Podcasts about New Humanist

Deborah Hyde joins us this week, it's been far too long. We recommend her Youtube series ‘The Green Children of Woolpit‘! The Romanian presidential election is still contentious, and we congratulate Ian Dunt to his position as editor for the New Humanist. In TWISH we learn about the first observational evidences for Einstein's Theory of General Relativity and then it's time for the news:INTERNATIONAL: Is it OK to use AI in scientific papers?UK: Are prosecutions for blasphemy coming back to England and Wales?UK: Humanists UK Convention 2025 – Deborah among the speakersFRANCE / INTERNATIONAL: June 16: World EHS Day – World Day of Intolerance to Electromagnetic PollutionEU: ECDC 20 years onEUROPE: Measles updateEUROPE: Research: how did SCAM use change between 2014 and 2023?Edzard Ernst uses Grok to help us find out who to appoint as the worst proponents of homeopathy. They receive this week's award for being Really Wrong and they are: Joette Calabrese, Homeopathy Plus and the Indian AYUSH ministry.Enjoy!https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-481.htmlSegments: 0:00:27 Intro0:00:54 Greetings0:21:12 TWISH0:30:42 News0:57:59 Really Wrong1:01:59 Quote1:03:57 Outro1:05:20 Outtakes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who is Jacques Derrida? For some, he is the originator of a relativist philosophy responsible for the contemporary crisis of truth. For the far right, he is one of the architects of Cultural Marxism. To his academic critics, he reduced French philosophy to “little more than an object of ridicule.” For his fans, he is an intellectual rock star who ranged across literature, politics, and linguistics. In An Event, Perhaps (Verso, 2020), Peter Salmon presents this misunderstood and misappropriated figure as a deeply humane and urgent thinker for our times. Born in Algiers, the young Jackie was always an outsider. Despite his best efforts, he found it difficult to establish himself among the Paris intellectual milieu of the 1960s. However, in 1967, he changed the whole course of philosophy: outlining the central concepts of deconstruction. Immediately, his reputation as a complex and confounding thinker was established. Feted by some, abhorred by others, Derrida had an exhaustive breadth of interests but, as Salmon shows, was moved by a profound desire to understand how we engage with each other. It is a theme explored through Derrida's intimate relationships with writers such even as Althusser, Genet, Lacan, Foucault, Cixous, and Kristeva. Accessible, provocative and beautifully written, An Event, Perhaps will introduce a new readership to the life and work of a philosopher whose influence over the way we think will continue long into the twenty-first century. Peter Salmon is an Australian writer living in the UK. His first novel, The Coffee Story, was a New Statesman Book of the Year. He has written for the Guardian, the New Humanist, the Sydney Review of Books and Tablet, as well as Australian TV and radio. Formerly Centre Director of the Jon Osborne/The Hurst Arvon Centre, he also teaches creative writing. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Who is Jacques Derrida? For some, he is the originator of a relativist philosophy responsible for the contemporary crisis of truth. For the far right, he is one of the architects of Cultural Marxism. To his academic critics, he reduced French philosophy to “little more than an object of ridicule.” For his fans, he is an intellectual rock star who ranged across literature, politics, and linguistics. In An Event, Perhaps (Verso, 2020), Peter Salmon presents this misunderstood and misappropriated figure as a deeply humane and urgent thinker for our times. Born in Algiers, the young Jackie was always an outsider. Despite his best efforts, he found it difficult to establish himself among the Paris intellectual milieu of the 1960s. However, in 1967, he changed the whole course of philosophy: outlining the central concepts of deconstruction. Immediately, his reputation as a complex and confounding thinker was established. Feted by some, abhorred by others, Derrida had an exhaustive breadth of interests but, as Salmon shows, was moved by a profound desire to understand how we engage with each other. It is a theme explored through Derrida's intimate relationships with writers such even as Althusser, Genet, Lacan, Foucault, Cixous, and Kristeva. Accessible, provocative and beautifully written, An Event, Perhaps will introduce a new readership to the life and work of a philosopher whose influence over the way we think will continue long into the twenty-first century. Peter Salmon is an Australian writer living in the UK. His first novel, The Coffee Story, was a New Statesman Book of the Year. He has written for the Guardian, the New Humanist, the Sydney Review of Books and Tablet, as well as Australian TV and radio. Formerly Centre Director of the Jon Osborne/The Hurst Arvon Centre, he also teaches creative writing. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Who is Jacques Derrida? For some, he is the originator of a relativist philosophy responsible for the contemporary crisis of truth. For the far right, he is one of the architects of Cultural Marxism. To his academic critics, he reduced French philosophy to “little more than an object of ridicule.” For his fans, he is an intellectual rock star who ranged across literature, politics, and linguistics. In An Event, Perhaps (Verso, 2020), Peter Salmon presents this misunderstood and misappropriated figure as a deeply humane and urgent thinker for our times. Born in Algiers, the young Jackie was always an outsider. Despite his best efforts, he found it difficult to establish himself among the Paris intellectual milieu of the 1960s. However, in 1967, he changed the whole course of philosophy: outlining the central concepts of deconstruction. Immediately, his reputation as a complex and confounding thinker was established. Feted by some, abhorred by others, Derrida had an exhaustive breadth of interests but, as Salmon shows, was moved by a profound desire to understand how we engage with each other. It is a theme explored through Derrida's intimate relationships with writers such even as Althusser, Genet, Lacan, Foucault, Cixous, and Kristeva. Accessible, provocative and beautifully written, An Event, Perhaps will introduce a new readership to the life and work of a philosopher whose influence over the way we think will continue long into the twenty-first century. Peter Salmon is an Australian writer living in the UK. His first novel, The Coffee Story, was a New Statesman Book of the Year. He has written for the Guardian, the New Humanist, the Sydney Review of Books and Tablet, as well as Australian TV and radio. Formerly Centre Director of the Jon Osborne/The Hurst Arvon Centre, he also teaches creative writing. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

Who is Jacques Derrida? For some, he is the originator of a relativist philosophy responsible for the contemporary crisis of truth. For the far right, he is one of the architects of Cultural Marxism. To his academic critics, he reduced French philosophy to “little more than an object of ridicule.” For his fans, he is an intellectual rock star who ranged across literature, politics, and linguistics. In An Event, Perhaps (Verso, 2020), Peter Salmon presents this misunderstood and misappropriated figure as a deeply humane and urgent thinker for our times. Born in Algiers, the young Jackie was always an outsider. Despite his best efforts, he found it difficult to establish himself among the Paris intellectual milieu of the 1960s. However, in 1967, he changed the whole course of philosophy: outlining the central concepts of deconstruction. Immediately, his reputation as a complex and confounding thinker was established. Feted by some, abhorred by others, Derrida had an exhaustive breadth of interests but, as Salmon shows, was moved by a profound desire to understand how we engage with each other. It is a theme explored through Derrida's intimate relationships with writers such even as Althusser, Genet, Lacan, Foucault, Cixous, and Kristeva. Accessible, provocative and beautifully written, An Event, Perhaps will introduce a new readership to the life and work of a philosopher whose influence over the way we think will continue long into the twenty-first century. Peter Salmon is an Australian writer living in the UK. His first novel, The Coffee Story, was a New Statesman Book of the Year. He has written for the Guardian, the New Humanist, the Sydney Review of Books and Tablet, as well as Australian TV and radio. Formerly Centre Director of the Jon Osborne/The Hurst Arvon Centre, he also teaches creative writing. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biography

Who is Jacques Derrida? For some, he is the originator of a relativist philosophy responsible for the contemporary crisis of truth. For the far right, he is one of the architects of Cultural Marxism. To his academic critics, he reduced French philosophy to “little more than an object of ridicule.” For his fans, he is an intellectual rock star who ranged across literature, politics, and linguistics. In An Event, Perhaps (Verso, 2020), Peter Salmon presents this misunderstood and misappropriated figure as a deeply humane and urgent thinker for our times. Born in Algiers, the young Jackie was always an outsider. Despite his best efforts, he found it difficult to establish himself among the Paris intellectual milieu of the 1960s. However, in 1967, he changed the whole course of philosophy: outlining the central concepts of deconstruction. Immediately, his reputation as a complex and confounding thinker was established. Feted by some, abhorred by others, Derrida had an exhaustive breadth of interests but, as Salmon shows, was moved by a profound desire to understand how we engage with each other. It is a theme explored through Derrida's intimate relationships with writers such even as Althusser, Genet, Lacan, Foucault, Cixous, and Kristeva. Accessible, provocative and beautifully written, An Event, Perhaps will introduce a new readership to the life and work of a philosopher whose influence over the way we think will continue long into the twenty-first century. Peter Salmon is an Australian writer living in the UK. His first novel, The Coffee Story, was a New Statesman Book of the Year. He has written for the Guardian, the New Humanist, the Sydney Review of Books and Tablet, as well as Australian TV and radio. Formerly Centre Director of the Jon Osborne/The Hurst Arvon Centre, he also teaches creative writing. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

Who is Jacques Derrida? For some, he is the originator of a relativist philosophy responsible for the contemporary crisis of truth. For the far right, he is one of the architects of Cultural Marxism. To his academic critics, he reduced French philosophy to “little more than an object of ridicule.” For his fans, he is an intellectual rock star who ranged across literature, politics, and linguistics. In An Event, Perhaps (Verso, 2020), Peter Salmon presents this misunderstood and misappropriated figure as a deeply humane and urgent thinker for our times. Born in Algiers, the young Jackie was always an outsider. Despite his best efforts, he found it difficult to establish himself among the Paris intellectual milieu of the 1960s. However, in 1967, he changed the whole course of philosophy: outlining the central concepts of deconstruction. Immediately, his reputation as a complex and confounding thinker was established. Feted by some, abhorred by others, Derrida had an exhaustive breadth of interests but, as Salmon shows, was moved by a profound desire to understand how we engage with each other. It is a theme explored through Derrida's intimate relationships with writers such even as Althusser, Genet, Lacan, Foucault, Cixous, and Kristeva. Accessible, provocative and beautifully written, An Event, Perhaps will introduce a new readership to the life and work of a philosopher whose influence over the way we think will continue long into the twenty-first century. Peter Salmon is an Australian writer living in the UK. His first novel, The Coffee Story, was a New Statesman Book of the Year. He has written for the Guardian, the New Humanist, the Sydney Review of Books and Tablet, as well as Australian TV and radio. Formerly Centre Director of the Jon Osborne/The Hurst Arvon Centre, he also teaches creative writing. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/european-studies

Who is Jacques Derrida? For some, he is the originator of a relativist philosophy responsible for the contemporary crisis of truth. For the far right, he is one of the architects of Cultural Marxism. To his academic critics, he reduced French philosophy to “little more than an object of ridicule.” For his fans, he is an intellectual rock star who ranged across literature, politics, and linguistics. In An Event, Perhaps (Verso, 2020), Peter Salmon presents this misunderstood and misappropriated figure as a deeply humane and urgent thinker for our times. Born in Algiers, the young Jackie was always an outsider. Despite his best efforts, he found it difficult to establish himself among the Paris intellectual milieu of the 1960s. However, in 1967, he changed the whole course of philosophy: outlining the central concepts of deconstruction. Immediately, his reputation as a complex and confounding thinker was established. Feted by some, abhorred by others, Derrida had an exhaustive breadth of interests but, as Salmon shows, was moved by a profound desire to understand how we engage with each other. It is a theme explored through Derrida's intimate relationships with writers such even as Althusser, Genet, Lacan, Foucault, Cixous, and Kristeva. Accessible, provocative and beautifully written, An Event, Perhaps will introduce a new readership to the life and work of a philosopher whose influence over the way we think will continue long into the twenty-first century. Peter Salmon is an Australian writer living in the UK. His first novel, The Coffee Story, was a New Statesman Book of the Year. He has written for the Guardian, the New Humanist, the Sydney Review of Books and Tablet, as well as Australian TV and radio. Formerly Centre Director of the Jon Osborne/The Hurst Arvon Centre, he also teaches creative writing. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/french-studies

Rest in Power Chairman Fred Hampton. You are a Revolutionary, and we will NEVER forget! On this episode of Prison Focus Radio, we will be in conversation with Jay Rene Shakur, Black Enthusiast and New Humanist, Co-founder of Prison Riot Radio talking about her journalism and work with her partner, Kwame Teague, 32 years in captivity, and Co-founder of Prison Riot Radio. Kan't stop, Won't stop Free Em All Liberate Our Elders All Power to the People! Free Palestine!

Patreon supporters who give $5 a month will get an ad-free version of the show!Join our private Facebook group and Discord server!Jessica and I spoke about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.— Thanks to Christians, kids in Ohio can take classes in Satanism during school hours. (0:28)— Christian Nationalist GOP lawmaker calls for making "gay marriage illegal again." (19:37)— Federal judge: Churches can receive "Historic Preservation Grants" in NJ county. (32:05)— New Humanist ad campaign targets Ron DeSantis' "War on Christmas." (47:15)— UK politicians advance assisted dying bill to ease suffering of terminally ill patients. (55:10)— Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sues Christian ministry that helps the homeless. (1:04:52)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What's the episode about?   In this episode, hear Evie King discuss council funerals, being a funeral officer, the unidentified dead, Section 46, dying alone, rituals, respect for the dead, marginalisation and her book Ashes to Admin   Who is Evie?  Evie King is a council worker and writer. A former stand up comedian, she has always written short form pieces in the margins of her various day jobs, contributing to New Humanist, Guardian Comment is Free, BBC Comedy and Viz Comic. Since moving to the seaside and going part-time she has had more time for writing and has completed her first book - Ashes to Admin - about her job arranging council funerals under her pen name. She is currently working on a second.  The book mentioned in the introduction by podcast co-host Dr Renske Visser and the podcast's first ever guest Professor Erica Borgstrom is https://www.routledge.com/Critical-Approaches-to-Death-Dying-and-Bereavement/Borgstrom-Visser/p/book/9781032330624?srsltid=AfmBOopYgRNL7SR_6NymBb-QPGhhEnc6sZ_weXcndNlIPb1VYDhar6gg. Discount code: SMA23 How do I cite the episode in my research and reading lists? To cite this episode, you can use the following citation: King, E. (2024) Interview on The Death Studies Podcast hosted by Michael-Fox, B. and Visser, R. Published 1 October 2024. Available at: http://www.thedeathstudiespodcast.com/, DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.27141447 What next? Check out more https://thedeathstudiespodcast.com/episodes/ or find out more about the https://thedeathstudiespodcast.com/the-hosts/ Got a question? https://thedeathstudiespodcast.com/contact-us/.

In conversation with Chitra Nagarajan In this episode, Africa Rights Talk podcast sits down with Chitra Nagarajan to delve into her compelling book, The World Was in Our Hands: Voices from the Boko Haram Conflict. Chitra discusses the personal and professional journey behind the book. She shares insights into her approach to compiling the anthology, focusing on the voices of diverse individuals profoundly impacted by the Boko Haram insurgency. The conversation explores how she navigated the challenges of capturing their stories, and the themes of patriarchy, economic hardship, and climate change intertwined with the conflict. Chitra also reflects on how the book presents a different perspective from mainstream media narratives, shedding light on the ongoing repercussions of the Chibok girls' abduction and aiming to influence global understanding and response. This episode highlights the importance of  human stories that underpin the broader issues of violence and advocacy in the region.   Chitra Nagarajan is an award-wining author, journalist, researcher and activist with a rich background in conflict analysis, climate change, feminism, foreign policy, migration, Nigeria and the wider Lake Chad region, race and sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. She has written for The Guardian, New Humanist, New Internationalist, This is Africa and Ventures Africa. With a LLM degree in Human Rights, Conflict and Justice and extensive experience working with various international and grassroots organisations, she has dedicated her career to addressing issues of conflict and displacement. Her work focuses on the impact of violence on marginalised communities, particularly women and children.  She is also known for her ground breaking collection She Called Me Woman: Nigeria's Queer Women Speak, co-edited with Azeenarh Mohammed and Rafeeat Aliyu.   This conversation was recorded on 19 August 2024.     Youtube: https://youtu.be/MpQFogU6lns Music and news extracts: Inner Peace by Mike Chino https://soundcloud.com/mike-chinoCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/0nI6qJeqFcc imitless https://stock.adobe.com/za/search/audio?k=452592386        

Our guest this week is Richard Smyth, author, crossword designer, cartoonist - and father of two young children Richard writes features, reviews and comment pieces for publications including The Guardian, The Times LiterarySupplement, The New Statesman, and New Scientist. His crosswords – both cryptic and quiz – appear regularly in New Scientist, History Today, and BBC Wildlife. He's part of the team that sets questions for BBC Mastermind, and he's a cartoonist: Private Eye, New Humanist and Claims magazines have all featured his work. He's the author of five non-fiction books of which the latest is The Jay, the Beech and the Limpetshell which is one of those captivating works that is both memoir and eulogy of a dying world. It brings together Richard's passionate love of the natural world with his care for his two young children. It's a captivating read that shuttles back and forth along the time lines, weaving Twitter comments from 'Average Dad' with items from the memoirs of old Victorian naturalists who tasted bird's eggs and considerations of how we help the generations that come after us to fall in love with a world that is going to be so, so different from when we were young - however old you are now, whatever your memories. So this is one or our more reflective, peaceful, contemplative podcasts, a paean to the worlds of our youth and a hope for the future.  Enjoy!Richard's Website Richards books at Hive 

In this riveting podcast episode, we bring together two intriguing voices from opposite ends of the spectrum: Mark Lanier, a distinguished trial lawyer and keen apologist-theologian, known for his compelling defense of Christianity in "Christianity on Trial," and Paul Beaumont, a former Christian turned skeptic after encountering the arguments of new atheists like Richard Dawkins. Mark, drawing on his legal expertise, passionately defends the tenets of Christianity, while Paul, armed with his own journey and insights, acts as the prosecution, challenging notions of human value, the resurrection of Christ, and the reasons behind his own loss of faith. Join us as these two formidable minds engage in a thought-provoking debate, exploring fundamental questions about belief, doubt, and the complexities of faith. It's a clash of perspectives you won't want to miss. Originally Aired 22 Nov 2014 • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • Support us: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate For Mark Lanier Read Christianity on Trial Book: https://www.ivpress.com/christianity-on-trial Law Firm: https://www.lanierlawfirm.com/ Lanier Theological Library: https://www.laniertheologicallibrary.org/ For Paul Beaumont: Read A Brief Eternity Book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18772541-a-brief-eternity New Humanist: https://newhumanist.org.uk/articles/4119/my-apostasy-story-paul-beaumont

Tune in this week for a very special announcement followed by a conversation about the largest land carnivore in the world: the polar bear! Find us on all the things: http://linktr.ee/bearsandbrewspodcastLinks We Discussed:https://www.bbcearth.com/news/saving-a-conservation-icon-the-polar-bearhttps://www.mmc.gov/priority-topics/species-of-concern/polar-bear/https://polarbearsinternational.org/Sources Cited:Corbley, Andy. “‘Life Finds a Way': Polar Bears Successfully Adapt Even without as Much Sea Ice.” Good News Network, 29 June 2022, www.goodnewsnetwork.org/greenland-polar-bears-hunt-on-freshwater-ice-as-adaptation/. Leon, Lydia. “Good News on Polar Bears, but Let's Stay Cautious.” New Humanist, 11 Aug. 2022, newhumanist.org.uk/articles/6004/good-news-on-polar-bears-but-lets-stay-cautious. Orndorf, Nathaniel, et al. “Polar Bear Paw Pad surface roughness and its relevance to contact mechanics on snow.” Journal of The Royal Society Interface, vol. 19, no. 196, 2 Nov. 2022, https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2022.0466. WWF Global Arctic Programme. “Good News for Polar Bears in Canada's Central Arctic.” WWF Arctic, 13 Nov. 2020, www.arcticwwf.org/newsroom/features/good-news-for-polar-bears-in-canadas-central-arctic/. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andrew Copson chats to multi award-winning journalist, writer, and broadcaster Samira Ahmed who shares the secrets and skills behind her successful career. From questioning those in power, to taking an equal pay case against the BBC, it's an inspiring episode about the fight for equality and challenging the status quo. Samira Ahmed is a regular contributor to New Humanist magazine: https://newhumanist.org.uk/contributors/5253/samira-ahmed She also regularly chairs Humanists UK events: https://www.youtube.com/@HumanistsUK  What I Believe was the title of two separate essays by the philosopher Bertrand Russell and the philosopher EM Forster in the early 20th century. These two humanists set out their approach to life, their fundamental worldview, in a way that was accessible to all. In this podcast, Chief Executive of Humanists UK, Andrew Copson, speaks to humanists today to understand more about what they believe, to understand more about the values, convictions, and opinions they live by.  Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non religious people to advance free thinking and promote a tolerant society. If you'd like to support the podcast or find out more about the humanist approach to life or the work that we do, please visit humanists.uk. If you like what you see, please consider joining as a member: https://humanists.uk/ You can follow Humanists UK on Twitter (X), Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok – and please remember to leave a 5 star review!   What I Believe is produced by Sophie Castle.

Owen Kelly and Ken Worpole follow their discussion about the ways in which experiments with living arrangements regularly occur and then reoccur. In this month's episode they look at cults: at how we can define these, why they grow and spread, and what this means for cultural democracy. Their conversation begins with an article of Ken Worpole's called 6 Days in a 70s Utopia, which New Humanist published in their Summer 2019 edition. This recounts the story of a visit from a group in Hackney to a small town in Denmark where a dedicated group led a radical experiment in education and living. The discussion then broadens to take in questions of definition: between cults and sects, and between religious communities and political groups. This draws from a wide range of reference points.

"The vast majority of what we think of as human differences, cultural and linguistic, the act of categorization in science itself, I've come to see as fundamentally fraught and political." On this week's episode we join Diksha Srivastava from our Diverse Data team, Ewan Birney from EMBL-EB and special guest Angela Saini, a science journalist, broadcaster and the author of best selling books Geek Nation, Inferior, and Superior: The Return of Race Science, published in 2019. Angela's work has appeared in Science, Wired, The Guardian, The New Humanist and New Scientist. She is also a presenter on the BBC Radio. They discuss about the history of race science, the use of language and its implications on genomics.

Who is Jacques Derrida? For some, he is the originator of a relativist philosophy responsible for the contemporary crisis of truth. For the far right, he is one of the architects of Cultural Marxism. To his academic critics, he reduced French philosophy to “little more than an object of ridicule.” For his fans, he is an intellectual rock star who ranged across literature, politics, and linguistics. In An Event, Perhaps (Verso, 2020), Peter Salmon presents this misunderstood and misappropriated figure as a deeply humane and urgent thinker for our times. Born in Algiers, the young Jackie was always an outsider. Despite his best efforts, he found it difficult to establish himself among the Paris intellectual milieu of the 1960s. However, in 1967, he changed the whole course of philosophy: outlining the central concepts of deconstruction. Immediately, his reputation as a complex and confounding thinker was established. Feted by some, abhorred by others, Derrida had an exhaustive breadth of interests but, as Salmon shows, was moved by a profound desire to understand how we engage with each other. It is a theme explored through Derrida's intimate relationships with writers such even as Althusser, Genet, Lacan, Foucault, Cixous, and Kristeva. Accessible, provocative and beautifully written, An Event, Perhaps will introduce a new readership to the life and work of a philosopher whose influence over the way we think will continue long into the twenty-first century. Peter Salmon is an Australian writer living in the UK. His first novel, The Coffee Story, was a New Statesman Book of the Year. He has written for the Guardian, the New Humanist, the Sydney Review of Books and Tablet, as well as Australian TV and radio. Formerly Centre Director of the Jon Osborne/The Hurst Arvon Centre, he also teaches creative writing. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/french-studies

Who is Jacques Derrida? For some, he is the originator of a relativist philosophy responsible for the contemporary crisis of truth. For the far right, he is one of the architects of Cultural Marxism. To his academic critics, he reduced French philosophy to “little more than an object of ridicule.” For his fans, he is an intellectual rock star who ranged across literature, politics, and linguistics. In An Event, Perhaps (Verso, 2020), Peter Salmon presents this misunderstood and misappropriated figure as a deeply humane and urgent thinker for our times. Born in Algiers, the young Jackie was always an outsider. Despite his best efforts, he found it difficult to establish himself among the Paris intellectual milieu of the 1960s. However, in 1967, he changed the whole course of philosophy: outlining the central concepts of deconstruction. Immediately, his reputation as a complex and confounding thinker was established. Feted by some, abhorred by others, Derrida had an exhaustive breadth of interests but, as Salmon shows, was moved by a profound desire to understand how we engage with each other. It is a theme explored through Derrida's intimate relationships with writers such even as Althusser, Genet, Lacan, Foucault, Cixous, and Kristeva. Accessible, provocative and beautifully written, An Event, Perhaps will introduce a new readership to the life and work of a philosopher whose influence over the way we think will continue long into the twenty-first century. Peter Salmon is an Australian writer living in the UK. His first novel, The Coffee Story, was a New Statesman Book of the Year. He has written for the Guardian, the New Humanist, the Sydney Review of Books and Tablet, as well as Australian TV and radio. Formerly Centre Director of the Jon Osborne/The Hurst Arvon Centre, he also teaches creative writing. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biography

Who is Jacques Derrida? For some, he is the originator of a relativist philosophy responsible for the contemporary crisis of truth. For the far right, he is one of the architects of Cultural Marxism. To his academic critics, he reduced French philosophy to “little more than an object of ridicule.” For his fans, he is an intellectual rock star who ranged across literature, politics, and linguistics. In An Event, Perhaps (Verso, 2020), Peter Salmon presents this misunderstood and misappropriated figure as a deeply humane and urgent thinker for our times. Born in Algiers, the young Jackie was always an outsider. Despite his best efforts, he found it difficult to establish himself among the Paris intellectual milieu of the 1960s. However, in 1967, he changed the whole course of philosophy: outlining the central concepts of deconstruction. Immediately, his reputation as a complex and confounding thinker was established. Feted by some, abhorred by others, Derrida had an exhaustive breadth of interests but, as Salmon shows, was moved by a profound desire to understand how we engage with each other. It is a theme explored through Derrida's intimate relationships with writers such even as Althusser, Genet, Lacan, Foucault, Cixous, and Kristeva. Accessible, provocative and beautifully written, An Event, Perhaps will introduce a new readership to the life and work of a philosopher whose influence over the way we think will continue long into the twenty-first century. Peter Salmon is an Australian writer living in the UK. His first novel, The Coffee Story, was a New Statesman Book of the Year. He has written for the Guardian, the New Humanist, the Sydney Review of Books and Tablet, as well as Australian TV and radio. Formerly Centre Director of the Jon Osborne/The Hurst Arvon Centre, he also teaches creative writing. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Who is Jacques Derrida? For some, he is the originator of a relativist philosophy responsible for the contemporary crisis of truth. For the far right, he is one of the architects of Cultural Marxism. To his academic critics, he reduced French philosophy to “little more than an object of ridicule.” For his fans, he is an intellectual rock star who ranged across literature, politics, and linguistics. In An Event, Perhaps (Verso, 2020), Peter Salmon presents this misunderstood and misappropriated figure as a deeply humane and urgent thinker for our times. Born in Algiers, the young Jackie was always an outsider. Despite his best efforts, he found it difficult to establish himself among the Paris intellectual milieu of the 1960s. However, in 1967, he changed the whole course of philosophy: outlining the central concepts of deconstruction. Immediately, his reputation as a complex and confounding thinker was established. Feted by some, abhorred by others, Derrida had an exhaustive breadth of interests but, as Salmon shows, was moved by a profound desire to understand how we engage with each other. It is a theme explored through Derrida's intimate relationships with writers such even as Althusser, Genet, Lacan, Foucault, Cixous, and Kristeva. Accessible, provocative and beautifully written, An Event, Perhaps will introduce a new readership to the life and work of a philosopher whose influence over the way we think will continue long into the twenty-first century. Peter Salmon is an Australian writer living in the UK. His first novel, The Coffee Story, was a New Statesman Book of the Year. He has written for the Guardian, the New Humanist, the Sydney Review of Books and Tablet, as well as Australian TV and radio. Formerly Centre Director of the Jon Osborne/The Hurst Arvon Centre, he also teaches creative writing. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Who is Jacques Derrida? For some, he is the originator of a relativist philosophy responsible for the contemporary crisis of truth. For the far right, he is one of the architects of Cultural Marxism. To his academic critics, he reduced French philosophy to “little more than an object of ridicule.” For his fans, he is an intellectual rock star who ranged across literature, politics, and linguistics. In An Event, Perhaps (Verso, 2020), Peter Salmon presents this misunderstood and misappropriated figure as a deeply humane and urgent thinker for our times. Born in Algiers, the young Jackie was always an outsider. Despite his best efforts, he found it difficult to establish himself among the Paris intellectual milieu of the 1960s. However, in 1967, he changed the whole course of philosophy: outlining the central concepts of deconstruction. Immediately, his reputation as a complex and confounding thinker was established. Feted by some, abhorred by others, Derrida had an exhaustive breadth of interests but, as Salmon shows, was moved by a profound desire to understand how we engage with each other. It is a theme explored through Derrida's intimate relationships with writers such even as Althusser, Genet, Lacan, Foucault, Cixous, and Kristeva. Accessible, provocative and beautifully written, An Event, Perhaps will introduce a new readership to the life and work of a philosopher whose influence over the way we think will continue long into the twenty-first century. Peter Salmon is an Australian writer living in the UK. His first novel, The Coffee Story, was a New Statesman Book of the Year. He has written for the Guardian, the New Humanist, the Sydney Review of Books and Tablet, as well as Australian TV and radio. Formerly Centre Director of the Jon Osborne/The Hurst Arvon Centre, he also teaches creative writing. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

Who is Jacques Derrida? For some, he is the originator of a relativist philosophy responsible for the contemporary crisis of truth. For the far right, he is one of the architects of Cultural Marxism. To his academic critics, he reduced French philosophy to “little more than an object of ridicule.” For his fans, he is an intellectual rock star who ranged across literature, politics, and linguistics. In An Event, Perhaps (Verso, 2020), Peter Salmon presents this misunderstood and misappropriated figure as a deeply humane and urgent thinker for our times. Born in Algiers, the young Jackie was always an outsider. Despite his best efforts, he found it difficult to establish himself among the Paris intellectual milieu of the 1960s. However, in 1967, he changed the whole course of philosophy: outlining the central concepts of deconstruction. Immediately, his reputation as a complex and confounding thinker was established. Feted by some, abhorred by others, Derrida had an exhaustive breadth of interests but, as Salmon shows, was moved by a profound desire to understand how we engage with each other. It is a theme explored through Derrida's intimate relationships with writers such even as Althusser, Genet, Lacan, Foucault, Cixous, and Kristeva. Accessible, provocative and beautifully written, An Event, Perhaps will introduce a new readership to the life and work of a philosopher whose influence over the way we think will continue long into the twenty-first century. Peter Salmon is an Australian writer living in the UK. His first novel, The Coffee Story, was a New Statesman Book of the Year. He has written for the Guardian, the New Humanist, the Sydney Review of Books and Tablet, as well as Australian TV and radio. Formerly Centre Director of the Jon Osborne/The Hurst Arvon Centre, he also teaches creative writing. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

Who is Jacques Derrida? For some, he is the originator of a relativist philosophy responsible for the contemporary crisis of truth. For the far right, he is one of the architects of Cultural Marxism. To his academic critics, he reduced French philosophy to “little more than an object of ridicule.” For his fans, he is an intellectual rock star who ranged across literature, politics, and linguistics. In An Event, Perhaps (Verso, 2020), Peter Salmon presents this misunderstood and misappropriated figure as a deeply humane and urgent thinker for our times. Born in Algiers, the young Jackie was always an outsider. Despite his best efforts, he found it difficult to establish himself among the Paris intellectual milieu of the 1960s. However, in 1967, he changed the whole course of philosophy: outlining the central concepts of deconstruction. Immediately, his reputation as a complex and confounding thinker was established. Feted by some, abhorred by others, Derrida had an exhaustive breadth of interests but, as Salmon shows, was moved by a profound desire to understand how we engage with each other. It is a theme explored through Derrida's intimate relationships with writers such even as Althusser, Genet, Lacan, Foucault, Cixous, and Kristeva. Accessible, provocative and beautifully written, An Event, Perhaps will introduce a new readership to the life and work of a philosopher whose influence over the way we think will continue long into the twenty-first century. Peter Salmon is an Australian writer living in the UK. His first novel, The Coffee Story, was a New Statesman Book of the Year. He has written for the Guardian, the New Humanist, the Sydney Review of Books and Tablet, as well as Australian TV and radio. Formerly Centre Director of the Jon Osborne/The Hurst Arvon Centre, he also teaches creative writing. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

Long before the New Humanists podcast was born, Irving Babbitt helped found the movement now known as New Humanism. University of Maryland Professor of Classics Dr. Eric Adler, along with his former student (and current ALI Fellow) Katherine Bradshaw, join the podcast to discuss the original New Humanist and what we might stand to gain from him in our debates about education, the humanities, and the canon.Irving Babbitt's “What Is Humanism?”: http://www.nhinet.org/lac1.htmIrving Babbitt's “What I Believe: Rousseau and Religion” from Spanish Character and Other Essays: https://amzn.to/34ZP9RHDr. Eric Adler's The Battle of the Classics: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780197518786Dr. Eric Adler's Classics, the Culture Wars, and Beyond: https://amzn.to/36a7V9HDr. Eric Adler's Valorizing the Barbarians: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780292744035C.S. Lewis' Abolition of Man: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780060652944Alan Jacobs' The Year of Our Lord 1943: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780190864651Jean-Jacques Rousseau's First Discourse: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780312694401George MacDonald's The Princess and Curdie: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9781952410475Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780060935467Robert E. Proctor's Defining the Humanities: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780253212191New Humanists is brought to you by the Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/Links may have referral codes, which earn us a commission at no additional cost to you. We encourage you, when possible, to use Bookshop.org for your book purchases, an online bookstore which supports local bookstores.Music: Save Us Now by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

As mainstream space tourism grows ever more likely, New Yorker writer Nicholas Schmidle tells Niki Seth-Smith about life inside the new space race, as explored in his new book 'Test Gods'.  What motivates men like Bezos, Branson and Musk? How does the approach to risk in private business compare with that at NASA? And should we be looking to space at all, with so much unresolved here on planet earth? Plus, Nicholas reflects on fatherhood and masculinity, including the life of his father: a fighter pilot and Top Gun grad. Podcast listeners get a year's subscription to New Humanist magazine for just £13.50 by using the offer code WITHREASON. Subscribe now.**Recorded in August 2021**Further reading: 'Test Gods: Tragedy and Triumph in the New Space Race' (2021), Nicholas Schmidle'The Right Stuff' (1979), Tom Wolfe'In Praise of Astronauts' (2013) Paul Sims for New Humanist magazine

Racism is not an externality to British policing but is integral to its history, says sociologist and ex-youth worker, Adam Elliott-Cooper. He tells Samira Shackle about the ideas behind his book ‘Black Resistance to British Policing'. Recognising racism as far more than just interpersonal or about prejudice alone, he connects it to colonialism and the state, and highlights the role of resistance - including by women of colour who have long championed justice and radical change.Plus: why the tendency in the UK to see racism as "something that happens somewhere else"? What's obscured when we talk about “knife crime”? And why must we insist on continuing to talk about whiteness?Podcast listeners can get a year's subscription to New Humanist magazine for just £13.50. Head to newhumanist.org.uk/subscribe and enter the code WITHREASONHosts: Samira Shackle and Alice BlochExecutive producer: Alice BlochSound engineer: David CracklesMusic: DanosongsReading list:‘Black Resistance to British Policing' (2021) Adam Elliott-Cooper W.E.B Du Bois (1868-1963) collected works‘Policing the Crisis: Mugging, the State, and Law and Order' (1978) Stuart Hall et al.‘Folk Devils and Moral Panics', (1972) Stanley Cohen ‘There Ain't No Black in the Union Jack' (1987) Paul Gilroy‘Women, Race and Class' (1981) Angela Davis Frantz Fanon (1925-1962) collected works ‘And Still I Rise' (2006) Doreen Lawrence ‘Shooting an Elephant and Other Essays' (1950) George Orwell ‘Leviathan' (1651) Thomas Hobbes ‘On Being Included: Racism and Diversity in Institutional Life' (2012) Sara Ahmed‘Assembly' (2021) Natasha Brown‘In Search of Whiteness' (2017), Lola Okolosie for New Humanist magazine, with Vron Ware

What does it mean to contemplate 'motherhood' in a world that values some bodies - and some decisions - over others?  Behavioural scientist Pragya Agarwal tells Alice Bloch about her experiences as a woman of South Asian heritage - from abortion, to pregnancy, to surrogacy - and the social, historical and scientific factors that shape how we talk about motherhood. How have women been controlled and contained through history? And how does that continue, worldwide, today?   A candid conversation about maternity and reproductive justice, asking what motherhood means in a world of inequality, prejudice and control.Hosts: Alice Bloch and Samira ShackleExec Producer: Alice BlochSound Engineer: David CracklesMusic: DanosongsImage artwork: Ed Dingli If you want access to more fresh thinking, why not subscribe to New Humanist magazine? Head to newhumanist.org.uk/subscribe and enter the code WITHREASON to get a whole year's subscription for just £13.50Reading list:'(M)otherhood: On the Choices of Being a Woman' (2021) Pragya AgarwalSway: Unravelling Unconscious Bias (2020) Pragya AgarwalAlice Bloch, Review of 'Childless Voices' by Lorna Gibb (2019) New Humanist Magazine 

Carlo Rovelli, the globally celebrated physicist and bestselling storyteller of science, talks to Niki Seth-Smith about the history - and sheer wonder - of quantum theory. How did a feverish young man named Werner Heisenberg, working alone on the North Sea island of Helgoland in 1925, develop a radical insight that would shake the world of physics? What's its legacy for how we think about the nature of reality and perception itself? And how does the ‘relational' interpretation of quantum mechanics transform the way that we might see not only the physical world, but our relationships and politics, too? A fascinating conversation about collaboration and mentorship, our attachment to truth and certainty,  and the humbling power of science.Podcast listeners can get a year's subscription to New Humanist magazine for just £13.50. Head to newhumanist.org.uk/subscribe and enter the code WITHREASON Hosts: Niki Seth-Smith and Samira Shackle Exec producer: Alice BlochSound engineer: David CracklesArtwork: Christopher Wahl (photograph), Ed Dingli (artwork)Music: DanosongsFurther reading: 'Helgoland' (2021), Carlo Rovelli 'There Are Places in the World Where Rules Are Less Important Than Kindness' (2020), Carlo Rovelli 'The Order of Time', (2018), Carlo Rovelli'Reality Is Not What It Seems: The Journey to Quantum Gravity' (2016) Carlo Rovelli'Seven Brief Lessons on Physics' (2015), Carlo Rovelli'‘‘The beauty in physics is the kind of beauty that people have embodied in art''A Q&A with Frank Wilczek (2015) by Daniel Trilling, New Humanist magazine.

For centuries, we've had an intuitive sense that connecting with “nature” is good for our wellbeing. But what's the hard evidence? What exactly is “nature” anyway? Should we be wary of it being prescribed as a catch-all cure for complex problems? And what impact does nature writing itself actually have? Science writer Lucy Jones talks to Alice Bloch about her prize-winning book ‘Losing Eden', which surveys the mass of research – from the work of Carl Jung to cutting-edge neurology, medical and social science – on why our minds need the wild. If you want access to more fresh thinking, why not subscribe to New Humanist magazine? Head to newhumanist.org.uk/subscribe and enter the code WITHREASON to get a whole year's subscription for just £13.50Hosts: Alice Bloch and Samira ShackleExec Producer: Alice BlochSound Engineer: David CracklesMusic: DanosongsImage: Gemma Brunton (photo), Ed Dingli (artwork) Reading list: Lucy Jones (2020) ‘Losing Eden: Why Our Minds Need the Wild'Richard Mabey (2005) 'The Nature Cure'Mary-Jayne Rust (2020) 'Towards an Ecopsychotherapy'Carl Jung, collected works.Richard Smyth (2019) ‘In search of the "nature cure"', New Humanist magazine. 

In this special bonus episode by our friends at New Humanist magazine and the Rationalist Association, Professor Alice Roberts takes us through important archaeological discoveries to help us better understand life in Britain today. About With Reason: From New Humanist magazine and the Rationalist Association, With Reason is a podcast offering intelligent thinking for turbulent times. Interviews with thinkers who speak to our age – on subjects including religion, race, politics, sex, tech, work and much more. Find it on Apple, Spotify, Google, or their website.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alice Roberts, one of the UK's leading public scientists, talks to Samira Shackle about what we can learn from the burial sites of the earliest Britons, as explored in her new book ‘Ancestors'. What does our prehistory – cannibalism and all - tell us about who we are? How does the way we mark death illuminate our perspective on life? And how are genetics and archaeology shaping each other today? Plus, Alice tells Samira how she came to be a humanist, and discusses the value of storytelling and science communication in our pandemic age, and beyond.Podcast listeners can get a year's subscription to New Humanist magazine for just £13.50. Head to newhumanist.org.uk/subscribe and enter the code WITHREASON Reading list: Alice Roberts, ‘Ancestors: A Prehistory of Britain in Seven Burials' (2021)Alice Roberts and Andrew Copson, ‘The Little Book of Humanism: Universal Lessons on Finding Purpose, Meaning and Joy' (2020)David Reich ‘Who We Are and How We Got Here: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human' (2018)Peter Forbes ‘What Ancient DNA says about us', New Humanist magazine (2018)‘Digging for Britain' presented by Alice Roberts Alice Roberts is President of Humanists UKHosts: Samira Shackle and Niki Seth-SmithExecutive producer: Alice BlochSound engineer: David CracklesMusic: DanosongsImage: Photo by Dave Stevens, artwork by Ed Dingli

A young man who turns his desire to join the army into a long stint as a volunteer ambulance driver. A teacher living in an old slum who is the only one brave—or foolish—enough to confront the gangs. A refugee who becomes a community organiser. A woman in a traditional village looking at the new development quickly encroaching on their land. A bored engineer who finds his calling as a crime reporter. These people are subjects of Karachi Vice: Life and Death in a Contested City (Melville House, 2021), the debut by Samira Shackle. Samira travels to Karachi, the home city of her mother, and tells the stories of ordinary people trying to live their lives in the midst of terrible violence: first by the gangs, then by the Taliban. In this interview, I ask Samira to talk about the city of Karachi, and the five people she writes about in her book. We'll talk about the turning points in the violence there, and what it was like to write about her mother's home city. Samira Shackle is a freelance British-Pakistani writer and reporter based in London. She is the editor of the New Humanist magazine, and a regular contributor to the Guardian Long Read. She can be followed on Twitter at @samirashackle. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Karachi Vice. Follow on Facebook or on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an associate editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/asian-review

Polarisation is seen as a threat to democracy - and social media is seen as a cause. But what can be done? Does the blame really lie with tech alone? And what could the virtual public square look like if we dared to hit "reset" and redesigned our apps from scratch? A radical and counter-intuitive conversation between Chris Bail, head of the Polarization Lab at Duke University, and Samira Shackle, editor of New Humanist magazine, on tribalism,  extremism, and not logging off. For fans of Azeem Azhar, Jonathan Haidt, Nick Srnicek and Shoshana Zuboff.Podcast listeners can get a year's subscription to New Humanist magazine for just £13.50. Head to newhumanist.org.uk/subscribe and enter the code WITHREASONHosts: Samira Shackle and Niki Seth-SmithExecutive producer: Alice BlochSound engineer: David CracklesMusic: DanosongsFurther Reading:"Breaking the Social Media Prism: How to Make Our Platforms Less Polarizing" (2021) Chris Bailwww.polarizationlab.com"Terrified: How Anti-Muslim Fringe Organizations Became Mainstream" (2014) Chris Bail"The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion" (2012), Jonathan Haidt"The Age of Surveillance Capitalism" (2018) Shoshana Zuboff"Platform Capitalism" (2016) Nick Srnicek"Does the Left Have a Problem with Empathy?" (2020) Nicola Cutcher, New Humanist Magazine

The poet, author and broadcaster Michael Rosen almost died of COVID-19. He talks to Samira Shackle about that experience, described in his new book ‘Many Different Kinds of Love'. They discuss the value of kindness, touch and practical atheism, and reflect on liminality in life and literature. Plus, Michael describes his anger at the “unethical and immoral” decisions made by the British government, and urges against the dangerous devaluing of some lives over others, amidst our present pandemic. Hosts: Samira Shackle and Alice BlochProducer: Alice BlochMusic: DanosongsIf you want to access more fresh thinking, why not subscribe to New Humanist magazine? Head to newhumanist.org.uk/subscribe and enter the code WITHREASON to get a whole year's subscription for just £13.50Further reading: “Many Different Kinds of Love: A Story of Life, Death and the NHS” (2021) Michael Rosen“In A Word: Quarantine” (2020) Michael Rosen, New Humanist Magazine “In A Word: Wellbeing” (2018), Michael Rosen, New Humanist Magazine“In A Word: Deniers” (2021) Michael Rosen, New Humanist Magazine "King Lear" (c1606) William Shakespeare“A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” (1916) James Joyce“Ulysses” (1922) James JoyceThe Poetry of William Carlos Williams (1883-1963)"Alice in Wonderland" (1865) Lewis Carroll  

What do we gain when we gaze at the stars? How has cosmology shaped our politics? Why take the celestial seriously? And why is awe a feeling that we can't afford to lose? Acclaimed science writer Jo Marchant takes Niki Seth-Smith on a dazzling and surprise-filled journey through the history of science, mythology and our view of the night sky. For fans of Brian Cox, Carlo Rovelli, Robert Macfarlane and Gaia Vince.Hosts: Niki Seth-Smith and Samira ShackleProducer: Alice BlochMusic: DanosongsSound Engineer: David CracklesTo support what we do and access more fresh thinking, why not subscribe to New Humanist magazine? Head to newhumanist.org.uk/subscribe and enter the code WITHREASON to get a whole year's subscription for just £13.50Further reading: ‘The Human Cosmos: A Secret History of the Stars' (2020) Jo Marchant‘Cure: A Journey Into the Science of Mind Over Body' (2016) Jo Marchant‘The Order of Time' (2017) Carlo Rovelli ‘They Didn't Come From Outer Space' (2013) James Gray, New Humanist Magazine

In the last two decades, the UK has deported thousands of people to Jamaica, many of whom left that country as children and grew up in the UK. Luke de Noronha talks to Alice Bloch about his moving and urgent study of four such young men. How have racism and inequality shaped their lives? What hope remains? And why does language matter when we talk about ‘foreign criminals'? A conversation about borders and exclusion, citizenship and listening. For readers of Paul Gilroy, Gary Younge, Amelia Gentleman, Les Back and Reni Eddo-Lodge.Hosts: Alice Bloch and Samira ShackleProducer: Alice BlochMusic: DanosongsTo support what we do and access more fresh thinking, why not subscribe to New Humanist magazine? Head to newhumanist.org.uk/subscribe and enter the code WITHREASON to get a whole year's subscription for just £13.50Further reading: ‘Deporting Black Britons: Portraits of Deportation to Jamaica (2020) Luke de Noronha‘The Windrush Betrayal' (2019) Amelia Gentleman‘Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race' (2017) Reni Eddo-Lodge‘Familiar Stranger: A Life Between Two Islands' (2017) Stuart Hall, with Bill Schwarz‘Rethinking Racial Capitalism' (2018) Gargi Bhattacharyya‘Us and Them? The Dangerous Politics of Immigration Control' (2013) Bridget Anderson‘There Ain't No Black in the Union Jack' (1987), Paul Gilroy‘Teaching Racial Tolerance' (1972) Research Report, New Humanist Magazine

What's the relationship between people's personal faith and their political activism? What extra dimension does religion bring to social movements and to contemporary cities? How might being a person of faith shape one's attitude to environmentalism and to caring for life beyond the self? Moving way beyond the stereotypes of the peace-loving Quaker and the evangelical conservative Christian, Alice Bloch talks to Sydney-based sociologist Rosie Hancock about the fascinating intersection of religious belief and political action. Hosts: Alice Bloch and Samira ShackleProducer: Alice BlochMusic: DanosongsPodcast listeners can get a year's subscription to New Humanist magazine for just £13.50. Head to newhumanist.org.uk/subscribe and enter the code WITHREASONFurther reading: ‘Islamic Environmentalism: Activism in the United States and Great Britain' (2018), Rosemary Hancock‘Religion in Coalition: Balancing Moderate and Progressive Politics in the Sydney Alliance' (2019), Religions, Rosemary Hancock‘Is there a paradox of religion and liberation? Islamic environmentalism, activism, and religious practice' Journal for the Academic Study of Religion (2015) Rosemary HancockPeople, Power, and Change: Movements of Social Transformation (1970) Luther Gerlach and Virginia Hine On Social Control and Collective Behaviour (1967) Robert Park ‘Ecological Humanism' (1979) Don Marietta, New Humanist Magazine

Simon and Rachel speak with Samira Shackle, a freelance writer and author. Her first book, “Karachi Vice”, is a modern history of Pakistan's largest city through the testimony of five ordinary citizens. It was chosen as a Radio 4 Book of the Week in February. She is the editor of the New Humanist magazine, a quarterly journal of ideas, science and culture, and a regular contributor to the Guardian Long Read. We spoke to Samira about the research and reporting of “Karachi Vice”, writing narrative non-fiction and the mysterious case of the Gatwick drone. You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways, and on Facebook at facebook.com/alwaystakenotes. Our crowdfunding page is patreon.com/alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.

In the era of #MeToo, it's assumed that the empowered woman can and must express her desires clearly. But in ‘Tomorrow Sex Will be Good Again', Katherine Angel argues that this an unreasonable burden to place upon women. She explains why to Niki Seth-Smith, as the two of them discuss questions such as: How do we make sex good again, while attending to power and violence? What's at risk in speaking out about sex? And how can we really research our innermost wants and desires? A discussion about sex and pleasure, feminism and consent. For readers of Susie Orbach, Vanessa Springora, Emilie Witt and Michel Foucault. Hosts: Niki Seth-Smith and Samira ShackleProducer: Alice BlochMusic: DanosongsPhoto: Matthew SperlingTo support what we do and access more fresh thinking, why not subscribe to New Humanist magazine? Head to newhumanist.org.uk/subscribe and enter the code WITHREASON to get a whole year's subscription for just £13.50Further reading:'Tomorrow, Sex Will Be Good Again: Women And Desire In The Age of Consent' (2021) Katherine Angel'Unmastered: A Book on Desire, Most Difficult To Tell' (2012) Katherine Angel 'What do Women Want: Adventures in the Science of Female Desire' (2013) Daniel Bergner'The History of Sexuality: 1: The Will to Knowledge' (1976, 1978) Michel Foucault‘The Female Sexual Response: A Different Model' (2000),  Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, Rosemary Basson‘Reconceptualising women's sexual desire and arousal in DSM-5' (2015), Psychology & Sexuality,  Cynthia Graham'Untrue: why nearly everything we believe about women and lust and infidelity is untrue and how the new science can set us free', (2018) Wednesday Martin ‘Why I'm Glad My Daughter Had Under-age Sex' (2004), New Humanist Magazine, Sally Feldman 

Simon and Rachel speak with Natalie Haynes. Following an education as a classicist and a career as a stand-up comedian, Natalie has written three novels—“The Amber Fury”, “The Children of Jocasta” and “A Thousand Ships” (which was shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction in 2020)—as well as two non-fiction books, “The Ancient Guide to Modern Life” and “Pandora's Jar”. Natalie has also written for publications including the Times, the Independent, the New Humanist, the Guardian and the Observer on a variety of subjects. We discussed the value of classical languages, reinterpreting myths and the performative nature of writing. You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways, and on Facebook at facebook.com/alwaystakenotes. Our crowdfunding page is patreon.com/alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.

Looking back in anger at ‘Cool Britannia' with Jason Arday  The 1990s are remembered for Britpop and New Labour. But it was also a time of inequality and racism. Sociologist and Oasis fan Jason Arday draws on his South London teenage years to interrogate the period from an ethnic minority perspective that has for too long been neglected.A discussion about music and identity, inclusion and exclusion, racism and resistance. For readers of Reni Eddo-Lodge, Robin DiAngelo - and Oasis fans, too. Podcast listeners can get a year's subscription to New Humanist magazine for just £13.50. Head to newhumanist.org.uk/subscribe and enter the code WITHREASONPresenters: Samira  Shackle & Alice BlochProducer: Alice BlochMusic by DanosongsReading/Listening List: Jason Arday (2019) 'Cool Britannia and Multi-Ethnic Britain: Uncorking the Champagne Supernova'Jason Arday & Heidi Mirza (2018) 'Dismantling Race in Higher Education: Racism, Whiteness and Decolonising the Academy'bell hooks (2004) 'We Real Cool: Black Men and Masculinity'Kimberle Crenshaw (2017) 'On Intersectionality : Essential Writings'Skin (2020) It Takes Blood and GutsOasis (1994) Definitely MaybeLauryn Hill (1998) The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Bloc Party (2005) Silent Alarm

The co-author of ‘Work Want Work: Labour and Desire at the End of Capitalism' on how the logic of work has crept into all we do, and how we might untangle ourselves. Will the Covid-19 pandemic offer a way out? Or will it simply increase the twin blights of under- and over-employment – not to mention our addiction to digital labour online?For readers of David Graeber, Donna Haraway, Aaron Bastani, Paul Mason and David Frayne.To support what we do and access more fresh thinking, why not subscribe to New Humanist magazine? Head to newhumanist.org.uk/subscribe and enter the code WITHREASON to get a whole year's subscription for just £13.50.Presenters: Samira Shackle & Niki Seth-SmithProducer: Alice BlochMusic by DanosongsReading List:Mareile Pfannebecker and James A. Smith (2020) 'Work Want Work: Labour and Desire at the End of Capitalism'David Graeber (2018) 'Bullshit Jobs'Aaron Bastani (2019) 'Fully Automated Luxury Capitalism'Paul Mason (2019) 'Clear Bright Future: A Radical Defence of the Human Being'Tiqqun (1999/2012) 'Preliminary Materials for a Theory of the Young-Girl'Donna Haraway (1985) 'A Cyborg Manifesto'Sophie Lewis (2019) 'Full Surrogacy Now: Feminism Against Family'New Humanist magazine (2019) 'Fighting for the Future' by Niki Seth-Smith

Society praises those who give, but the ‘good glow' benefits the giver. Sociologist Jon Dean unpicks how charity operates in the real world, from the wave of Covid-19 volunteering to the new fear of ‘humblebrag'. Can effective altruism help us out of this tangled mess? For those interested in charity, philanthropy and how to be truly virtuous. Featuring reflection on the Poppy Appeal, the NHS, Donald Trump and more. If you like listening to With Reason, you'll love reading New Humanist magazine. There's a big discount for podcast listeners: head to newhumanist.org.uk/subscribe and enter the code WITHREASON to get a year's subscription for just £13.50.Presenters: Niki Seth-Smith & Samira ShackleProducer: Alice BlochMusic by DanosongsFurther reading:Jon Dean (2020) ‘The Good Glow: Charity and the Symbolic Power of Doing Good'David A. Fahrenthold ‘Trump boasts about his philanthropy. But his giving falls short of his words', Washington Post,  October 29, 2016.Anand Giridharadas (2018) ‘Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World'William MacAskill (2015) ‘Doing Good Better'Peter Singer (2015) ‘The Most Good You Can Do'New Humanist magazine (1972) - 'Charities and the Pious Fraud', by Jeremy Sandford

Why do we value some forms of knowledge over others? Minna Salami discusses her bold new book ‘Sensuous Knowledge: A Black Feminist Approach for Everyone' and its radical call to move beyond the damaging confines of the ‘euro-patriarchal' to embrace a deeper way of knowing. A conversation on decolonisation, iconoclasm, sisterhood, sexism and gender. For readers of Audre Lorde, bell hooks, James Baldwin and W E B Du Bois. Listeners can get a year's subscription to New Humanist magazine for just £13.50. Head to newhumanist.org.uk/subscribe and enter the code WITHREASON.Presenters: Alice Bloch & Samira ShackleProducer: Alice Bloch Music by DanosongsFurther reading:-  Minna Salami (2020) ‘Sensuous Knowledge: A Black Feminist Approach for Everyone'- Audre Lorde (1984) ‘The Master's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master's House' - Audre Lorde (1979) ‘An Open Letter to Mary Daly' - Mary Daly (1978) ‘Gyn/Ecology' - W E B Du Bois (1903) ‘The Souls of Black Folk' - James Baldwin (1956) ‘Giovanni's Room' - Nikesh Shukla (ed) (2016) ‘The Good Immigrant'- New Humanist magazine (2020) - Charting Black Lives in the Fin de Siecle, by Lola Okolosie

Anthropologist Joe Webster discusses his research amongst Protestant groups in Scotland, from Brethren fishermen to the sometimes-controversial Orange Order. We talk about apocalypse and conspiracy, faith and fraternity, hate and masculinity – and why it's vital to listen to others, even if we don't always like what we find.  For fans of Louis Theroux and Clifford Geertz alike. A conversation on ethics and representation, listening, community and more.  Podcast listeners can get a year's subscription to New Humanist magazine for just £13.50. Head to newhumanist.org.uk/subscribe and enter the code WITHREASONPresenters: Alice Bloch & Samira Shackle Producer: Alice Bloch Further reading:Joseph Webster (2020) ‘The Religion of Orange Politics: Protestantism and Fraternity in Contemporary Scotland'Joseph Webster (2013) ‘The Anthropology of Protestantism: Faith and Crisis Among Scottish Fishermen' Clifford Geertz, "Distinguished Lecture: Anti Anti-Relativism." American Anthropologist, New Series, 86, no. 2 (1984): 263-78. James Laidlaw (2013) ‘The Subject of Virtue: An Anthropology of Ethics and Freedom'New Humanist magazine - Eleanor Gordon-Smith (2019) ‘The Sleep of Reason'Music: 'Lost in the Cinema' by Danosongs

Will future sex tech be more inclusive? What's at stake in the design and distribution of sex robots? And what role could they play in our relationships? Kate Devlin, author of ‘Turned On: Science, Sex and Robots', discusses her research on technology and intimacy.  For fans of Blade Runner, Black Mirror, Ex Machina and anyone curious about the future of artificial intelligence, sex, love, feminism and relationships. To support what we do and access more fresh thinking, why not subscribe to New Humanist magazine? Head to newhumanist.org.uk/subscribe and enter the code WITHREASON to get a whole year's subscription for just £13.50.Presenters: Niki Seth-Smith and Samira ShackleProducer: Alice BlochFurther reading:Kate Devlin (2018) ‘Turned On: Science, Sex and Robots'Julie Carpenter (2016). Deus Sex Machina: Loving robot sex workers, and the allure of an insincere kiss. In John Danaher & Neil McArthur (eds) (2017) ‘Sex Robots: Social, Legal and Ethical Implications'New Humanist Magazine - Will Wiles (2016) ‘Dawn of the Replicants'Music by Danosongs

With Reason offers intelligent thinking for turbulent times, from New Humanist magazine and the Rationalist Association. Enjoy interviews with writers, researchers and academics who speak to our age – on subjects including religion, belief, race, politics, sex, technology, science, work and more. Hosted by New Humanist editor Samira Shackle, deputy editor Niki Seth-Smith, and series producer Alice Bloch.

In conversation with Daniel Trilling Ismail Einashe talks to the journalist and editor of New Humanist, Daniel Trilling. Trilling writes on migration, borders and nationalism in Europe.