Latest thinking

'Policy based evidence making'

Blog

27 Oct 2009

Matthew Taylor

Between the recurring bouts of existential crisis brought on by a combination of the demands of RSA change management, the deteriorating form of West Bromwich Albion and night time flatulence (for which, apparently, the only cure is to give up every single type of food I enjoy eating), I have been thinking about the relationship between evidence and belief.

A Community Response to Climate Change?

Blog

16 Oct 2009

Jonathan Rowson

RSA thursdays fill a gap in our popular imagination of the working week, sharing the honour with manic mondays, pancake tuesdays, ash wednesdays and crunchy -be-thankful fridays. One of the best things about working here is ambling into an RSA Thursday event at lunchtime and having your mind informed, amused and expanded.

Renewable energy in the South West - a role for the RSA?

Blog

12 Oct 2009

Matthew Taylor

The independent Committee on Climate Change reports that the Government is a long way from having any credible account of how it is going to reach its target of cutting carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. This comes after Professor David MacKay, the Government’s Chief Energy Scientist pointed out last week that the UK exports up to half its energy use through its reliance on imported industrial goods. Meanwhile hardly a week seems to pass without more bad news about the impact of climate change.

Decision Time

Blog

29 Sep 2009

Matthew Taylor

No sooner do I finally get my article about human nature and political values published in Prospect than a key piece of research cited in the piece gets challenged. A study undertaken in New Zealand has questioned the conclusions of the work of Benjamin Libet, conclusions which had become the cornerstone of how we have come to think about the workings of our brain.

Food in a World Without Oil

Video

23 Sep 2009

With Tim Lang, Peter Melchett, Nigel Halford and Roger Harrabin

Getting well-being right

Blog

22 Sep 2009

Matthew Taylor

Will the growing interest in measuring well-being rather than simply economic growth eventually lead to a shift in official statistics?

Lonely planet

Blog

11 Sep 2009

Matthew Taylor

The epidemic of loneliness is a powerful symptom of how modernity offends human nature. But do we understand what loneliness is?

Bill McKibben on the "torrent of art" about climate change

Blog

04 Sep 2009

Bill McKibben wrote recently on Grist.org about how, over the last few years, art has been shouting increasingly stridently about climate:

10:10 is great but what has really changed?

Blog

01 Sep 2009

Matthew Taylor

I’m delighted to say that the RSA has today signed up to 10:10, the new initiative to persuade organisations and individuals to cut their use of energy. The campaign, backed by a sparkling array of celebrities. is the brainchild of Franny Armstrong who was behind the film Age of Stupid which we launched here at the RSA.