Some thoughts on why I think it's important to remember that the natural and physical world provide joy and curiosity, even though global geopolitics is very mean and horrible right now. Appreciating the world around us gives us joy & agency. Don't forget the bad, but hold on to the good too.
Excellent
A picture of her
My local humanist hero. Her memorial plaque is a short walk from my house and I have her on my wall!
For those of you who missed the #RosalindFranklinLecture but wanted to attend, the recording will go live on YouTube in the coming weeks. Until then, you can read our full write up of the lecture on our website.
humanists.uk/2026/03/06/d...
And a special thank you to #RosalindFranklinLecture Chair @samiraahmeduk.bsky.social, and to our @conwayhall.bsky.social and online audience. There were over 1000 of you. We hope to see you all again very soon. Also, thank you to Belinda, for having a live ECG scan on stage - a Humanists UK first!
A huge round of applause for Dr Hannah Critchlow! Her #RosalindFranklinLecture offered phenomenal insight into how our biology, brains, and experiences shape who we are – and what that might mean for ideas of free will, identity, and connection. A whistle-stop tour of 100 years of neuroscience.
Guardian headline that says "Gen Z males twice as likely as baby boomers to believe wives should obey husbands: global survey shows young men and boys hold more traditional views about gender roles than older generations"
If younger people believe them more than older people shouldn't we stop calling these views "traditional"? Maybe something like "discriminatory", "patriarchal", or "misogynistic" instead?
Four women on stage, one of whom is hooked up to a machine showing her brain waves
First live brain scan at a @humanists.uk event!
Picture of book: Hannah Critchlow Joined-Up Thinking The Science of Collective Intelligence and its Power to Change Our Lives
Looking forward to this evening’s @humanists.uk #RosalindFranklinLecture with the brilliant Hannah Critchlow!
Guardian headline that says "Gen Z males twice as likely as baby boomers to believe wives should obey husbands: global survey shows young men and boys hold more traditional views about gender roles than older generations"
If younger people believe them more than older people shouldn't we stop calling these views "traditional"? Maybe something like "discriminatory", "patriarchal", or "misogynistic" instead?
'George Eliot's humanist philosophy runs as an unbreakable thread through her every novel but nowhere is this more evident than in the intricate tapestry of Middlemarch.' @andrewcopson.bsky.social chooses three #humanistbookshelf favourites👇 humanists.uk/2023/08/23/a...
The twentieth century photo archive also brings them to prominence! heritage.humanists.uk/exhibition/w...
And women were particularly prominent in the early days of @humanists.uk as organisers newhumanist.org.uk/articles/579...
Even in the 1880s the outsized impact of women was being celebrated, notably in Sara Underwood's 1876 book 'Heroines of Freethought' heritage.humanists.uk/article/hero...
Happy Women's History Month! A great time to learn more about women's contributions to the humanist movement in the last couple of hundred years...
Sandi Toksvig: Bishops, Scandi convents, and masterminding a schools rebellion. Out now on all podcast platforms.
There are over 60 episodes of our podcast #WhatIBelieve. In each one, @andrewcopson.bsky.social speaks with a humanist in the public eye about the beliefs and values that shape their life. Listen to Sandi Toksvig's episode today. Available on all podcast platforms. humanists.uk/what-i-believe
And FWIW, all of the incidents of family voting I saw last May were white people, usually of retirement age
I feel for the team at Democracy Volunteers, paid staff and volunteers, who gave their time to observe a democratic process and tell us what they saw.
I was a volunteer last May. I was very surprised by the levels of family voting in County Durham - this is what I said at the time.
Our stellar #FestivalofHumanism line-up continues to grow!
Join over 20 speakers in Bournemouth, 12-14 June, for a packed weekend of politics, philosophy, history, human rights, humanism, and entertainment.
Tickets selling fast! Get yours today 👇
humanists.uk/2026/03/02/o...
Of course it has the likes of @profaliceroberts.bsky.social @jimalkhalili.bsky.social @shappikhorsandi.bsky.social @adamrutherford.bsky.social (N.B. we're still trying to get Janet Ellis to sign up 😉) but also many more brilliant journalists, writers, scientists, and activists.
If you're new to Bluesky and want to fill your timeline with some *excellent* accounts making lots of funny, wise, important, or thought-provoking posts from a range of backgrounds, please can we suggest the Humanists UK Starter Pack? ✅
(Also... sorry to anyone we missed out!)
go.bsky.app/PTC4j2d
Assisted Dying Legalised in Jersey. strong safeguards will apply. The law is expected to take effect from 2027. A victory for compassion and choice at the end of life.
Well done, Jersey. 👏
In case you missed it: Jersey has passed its #AssistedDying Law, after States Members voted in favour by 32 votes to 16. A historic moment for Jersey and a momentous vote of confidence for compassion, dignity, and choice at the end of life. humanists.uk/2026/02/26/j...
Being clever isn't a prerequisite for doing well on the Traitors, as @davidolusoga.bsky.social and @stephenfry.bsky.social found out last year.
He spoke to @adamrutherford.bsky.social for @newhumanist.bsky.social about religion, slavery, and Empire.
newhumanist.org.uk/articles/651...
Surveys based on random samples & Catholic/Church of England data show churchgoing in Britain hasn't returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Opt-in online survey data suggests "churchgoing is soaring" 50% higher than it was in 2018.
Another opt-in online survey won't resolve this conflict.
The message is catching on.
The House of Lords set the #AssistedDyingBill up to fail.
A small number of opposed peers deliberately ran down on the clock.
This is not the role of the Lords.
A real tragedy for terminally ill people and their families.
www.express.co.uk/news/politic...
Vote for us! Through @faith2faithless.bsky.social we help people who've left a high-control religious group.
Your vote could help us expand our support.
Vote now, and help us help people who risk losing their family, community, financial security, and even their home simply for leaving religion.
We are thinking of the people of Iran right now. The Islamic Republic has been a brutal theocratic dictatorship, but Iran is a society of extraordinary depth, culture & resilience. Although we feel powerless right now, we can hold onto hope for a better future this remarkable society and its people.
This evening, we are joined by Azeem Ibrahim OBE – an internationally respected academic, author, and policy expert – for what promises to be a fascinating in-conversation event with @andrewcopson.bsky.social.
Book your place to join us online 19:00 - 20:00.
humanists.uk/events/in-co...
Looking forward to talking to Senior Director at the @newlinesinst.bsky.social for Strategy & Policy, Dr Azeem Ibrahim, about how the UK can arrest its 'managed decline' and regain a clear strategic anchor in a world of rising authoritarianism this evening. Tickets still available, online event 🎫
Our @faith2faithless.bsky.social film has reached the finals of the Smiley Charity Film Awards! This service is a lifeline for those leaving high-control religious groups, and a win could secure £10k in vital funding.
It only takes a minute to vote – think of it as a good deed for the day!
