist Yiannis Baboulias talks about the resurgence of fascism in Europe.

In the 10th Anniversary Year of the Science Council Baroness O’Neill of Bengarve gave the lecture on the topic of "Why Science needs Ethics: why science cannot and should not aspire to be value free" on Tuesday 8th October. The lecture explored how decisions are made in science and what influences them, an important issue for all scientists and science users, and an especially relevant question for the professional practice of science.

The battle is about an idea: Gender. What is it? Is it socially constructed? Is it an innate male or female self that exists separately from one’s biological sex? Most importantly, who will get to define it? Also, are trans* activists biological essentialists? Or is it the radical feminists who are the biological essentialists? What the hell is biological essentialism anyway? And finally, can we just agree that we all hate Richard Littlejohn and get on with getting on? Soho Skeptics attempted to find some common ground in a night of personal stories, discussion and comedy.

With ongoing discussions between neuroscientists and philosophers on the existence, or not, of free will, and with so many people in the so-called ‘enlightened’ West still believing that their fate is somehow linked to the movements of the stars and planets, what does modern physics have to say on the matter of determinism and chance? Indeed, is our future preordained? This lecture will be a whistle-stop tour of Einsteinian relativity, quantum indeterminacy and whether, according to our current understanding of the nature of time, the future is knowable.

Having used art in many areas of politics – from Processed World, the magazine for Angry Secretaries, to anti-nuclear vehicles such as the 1985 film When the Wind Blows, Melida Gebbie’s work has always had the message that if an artist is doing their job properly they are meant to be the social, political, and universal barometer of their times. Currently working with Alan Moore on Angel Passage, a tribute to William Blake Gebbie will focus on the art and life of William Blake, exploring his vision and aspirations.

Our tiny blue planet is the only place we know where life can exist – a precious oasis in the vast desert of space. But throughout Earth’s history everything from exploding stars to impacts with giant asteroids have all left their mark on our planet – with profound consequences for its cargo of plants and animals. Public Astronomer Dr Marek Kukula explores how the world around us has been shaped by events in space, and how life on Earth has adapted to survive them.

I did not come to this conference of my own free will because free will is an illusion. Plenty of evidence from neuroscience suggests that there is no persisting ‘me’ who could exert this mysterious power. Libet’s experiments on the timing of voluntary actions throw free will into doubt; the neuroscience of volition reveals the brain areas responsible for decision-making and self-control; and research by Wegner shows how the feeling of being responsible for an action depends on post-hoc attributions based on sequence, similarity and timing. So if our intuitions are not to be trusted, how should we live our lives? Many people reject the traditional idea of free will but still say they must live ‘as if’ they have free will. Otherwise, they claim, society would disintegrate and all hell break loose. I disagree and will discuss ways of living a moral and happy life without believing in free will.

Magic as metaphor; metaphor as the reality ingredient of literature; a rational approach to the fantastic. Presented by the award winning author of The Prestige, which was later adapted into a successful Hollywood movie directed by Christopher Nolan, Priest will explore another way of seeing – exploring magic as a metaphor in literature and lifting the veil on taking a rational approach with the fantastic.

Full version of Liz's interview with the amazing Cory Doctorow.

Full version of Tessa Kendall's interview with primatologist Frans de Waal.

A live recording of our spot at QED 2013.

Child Development Psychologist Patrick Leman speaks to us at Royal Holloway Science Festival 2013.

Child Development Psychologist Jeanne Shinskey speaks to us at Royal Holloway Science Festival 2013.

Biologist Rafael Yanez speaks to us at Royal Holloway Science Festival 2013.

Biologist Enrique Lopez-Juez speaks to us at Royal Holloway Science Festival 2013.

Theoretical Computer Scientist Dave Cohen speaks to us at Royal Holloway Science Festival 2013.

Fungal Biologist Alan Gange speaks to us at Royal Holloway Science Festival 2013.

Columnist Polly Toynbee addresses addresses the convention.

Broadcaster Natalie Haynes addresses addresses the convention.

BHA President Jim Al-Khalili addresses addresses the convention.

BHA Chief Exec Andrew Copson addresses addresses the convention.

Philosopher AC Grayling delivers a lecture to the Central London Humanist Group on the roots and fruits of humanism.

The 2013 BHA Voltaire Lecture, presented by Steven Pinker and introduced by Jim Al-Khalili

Full interview about the Bee Opera, from Episode 178.

Recorded at the Royal Institution, Helen Czerski was joined by Marcus Brigstocke, Bruce Hood, Barry Smith and Felicity Mellor to discuss what scientists should know about the dark arts of persuasion, and whether they should ever use them.

A longer cut of Joe's interview with Rachel Aldred.

A longer cut of Liz's interview with Helen Czerski.

Chaired by Dr Richard Dawkins, the 2013 British Humanist Association Darwin Day lecture was delivered by Sir Tom Blundell, Professor Emeritus and Director of Research, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge on the topic of: ‘The emergence of drug resistance: Molecular evolution and new medicines for cancer and tuberculosis’.

The full Leveson Debate, hosted by the Soho Skeptics with Nick Cohen, Suzanne Moore, Evan Harris and Natalie Fenton. Moderated by Helen Lewis.

A long cut of Kate Russell's piece about freedom of expression online and Azerbaijan.

Cory's full interview with Chris Mullin, from Episode 163.

Liz's full interview with philosopher Stephen Trombley from Episode 161 of The Pod Delusion

Kash's full interview with Simon Frantz from Episode 158 of The Pod Delusion

Liz's full interview with Ben Goldacre about Bad Pharma - from episode 155 of The Pod Delusion.

Richard Dawkins is a world famous Atheist, having authored several books and popularising Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. He studies ethology which is the study of animal behaviour and evolutionary biology. Dawkins was the Professor for Public Understanding of Science from 1995 till 2008 at Oxford University. After retiring from this position, he now travels internationally giving lectures and making documentaries to increase Atheism awareness.

Maryam Namazie is a secular campaigner and commentator, spokesperson for the One Law for All Campaign against Sharia Law in Britain and the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain. In 2005 she was awarded the Irwin Prize for Secularist of the Year.

Ted Cantle is Professor at the Institute of Community Cohesion. His report into the northern riots of 2001 drew attention to the “segregated” ethnic and religious communities living ‘parallel’ lives. His new book confronts the failures of multiculturalism head on and establishes a new concept — interculturalism — for managing community relations in a world defined by globalization and super-diversity.

Peter Tatchell has been campaigning for human rights, democracy, LGBT freedom and global justice since 1967. Through the Peter Tatchell Foundation, he campaigns for human rights in Britain and internationally. In 2012 Peter was awarded the Irwin Prize for Secularist of the Year.

Pragna Patel is a secular campaigner, founding member of Southall Black Sisters and co-founder of Women Against Fundamentalism. In 2010 Pragna received the Irwin Prize for Secularist of the Year on behalf of Southall Black Sisters.

Nick Cohen is a journalist, author, political commentator and eloquent supporter of secularism. He is a critic of the increasing role of religion in state education and of the Left’s tendency to pander to religious fundamentalists. His latest work,You Can’t Read This Book, is on freedom of expression.

Nia Griffith is Member of Parliament for Llanelli, Shadow Minister for Wales and a campaigner for Lords reform. She is a firm believer in the need for the separation of church and state.

Tom Williamson's full interview with Cook'd and Bomb'd's Neil Kennedy about celebrity Twitter bullies

The following is a recording of the Central London Humanist Group meeting from August 22nd 2012, in which celebrated human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell gave a talk on how we can make human rights law enforceable worldwide.

Full interview with Dr Paul Knopfler from Episode 151.

Journalist Paul Lewis has completed a study into the causes of the riots, and came back to Westminster Skeptics on the first anniversary of the first night of rioting, to tell us the results.

Full interview with Kevin Warwick, from Episode 143 of The Pod Delusion

Full interview with Armando Iannucci, from Episode 142 of The Pod Delusion

Full interview with investigative journalist Greg Palast, from Episode 142 of The Pod Delusion

Mark Stevenson is a British author, comedian, businessman, public speaker and futurologist, as well as a former semi-professional musician. His stand-up material focuses on science and he recently released a book entitled An Optimist’s Tour of the Future.

Professor Sir David King FRS is the former UK Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser and Head of the Government Office of Science. He is currently Director of the Smith School of Enterprise and Environment at the University of Oxford.