BHA 3 day Conference 'Beyond Tomorrow: Visions of the future', Cardiff

Organisers: British Humanist Association http://bhaconference.org.uk/

When: Friday 8 June – Sunday 10 June 2012
Where: National Museum Cardiff

The theme of the 2012 BHA conference is the future! Visions of the future that range from the apocalyptic to the utopian abound all through our culture and in almost all cultures we know of.

- What is the most likely future for humanity now?
- What are the developments that will shape that future?
- What are the threats to a better future?
- What are the opportunities for a better future?
- How can we make a better future?
- What are our moral obligations to the future of the planet? Do we have any?
- What are our moral obligations to future generations? Do we have any?
- If humanity is wiped out does it matter?

We will help to unravel some of the pressing questions and take a humanist look at representations of the future in art, literature, and science.

Talks, conversations, and open discussion with contributors http://bhaconference.org.uk/contributors/ including:-

- internet technologist, journalist, author, and broadcaster Ben Hammersley

- the world’s first cyborg, Kevin Warwick - one of only 7 eminent scientists to illustrate the ethical impact their scientific work can have: the others being Galileo, Einstein, Curie, Nobel, Oppenheimer and Rotblat.

- Aleks Krotoski ‘how information spreads around social networks'

- Professor of the History of Political Thought - Gregory Claeys 'utopianism'

- former Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government Professor Sir David King on 'http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocratic_Oath_for_Scientists' & 'climate change'.

- Paul McAuley - sci-fi writer and botanist

- barrister, environmental lawyer author Polly Higgins on 'ecocide';

- musician, comedian, public speaker, and author, Mark Stevenson on 'futurology'

- 'Population Matters' chief exec Simon Ross on sustainable world population


- Entertainment on the Friday night features comedy and quizes, and a gala dinner on the Saturday evening will include the presentation of an award for services to Humanism.

The conference is a chance to meet fellow humanists and discover more about what we know, and can hope to know, about the universe from a number of humanist perspectives.

Accessible to all levels of interest, delegates will hear scientists and writers, philosophers, and entertainers as they wrangle with such subjects as optimism, imagination, and making a better world.

Tickets are available from the BHA website.
General public: £156 http://www.humanism.org.uk/shop/135
BHA members’ tickets: £120 http://www.humanism.org.uk/shop/134
Students / AHS members: £100 http://www.humanism.org.uk/shop/136

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