You are browsing: Ideas

• Fighting for the future

  Asteroid mining, synthetic meat, surrogacy – a slew of radical thinkers envisage brave new worlds. But can we get there?

• R.G. Collingwood on the corruption of democracy

  The philosopher, historian and archaeologist argued for the importance of "politically educated public opinion".

• "Science deniers embrace a double standard of evidence"

  Q&A with Lee McIntyre, author of "The Scientific Attitude".

• "You are beginning to see an empathetic AI, which understands what it means to be human"

  Q&A with mathematician and author Marcus Du Sautoy.

• Will tech set us free? The autumn 2019 New Humanist

  Out now - also featuring a new survey on religion and atheism in Britain today, Orwell's legacy and the rise of Hindu nationalism.

• "Terrorism is almost always male violence"

  Q&A with Joan Smith, author of "Homegrown: How Domestic Violence turns Men into Terrorists".

• In a word: cult

  Michael Rosen's column on language and its uses

• "The opposite of philosophy is taking things for granted"

  Q&A with Jonathan Rée, author of "Witcraft: The Invention of Philosophy in English"

• Ancient hospitality

  Is the Homeric concept of xenia – generosity to strangers – the best tonic for the rise of right-wing populism?

• What scientists learned from the art of illusion

  From politics to advertising, the techniques used by magicians are everywhere; a new exhibition puts the rabbit back in the hat.