The Age of Unreason: Index on Censorship autumn magazine launch

Join Index, BBC Radio 4’s FutureProofing series presenter Timandra Harkness and special guests to take on these questions at The Royal Institution.

We will be asking what happens when powerful people like President Trump and Philippines President Duterte embrace falsehoods and decry facts as lies. Are we now living in a world where reason is being trumped by emotion and where scientific research is dismissed because it doesn’t fit with the public’s gut feelings? Or do we just need to argue differently and learn how to persuade?

Using footage of real-life debates in the past and present day, Timandra Harkness and the team will run a short workshop with the audience on how to have better arguments in an age of unreason. There will also be a short panel discussion afterwards exploring science and censorship in the current global climate with an opportunity for audience Q&A.

With thanks to The Royal Institution and SAGE Publishing.