Public Events
We continually invite distinguished speakers to come and give talks about the latest ethical, social, and scientific issues. These are generally held the third Tuesday of the month. We are currently striving to offer these both online and in person so you can attend in whatever way works for you.
Upcoming Events
Secular Salon: Votes For Women Matters and Events You May Never Have Heard OfCultural salons were places where people could gather to discuss literature, poetry, philosophy, theology and ideas in a convivial and stimulating atmosphere, often with food and drink. Which is the aim of these events.
Alice Severs will be giving the talk this month, on the lesser-known struggle for the rights of women.
Refreshments provided- donations to cover costs welcome.
Tuesday, 31st October 2023 at 19:00
Merryoaks Community Hall, Park House Road Durham DH1 3QF
Contact susan.humanist@gmail.com
Alice Severs will be giving the talk this month, on the lesser-known struggle for the rights of women.
Refreshments provided- donations to cover costs welcome.
Tuesday, 31st October 2023 at 19:00
Merryoaks Community Hall, Park House Road Durham DH1 3QF
Contact susan.humanist@gmail.com
Artificial Intelligence: unpacking the ethical and societal implications
Dr Shauna Concannon, Assistant Professor in Computer Science & Digital Humanities, Durham University
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is having an ever-greater impact on society, from workforce transformations, to how we communicate. For the November NEH talk, Dr Concannon will review recent developments in AI, from Large Language Models like ChatGPT through to the chatbots that provide mental health support and companionship.
The discussion aims to shed light on how AI advancements can inadvertently perpetuate harmful biases and inequalities, and impact individuals and society as a whole. As these systems become embedded in our daily lives, complex societal and ethical implications arise.
In particular, we must consider what values underpin these systems, and how this value alignment should be approached if technological advances are to support human flourishing. By understanding these ethical dilemmas, we can foster a more informed and responsible approach to the ongoing integration of AI in our lives.
When? Tuesday 21st November 2023 6.45 – 8.30 Doors open 6.30 pm
Where? Brunswick Methodist Church, Brunswick Place Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7BJ
Entrance fee Members £1, Guests £3 includes refreshments
Dr Shauna Concannon, Assistant Professor in Computer Science & Digital Humanities, Durham University
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is having an ever-greater impact on society, from workforce transformations, to how we communicate. For the November NEH talk, Dr Concannon will review recent developments in AI, from Large Language Models like ChatGPT through to the chatbots that provide mental health support and companionship.
The discussion aims to shed light on how AI advancements can inadvertently perpetuate harmful biases and inequalities, and impact individuals and society as a whole. As these systems become embedded in our daily lives, complex societal and ethical implications arise.
In particular, we must consider what values underpin these systems, and how this value alignment should be approached if technological advances are to support human flourishing. By understanding these ethical dilemmas, we can foster a more informed and responsible approach to the ongoing integration of AI in our lives.
When? Tuesday 21st November 2023 6.45 – 8.30 Doors open 6.30 pm
Where? Brunswick Methodist Church, Brunswick Place Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7BJ
Entrance fee Members £1, Guests £3 includes refreshments
Past Events
Jamie Driscoll to address next NEH meeting The speaker at the next NEH Meeting will be Jamie Driscoll, the North of Tyne Mayor, who has announced his candidacy for the North East Mayor role. Mr Driscoll, a NEH member, will be standing as an independent after he was controversially barred by the national party from standing as the Labour candidate. The meeting, on Tuesday, September 19th, will be held at MEA HOUSE, ELLISON PLACE, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE NE1 8XS. Doors open at 6:30.
Secular Salon-The Evolution of Empathy
At one time empathy was considered an emotion and behaviour exclusive to humans. It is now very clear that empathy is demonstrated by many other species, including our closest living relatives, the great apes as well as other primates and possibly beyond.
But what exactly is empathy? Why do we – and other animals - behave in empathetic ways? Why has it evolved as a part of our ‘nature’? Dr Zanna Clay, Primatologist, Associate Professor of comparative and developmental psychology in the Department of Psychology, Durham University and Council Member of the Primate Society of Great Britain, will explore some of these issues and share with us her knowledge and insight on this fascinating topic.
What: The Evolution of Empathy
When: Monday 25th September 2023, 7:30pm
In Person: Merryoaks Community Hall Park House Road, Durham DH1 3QF
The suggested donation is £1 for NEH members. £3 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
At one time empathy was considered an emotion and behaviour exclusive to humans. It is now very clear that empathy is demonstrated by many other species, including our closest living relatives, the great apes as well as other primates and possibly beyond.
But what exactly is empathy? Why do we – and other animals - behave in empathetic ways? Why has it evolved as a part of our ‘nature’? Dr Zanna Clay, Primatologist, Associate Professor of comparative and developmental psychology in the Department of Psychology, Durham University and Council Member of the Primate Society of Great Britain, will explore some of these issues and share with us her knowledge and insight on this fascinating topic.
What: The Evolution of Empathy
When: Monday 25th September 2023, 7:30pm
In Person: Merryoaks Community Hall Park House Road, Durham DH1 3QF
The suggested donation is £1 for NEH members. £3 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
Evolution and the Occult
The poet David Spittle will explore the possibilities of poetry as a bridge into, and vessel for, scientific knowledge; how it becomes a way to open science to art and consequently reconnect with traditions that have characterised the historical ‘gnosis’ of thinkers, artists, and scientists associated with the ‘occult’.
This talk will establish a sense of what might be meant by the ‘occult’ and how, expressed through poetry, it might help communicate aspects of evolution.
Drawing on the ‘humanistic’ evolutionary biology of Stephen Jay Gould – focusing on his popular book, Wonderful Life (1989), addressing the Cambrian era and fossils from the Burgess Shale – alongside the work of occult scholar Gary Lachman and his engagement with the neuroscientist Ian McGilchrist, this talk will playfully combine poetry, images and amateur curiosity to question the methods by which we come to understand being(s) in the world: what is seen or unseen, what is occluded?
What:
When: Tuesday 20 June 2023
In Person: Brunswick Methodist Church Newcastle NE1 8BJ. Doors open at 6:30. Talk to begin at 6:45. Q&A to end by 8:30
The cost is £1 for NEH members. £3 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
Online: Zoom opens at 6:30 PM. Register using the Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/evolution-and-the-occult-tickets-646907035357
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the donation page on our website. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
The poet David Spittle will explore the possibilities of poetry as a bridge into, and vessel for, scientific knowledge; how it becomes a way to open science to art and consequently reconnect with traditions that have characterised the historical ‘gnosis’ of thinkers, artists, and scientists associated with the ‘occult’.
This talk will establish a sense of what might be meant by the ‘occult’ and how, expressed through poetry, it might help communicate aspects of evolution.
Drawing on the ‘humanistic’ evolutionary biology of Stephen Jay Gould – focusing on his popular book, Wonderful Life (1989), addressing the Cambrian era and fossils from the Burgess Shale – alongside the work of occult scholar Gary Lachman and his engagement with the neuroscientist Ian McGilchrist, this talk will playfully combine poetry, images and amateur curiosity to question the methods by which we come to understand being(s) in the world: what is seen or unseen, what is occluded?
What:
When: Tuesday 20 June 2023
In Person: Brunswick Methodist Church Newcastle NE1 8BJ. Doors open at 6:30. Talk to begin at 6:45. Q&A to end by 8:30
The cost is £1 for NEH members. £3 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
Online: Zoom opens at 6:30 PM. Register using the Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/evolution-and-the-occult-tickets-646907035357
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the donation page on our website. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
Time for a Secular State
18 April 6:45pm—8:45pm
18 April 6:45pm—8:45pm
Talk by Helen Nicholls, Head of Operations, The National Secular Society
The 2021 census showed that less than half of the population describe themselves as Christians. The Church of England is in disarray over same-sex relationships. Meanwhile, the Archbishop of Canterbury prepares to crown a new King, who will pledge to be “Defender of the Faith”.
In this talk Helen Nicholls from the National Secular Society will argue that this position is unsustainable. It is time for us to separate Church and state for a fairer society.
Helen Nicholls is a law graduate with an interest in the legal philosophy of religion.
What: Time For a Secular State
When: 18 April 2023 at 6:45 PM (We are now meeting on a Tuesday)
In Person: Brunswick Methodist Church, Brunswick Place, Newcastle, NE1 7BJ. (Please Note the Change in Venue! This is Located Near Monument Metro.) Doors open at 6:30. Meeting to begin at 6:45. Discussion to end by 8:30 so we can clear the space by 8:45. The cost is £1 for NEH members. £3 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
The 2021 census showed that less than half of the population describe themselves as Christians. The Church of England is in disarray over same-sex relationships. Meanwhile, the Archbishop of Canterbury prepares to crown a new King, who will pledge to be “Defender of the Faith”.
In this talk Helen Nicholls from the National Secular Society will argue that this position is unsustainable. It is time for us to separate Church and state for a fairer society.
Helen Nicholls is a law graduate with an interest in the legal philosophy of religion.
What: Time For a Secular State
When: 18 April 2023 at 6:45 PM (We are now meeting on a Tuesday)
In Person: Brunswick Methodist Church, Brunswick Place, Newcastle, NE1 7BJ. (Please Note the Change in Venue! This is Located Near Monument Metro.) Doors open at 6:30. Meeting to begin at 6:45. Discussion to end by 8:30 so we can clear the space by 8:45. The cost is £1 for NEH members. £3 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
An Evening of Your Choice of Poetry
16 February 6:45pm—8:45pm
16 February 6:45pm—8:45pm
Humanists believe that creativity and physical expression through the arts meet innate needs of humanity. To reflect this, we have organised this session to give you the opportunity to read a poem of your choice or simply just listen to others.
We are fortunate to have secured the support of Clare Jackson who will introduce the evening by talking briefly about the appeal and value of poetry. Clare holds degrees from the universities of Oxford and York. She taught English and English Literature for over 15 years in comprehensive schools, over 11 years in a Sixth Form College, and now works as an adult education tutor for the WEA and Explore. Teaching remains a delight for her.
This will be followed by the readings — the choice is yours, but it will be relevant, if you wish, to be able to tell the audience why your poem reflects your life stance.
Clare will then conclude the session by reflecting on what she has heard.
To help us with the organisation of the event, could you let us know if you want to read a poem, whether you are attending in person or on ZOOM, and, if possible, which poem you have chosen. Contact Liz Armstrong on liz_armstrong2000@hotmail.com or text or phone her at 0755 395 1454 by Monday 13 February at the very latest.
What: An evening of your choice of poetry
When: 16 February 2023 at 6:45 PM
In Person: MEA House Newcastle NE3 8XS. Doors open at 6:30. Talk to begin at 6:45. Q&A to end by 8:30 so we can clear the space by 8:45. The cost is £1 for NEH members. £3 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
Online: Zoom opens at 6:30 PM. Register using the Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/an-evening-of-your-choice-of-poetry-tickets-530344794557
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the donation page on our website. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
We are fortunate to have secured the support of Clare Jackson who will introduce the evening by talking briefly about the appeal and value of poetry. Clare holds degrees from the universities of Oxford and York. She taught English and English Literature for over 15 years in comprehensive schools, over 11 years in a Sixth Form College, and now works as an adult education tutor for the WEA and Explore. Teaching remains a delight for her.
This will be followed by the readings — the choice is yours, but it will be relevant, if you wish, to be able to tell the audience why your poem reflects your life stance.
Clare will then conclude the session by reflecting on what she has heard.
To help us with the organisation of the event, could you let us know if you want to read a poem, whether you are attending in person or on ZOOM, and, if possible, which poem you have chosen. Contact Liz Armstrong on liz_armstrong2000@hotmail.com or text or phone her at 0755 395 1454 by Monday 13 February at the very latest.
What: An evening of your choice of poetry
When: 16 February 2023 at 6:45 PM
In Person: MEA House Newcastle NE3 8XS. Doors open at 6:30. Talk to begin at 6:45. Q&A to end by 8:30 so we can clear the space by 8:45. The cost is £1 for NEH members. £3 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
Online: Zoom opens at 6:30 PM. Register using the Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/an-evening-of-your-choice-of-poetry-tickets-530344794557
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the donation page on our website. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
Learning about Trans Issues
19 January 6:45pm—8:45pm
19 January 6:45pm—8:45pm
As humanists, we are interested in everything – however challenging and difficult. We also try to approach every subject with an open mind and use evidence to help us to better understand.
The current transgender debate is a good example. Many of us are baffled by the various positions taken in the discussion, and even find the language mystifying. What does it mean to be ‘assigned’ a sex at birth? What do we mean by ‘woke’, ‘cisgender’, ‘binary and non-binary’, and ‘inter-sex’? What is the difference between sex (a biological characteristic) and gender (a culturally constructed identity)? Has this distinction been complicated by recent biological research which has shown that some people straddle the boundaries?
Postmodern gender theorists have concluded that our ideas of sex are artificial and culturally constructed. Gender, they argue, is what matters: a trans woman is a woman, even without reassignment surgery. By contrast, ‘gender-critical’ feminists counter that sex largely is binary; that it profoundly shapes experience and is central to women’s rights.
In an attempt to increase our understanding of this issue, our January meeting will be a conversation held in the spirit of an enquiry. Two of our members — Liz Armstrong and John Sargent — will provide a brief introduction to the subject and a timeline for recent developments, based on their desk research. A friend of NEH, Peter Jones, will ask “Are Trans-Women Women and Trans-men Men, and does the answer matter?” The question-and-answer session will provide an opportunity for everyone in the room and online to contribute to this important debate.
What: Transgender: A Conversation
When: Thursday January 19th at 6:45 PM
In Person: MEA House Newcastle NE3 8XS. Doors open at 6:30. Talk to begin at 6:45. Q&A to end by 8:30 so we can clear the space by 8:45. The cost is £1 for NEH members. £3 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
Online: Zoom opens at 6:30 PM. Register using the Eventbrite link:
https:// www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/transgender-a-conversation-tickets-498645190187
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the donation page on our website. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
The current transgender debate is a good example. Many of us are baffled by the various positions taken in the discussion, and even find the language mystifying. What does it mean to be ‘assigned’ a sex at birth? What do we mean by ‘woke’, ‘cisgender’, ‘binary and non-binary’, and ‘inter-sex’? What is the difference between sex (a biological characteristic) and gender (a culturally constructed identity)? Has this distinction been complicated by recent biological research which has shown that some people straddle the boundaries?
Postmodern gender theorists have concluded that our ideas of sex are artificial and culturally constructed. Gender, they argue, is what matters: a trans woman is a woman, even without reassignment surgery. By contrast, ‘gender-critical’ feminists counter that sex largely is binary; that it profoundly shapes experience and is central to women’s rights.
In an attempt to increase our understanding of this issue, our January meeting will be a conversation held in the spirit of an enquiry. Two of our members — Liz Armstrong and John Sargent — will provide a brief introduction to the subject and a timeline for recent developments, based on their desk research. A friend of NEH, Peter Jones, will ask “Are Trans-Women Women and Trans-men Men, and does the answer matter?” The question-and-answer session will provide an opportunity for everyone in the room and online to contribute to this important debate.
What: Transgender: A Conversation
When: Thursday January 19th at 6:45 PM
In Person: MEA House Newcastle NE3 8XS. Doors open at 6:30. Talk to begin at 6:45. Q&A to end by 8:30 so we can clear the space by 8:45. The cost is £1 for NEH members. £3 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
Online: Zoom opens at 6:30 PM. Register using the Eventbrite link:
https:// www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/transgender-a-conversation-tickets-498645190187
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the donation page on our website. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
Winter Holiday Lunch Social at Susan Walker's Home
18 December 12:00pm—3:00pm
18 December 12:00pm—3:00pm
From Nursing to the Archaeology of Disease: A Life Caring for the Living and the Dead by Professor Charlotte Roberts
17 November 2022 6:45pm—8:45pm
17 November 2022 6:45pm—8:45pm
This talk will describe Professor Roberts’ journey from nursing to archaeology and then to bioarchaeology (the study of human remains from archaeological sites). She will then focus on the study of ancient disease and include examples from her research.
Emeritus Professor Charlotte Roberts worked in the Department of Archaeology at Durham University. She is a fellow of the British Academy who researches past human health and well-being (palaeopathology), including the origin and evolution of infectious diseases. And she is the author/editor of several books including: Health and Disease in Britain (2003); The Archaeology of Disease (2005); The Backbone of Europe. Health, Diet, Work, and Violence over Two Millennia (2019); and Palaeopathology and Evolutionary Medicine (2022).
Who: Emeritus Professor Charlotte Roberts
When: Thursday November 17th at 6:45 PM
What: A short talk followed by Q&A
In Person: MEA House**, NE1 8XS. Doors open at 6:30. Talk to begin at 6:45. Q&A to end by 8:30 so we can clear the space by 8:45. The cost is £1 for NEH members. £3 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
Online: Zoom opens at 6:30 PM. Register using the Eventbrite link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/from-nursing-to-the-archaeology-of-disease-by-professor-charlotte-roberts-tickets-458520606477
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the donation page on our website. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
Emeritus Professor Charlotte Roberts worked in the Department of Archaeology at Durham University. She is a fellow of the British Academy who researches past human health and well-being (palaeopathology), including the origin and evolution of infectious diseases. And she is the author/editor of several books including: Health and Disease in Britain (2003); The Archaeology of Disease (2005); The Backbone of Europe. Health, Diet, Work, and Violence over Two Millennia (2019); and Palaeopathology and Evolutionary Medicine (2022).
Who: Emeritus Professor Charlotte Roberts
When: Thursday November 17th at 6:45 PM
What: A short talk followed by Q&A
In Person: MEA House**, NE1 8XS. Doors open at 6:30. Talk to begin at 6:45. Q&A to end by 8:30 so we can clear the space by 8:45. The cost is £1 for NEH members. £3 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
Online: Zoom opens at 6:30 PM. Register using the Eventbrite link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/from-nursing-to-the-archaeology-of-disease-by-professor-charlotte-roberts-tickets-458520606477
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the donation page on our website. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
The Origins and Nature of Humanist Morality with Philip Nathan
20 October 2022 6:30pm—8:30pm
20 October 2022 6:30pm—8:30pm
Is there a Humanist morality? And if so, where does this morality come from? If there is such a Humanist morality, does this have consequences for how we conduct ourselves as Humanists and what are these consequences?
At our October meeting on Thursday 20th October, Philip Nathan, former NEH chair and author of the Living Humanism books, will be speaking about the nature of Humanist morality and its origins and, in the light of this Humanist morality, how we should conduct ourselves as Humanists.
Who: NEH Trustee Philip Nathan
When: Thursday October 20th at 6:30 PM (PLEASE NOTE THE EARLIER TIME!)
What: A short talk followed by Q&A
In Person: MEA House**, NE1 8XS. Doors open at 6:30. Talk to begin at 6:45. Q&A to end by 8:30 so we can clear the space by 8:45. The cost is £1 for NEH members. £3 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
Online: Zoom opens at 6:30 PM. Register using the Eventbrite link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-origins-and-nature-of-humanist-morality-tickets-429038605017
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the donation page on our website. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
At our October meeting on Thursday 20th October, Philip Nathan, former NEH chair and author of the Living Humanism books, will be speaking about the nature of Humanist morality and its origins and, in the light of this Humanist morality, how we should conduct ourselves as Humanists.
Who: NEH Trustee Philip Nathan
When: Thursday October 20th at 6:30 PM (PLEASE NOTE THE EARLIER TIME!)
What: A short talk followed by Q&A
In Person: MEA House**, NE1 8XS. Doors open at 6:30. Talk to begin at 6:45. Q&A to end by 8:30 so we can clear the space by 8:45. The cost is £1 for NEH members. £3 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
Online: Zoom opens at 6:30 PM. Register using the Eventbrite link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-origins-and-nature-of-humanist-morality-tickets-429038605017
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the donation page on our website. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
Latest Developments in Space Exploration with Gary Fildes
15 September 2022 7:00pm—9:00pm
15 September 2022 7:00pm—9:00pm
As we progress our scientific understanding of the cosmos, we also build more machines like the James Webb space telescope. This is a revolutionary instrument that took 25 years to design and build, and it will provide us with images of the universe of unparalleled resolution. Simultaneously, we are producing exciting new hardware to take humans into space, with SpaceX and Artemis missions planned to the Moon and Mars. In this talk, we will look at all aspects of our frontiers in space exploration utilising high-resolution imagery and clear explanations.
Gary Fildes is one of the leading astronomers in the North East of England. He was the founder, and for many years the lead astronomer, of the world-famous Kielder Observatory. More recently, he has founded and begun running a new state-of-the-art observatory at Grassholme Reservoir near Bishop Auckland. Gary’s enthusiasm for the subject and his ability to communicate potentially complicated issues to the interested lay person is amazing. In 2012 Gary was awarded an honorary master’s degree from Durham University in recognition of his services to astronomy.
Who: Gary Fildes
When: Thursday September 15th at 7:00 PM
What: A short talk followed by Q&A
In Person: MEA House**, NE1 8XS. Doors open at 6:30. £1 for NEH members. £3 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
Online: Zoom opens at 6:45 PM. Register using the Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/latest-developments-in-space-exploration-tickets-409418079497
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the donation page on our website. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
Gary Fildes is one of the leading astronomers in the North East of England. He was the founder, and for many years the lead astronomer, of the world-famous Kielder Observatory. More recently, he has founded and begun running a new state-of-the-art observatory at Grassholme Reservoir near Bishop Auckland. Gary’s enthusiasm for the subject and his ability to communicate potentially complicated issues to the interested lay person is amazing. In 2012 Gary was awarded an honorary master’s degree from Durham University in recognition of his services to astronomy.
Who: Gary Fildes
When: Thursday September 15th at 7:00 PM
What: A short talk followed by Q&A
In Person: MEA House**, NE1 8XS. Doors open at 6:30. £1 for NEH members. £3 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
Online: Zoom opens at 6:45 PM. Register using the Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/latest-developments-in-space-exploration-tickets-409418079497
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the donation page on our website. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
Shedding New Light on Dementias
21 July 2022 7:00pm—9:00pm
21 July 2022 7:00pm—9:00pm
We are pleased to welcome Dr Paul Chazot for this event. Dr Chazot will discuss the rationale and use of a new, effective, safe, non-invasive way to treat Alzheimers and Parkinsons, based on a specific wavelength of infrared light. This is built on over 20 years of basic science work here in the North East, which has started to bear fruit with clinical success in the US and in the UK. Dr Chazot will discuss the trials his group will be recruiting for later this year, which will be the first of their kind in the UK.
Dr Paul Chazot is an Associate Professor of Pharmacology based at the University of Durham, and a Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society. He heads up the Pain Challenge Academy in the Durham Wolfson Research Institute of Health and Wellbeing, and he was formerly the President of the European Histamine Research Society (EHRS) and the Durham branch of Parkinsons UK.
Who: Dr Paul Chazot
When: Thursday July 21st at 7:00 PM
What: A short talk followed by Q&A
In Person: Tyneside Irish Centre, NE1 4SG. Doors open at 6:30. £1 for NEH members. £2 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
Online: Zoom opens at 6:45 PM. Register using the Eventbrite link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/shedding-new-light-on-dementias-tickets-373266479087
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the donation page on our website. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
Dr Paul Chazot is an Associate Professor of Pharmacology based at the University of Durham, and a Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society. He heads up the Pain Challenge Academy in the Durham Wolfson Research Institute of Health and Wellbeing, and he was formerly the President of the European Histamine Research Society (EHRS) and the Durham branch of Parkinsons UK.
Who: Dr Paul Chazot
When: Thursday July 21st at 7:00 PM
What: A short talk followed by Q&A
In Person: Tyneside Irish Centre, NE1 4SG. Doors open at 6:30. £1 for NEH members. £2 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
Online: Zoom opens at 6:45 PM. Register using the Eventbrite link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/shedding-new-light-on-dementias-tickets-373266479087
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the donation page on our website. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
Make Votes Matter
16 June 2022 7:00pm—9:00pm
16 June 2022 7:00pm—9:00pm
We are pleased to welcome David Gallagher for this event. In this short lecture (delivered via Zoom, which you can watch online or with our broadcast at the Irish Centre), David will begin by outlining some of the problems with the current system for electing MPs to the House of Commons. He will then present some of the advantages of an electoral system based on a form of proportional representation. He will then explain how he and likeminded people hope to bring about this reform.
David is a cross party speaker for Make Votes Matter (MVM). MVM is the cross-party campaign for Proportional Representation in the House of Commons. Its mission is to replace First Past the Post with Proportional Representation. MVM doesn't just advocate electoral reform; the campaign aims to make it a reality.
Who: David Gallagher
When: Thursday June 16th at 7:00 PM
What: A short talk followed by Q&A
Joint Watch: Tyneside Irish Centre, NE1 4SG. Doors open at 6:30. £1 for NEH members. £2 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
Online: Zoom opens at 6:45 PM. Register using the Eventbrite link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/electoral-reform-make-votes-matter-tickets-354468162817
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the donation page on our website. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
David is a cross party speaker for Make Votes Matter (MVM). MVM is the cross-party campaign for Proportional Representation in the House of Commons. Its mission is to replace First Past the Post with Proportional Representation. MVM doesn't just advocate electoral reform; the campaign aims to make it a reality.
Who: David Gallagher
When: Thursday June 16th at 7:00 PM
What: A short talk followed by Q&A
Joint Watch: Tyneside Irish Centre, NE1 4SG. Doors open at 6:30. £1 for NEH members. £2 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
Online: Zoom opens at 6:45 PM. Register using the Eventbrite link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/electoral-reform-make-votes-matter-tickets-354468162817
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the donation page on our website. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
Roy Taylor on The Secret of Life and Where Type 2 Diabetes Fits In
19 May 2022 7:00pm—9:00pm
19 May 2022 7:00pm—9:00pm
Do you ever wonder what happens to your food after you eat it? Did you know that your body sees little of this food? There is so much chat about nutrition and so little understanding of what is really going on.
And then there is the Scourge of Our Age — type 2 diabetes. Newcastle research over the last 20 years has pieced together the puzzle of why people get this condition and how it is possible to escape from it. We have used special MRI scanning to ‘see’ what is happening inside you. All of this understanding has led to the current NHS programme being rolled out aiming for remission of type 2 diabetes.
Roy Taylor is Professor of Medicine and Metabolism at Newcastle University and Consultant at Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust. He founded the Newcastle Magnetic Resonance Centre in 2006 to develop innovative research techniques, and by 2011 he was able to show that excess fat within liver and pancreas caused type 2 diabetes. The low calorie liquid diet was developed as a research tool to show what was causing high sugar levels, but it proved so successful that he then tested it as a treatment for type 2 diabetes. He has written many scientific papers as well as an easy-read book about life without diabetes. Professor Taylor also developed the system now used throughout the United Kingdom for screening for diabetic eye disease, with major reduction in blindness due to diabetes across the UK.
Who: Professor Roy Taylor, Newcastle University
When: Thursday May 19th at 7:00 PM
What: A 45-minute talk followed by Q&A
In-Person: Tyneside Irish Centre, NE1 4SG. Doors open at 6:30. £1 for NEH members. £2 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
Online: Zoom opens at 6:45 PM. Register using the Eventbrite link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-secret-of-life-and-where-type-2-diabetes-fits-in-tickets-327172229947
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the button at the bottom of our homepage. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
And then there is the Scourge of Our Age — type 2 diabetes. Newcastle research over the last 20 years has pieced together the puzzle of why people get this condition and how it is possible to escape from it. We have used special MRI scanning to ‘see’ what is happening inside you. All of this understanding has led to the current NHS programme being rolled out aiming for remission of type 2 diabetes.
Roy Taylor is Professor of Medicine and Metabolism at Newcastle University and Consultant at Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust. He founded the Newcastle Magnetic Resonance Centre in 2006 to develop innovative research techniques, and by 2011 he was able to show that excess fat within liver and pancreas caused type 2 diabetes. The low calorie liquid diet was developed as a research tool to show what was causing high sugar levels, but it proved so successful that he then tested it as a treatment for type 2 diabetes. He has written many scientific papers as well as an easy-read book about life without diabetes. Professor Taylor also developed the system now used throughout the United Kingdom for screening for diabetic eye disease, with major reduction in blindness due to diabetes across the UK.
Who: Professor Roy Taylor, Newcastle University
When: Thursday May 19th at 7:00 PM
What: A 45-minute talk followed by Q&A
In-Person: Tyneside Irish Centre, NE1 4SG. Doors open at 6:30. £1 for NEH members. £2 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
Online: Zoom opens at 6:45 PM. Register using the Eventbrite link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-secret-of-life-and-where-type-2-diabetes-fits-in-tickets-327172229947
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the button at the bottom of our homepage. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
The Premier League in the Eye of the Sportswashing Storm
21 April 2022 7:00pm—9:00pm
21 April 2022 7:00pm—9:00pm
The recent takeover of Newcastle United by a team of people supported with Saudi funds has sparked controversy across England and in the local region. Join us as Peter Frankental leads us in an examination of some of the issues at play here.
Peter Frankental is the Economic Affairs Programme Director at Amnesty International UK. His expertise includes business impacts on human rights, international standards applicable to companies, and the civil and criminal liability of corporations. He has written of a number of business and human rights publications and is a frequent media commentator. Peter will be speaking to us by Zoom so you can attend online or with a group of us at the Tyneside Irish Centre.
Who: Peter Frankental, Amnesty International
When: Thursday April 21st at 7:00 PM
What: A 45-minute talk followed by Q&A
In-Person: Tyneside Irish Centre, NE1 4SG. Doors open at 6:30. £1 for NEH members. £2 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
Online: Zoom opens at 6:45 PM. Register using the Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-premier-league-in-the-eye-of-the-sportswashing-storm-tickets-310534375677
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the button at the bottom of our homepage. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
Peter Frankental is the Economic Affairs Programme Director at Amnesty International UK. His expertise includes business impacts on human rights, international standards applicable to companies, and the civil and criminal liability of corporations. He has written of a number of business and human rights publications and is a frequent media commentator. Peter will be speaking to us by Zoom so you can attend online or with a group of us at the Tyneside Irish Centre.
Who: Peter Frankental, Amnesty International
When: Thursday April 21st at 7:00 PM
What: A 45-minute talk followed by Q&A
In-Person: Tyneside Irish Centre, NE1 4SG. Doors open at 6:30. £1 for NEH members. £2 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
Online: Zoom opens at 6:45 PM. Register using the Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-premier-league-in-the-eye-of-the-sportswashing-storm-tickets-310534375677
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the button at the bottom of our homepage. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
2022 AGM + Talk on Food Security
10 March 2022 7:00pm—9:00pm
10 March 2022 7:00pm—9:00pm
The annual AGM for North East Humanists (a registered charity) will take place on Zoom and will also be ‘live’ at the Newcastle Irish Centre. Doors opens at 6:30pm. £1 for NEH members. £2 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
The business meeting will be preceded by a talk titled "Food Security - What is it? What are our options?" by Professor Timothy Lang, Emeritus Professor of Food Policy at City University, London.
All papers for the AGM, including the Agenda, are linked here.
Who: Professor Tim Lang and the NEH Management Committee
When: Thursday March 10th at 7:00 PM
What: A short talk with Q&A followed by the official business of the AGM.
In-Person: Tyneside Irish Centre, NE1 4SG. Doors open at 6:30. £1 for NEH members. £2 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
Online: Zoom opens at 6:45. Register using the Eventbrite link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/2022-agm-talk-on-food-security-tickets-275535783947
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the button at the bottom of our homepage. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
The business meeting will be preceded by a talk titled "Food Security - What is it? What are our options?" by Professor Timothy Lang, Emeritus Professor of Food Policy at City University, London.
All papers for the AGM, including the Agenda, are linked here.
Who: Professor Tim Lang and the NEH Management Committee
When: Thursday March 10th at 7:00 PM
What: A short talk with Q&A followed by the official business of the AGM.
In-Person: Tyneside Irish Centre, NE1 4SG. Doors open at 6:30. £1 for NEH members. £2 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
Online: Zoom opens at 6:45. Register using the Eventbrite link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/2022-agm-talk-on-food-security-tickets-275535783947
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the button at the bottom of our homepage. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
Darwin Day Lecture — a Newcastle University Insights Virtual Lecture
The Handshake: A Gripping History...and a Biological One by Ella Al-Shamahi
10 February 2022 5:30pm—6:30pm
The Handshake: A Gripping History...and a Biological One by Ella Al-Shamahi
10 February 2022 5:30pm—6:30pm
Many declared that Covid had killed the handshake. But the handshake is not just cultural, it’s biological, probably embedded in our DNA and at least seven million years old. This is a paradigm shift from the oft-repeated ‘origin’ of the handshake as being a way of showing that you are unarmed. This lecture argues that the handshake has an actual biological purpose and considers what other pandemics through history tell us about its ‘demise’.
Ella is an archaeologist, paleoanthropologist and Neanderthal specialist. She is a National Geographic Explorer and scientific stand-up performer. She has recently presented on programmes Jungle Mystery: Lost Kingdoms of the Amazon (Channel 4, 2020) and Waterhole: Africa’s Animal Oasis (BBC2, 2020). In 2019, Ella presented a TED Talk about fascinating places in the world that scientists aren’t exploring which has had over 2 million views. Her book The Handshake: A Gripping History was published by Profile Books in March 2021.
The lecture will be followed by a live Q&A with the speaker. You can submit a question in advance by sending an email to public.lectures@ncl.ac.uk or during the event using YouTube Live Chat or via Twitter @InsightsNCL.
Who: Ella Al-Shamahi
When: Thursday February 10th at 5:30 PM
What: 30-minute lecture followed by 30-minute Q&A.
How: Registration is not required. Simply watch this event on YouTube.
This event is co-hosted by Newcastle University as part of their Insights Lectures series. Anyone is welcome to attend for free. Whilst we do not charge for our online events, North East Humanists is a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the button at the bottom of our homepage. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
Ella is an archaeologist, paleoanthropologist and Neanderthal specialist. She is a National Geographic Explorer and scientific stand-up performer. She has recently presented on programmes Jungle Mystery: Lost Kingdoms of the Amazon (Channel 4, 2020) and Waterhole: Africa’s Animal Oasis (BBC2, 2020). In 2019, Ella presented a TED Talk about fascinating places in the world that scientists aren’t exploring which has had over 2 million views. Her book The Handshake: A Gripping History was published by Profile Books in March 2021.
The lecture will be followed by a live Q&A with the speaker. You can submit a question in advance by sending an email to public.lectures@ncl.ac.uk or during the event using YouTube Live Chat or via Twitter @InsightsNCL.
Who: Ella Al-Shamahi
When: Thursday February 10th at 5:30 PM
What: 30-minute lecture followed by 30-minute Q&A.
How: Registration is not required. Simply watch this event on YouTube.
This event is co-hosted by Newcastle University as part of their Insights Lectures series. Anyone is welcome to attend for free. Whilst we do not charge for our online events, North East Humanists is a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the button at the bottom of our homepage. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
Why We Must Oppose the 2021 Health and Care Bill
20 January 2022 7:00pm—8:30pm
20 January 2022 7:00pm—8:30pm
This month’s public lecture (online only) will be delivered by Professor Allyson Pollock who is a clinical professor of public health at Newcastle University and an honorary professor at UCL. She was director of Newcastle’s Institute of Health & Society, and has set up some of the UK’s leading undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in global health. Her research interests include regulatory science, rational medicines use, access to medicines, health service reorganisation, and childhood injuries and the epidemiology of trauma.
Professor Pollock’s talk will be about the 2021 Health and Care Bill. This is a ‘hands-off’ bill, which goes in the wrong direction. It fails to address the serious challenges facing the NHS, public health, and social care. It is unlikely to make any difference to reducing waiting lists and waiting times for services, to reducing staff shortages, or to providing adequate funding to rebuild and restore capacity in public health services. Instead, the Bill:
Who: Professor Allyson Pollock
When: Thursday January 20th at 7:00 PM
What: 45-minute lecture plus plenty of time for interactive Q&A afterwards.
How: Zoom opens at 6:45. Register using the Eventbrite link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/why-we-must-oppose-the-2021-health-and-care-bill-tickets-233784364327
If you have difficulty using the Eventbrite sign-up for the meeting, please sign in directly using the Zoom link that Eventbrite will email to you.
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite at all, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the button at the bottom of our homepage. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
Professor Pollock’s talk will be about the 2021 Health and Care Bill. This is a ‘hands-off’ bill, which goes in the wrong direction. It fails to address the serious challenges facing the NHS, public health, and social care. It is unlikely to make any difference to reducing waiting lists and waiting times for services, to reducing staff shortages, or to providing adequate funding to rebuild and restore capacity in public health services. Instead, the Bill:
- replaces the principles of universal and comprehensive coverage throughout England with the limited concept of ‘core responsibility’ for specified groups of people and the conferring of ‘discretions’ on providers;
- enables further reductions in and closures of services, pushing those who can afford to do so into paying for their health care;
- allows more privatisation and leakage of public money to shareholders with insufficient safeguards over how that money is used;
- will lead to greater variation in provision, access to, and levels of services;
- reduces provision and access to medical services and emergency services;
- further undermines the rights to life and health; and
- conflicts with the NHS constitution.
Who: Professor Allyson Pollock
When: Thursday January 20th at 7:00 PM
What: 45-minute lecture plus plenty of time for interactive Q&A afterwards.
How: Zoom opens at 6:45. Register using the Eventbrite link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/why-we-must-oppose-the-2021-health-and-care-bill-tickets-233784364327
If you have difficulty using the Eventbrite sign-up for the meeting, please sign in directly using the Zoom link that Eventbrite will email to you.
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite at all, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the button at the bottom of our homepage. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
Winter Holiday Lunch Social
12 December 2021 12:00pm—3:00pm
12 December 2021 12:00pm—3:00pm
This year’s winter social will be held at the home of Mike and Moira Turner from 12:00 noon until 3:00 pm on Sunday, December 12th. As before at such events, please bring a food contribution with you for sharing. It’s great to be able to socialise again and we look forward to seeing you! More details on the location are available in our December bulletin.
Decolonisation and Empire
18 November 2021 7:00pm—8:30pm
18 November 2021 7:00pm—8:30pm
This will be a members’ discussion meeting, led by Philip Nathan, where we will examine a range of issues tied to decolonisation and empire. Issues discussed will include: the removal or maintaining of statues associated with empire and slavery (such as the Colston statue in Bristol); the National Trust and its slavery and empire linked properties; history education in schools in relation to empire and race; returning artefacts such as the Elgin marbles and Benin bronzes to countries of origins; paying reparations to countries that were British imperial possessions; and paying reparations to those damaged by the slave trade. Our discussions will be supported with videos and documentary evidence. Philip Nathan is a trustee of North East Humanists and the author of Living Humanism.
Who: Philip Nathan
When: Thursday November 18th at 7:00 PM
What: A 2-hour group discussion using videos and slides to spur debate.
In-Person: Tyneside Irish Centre, NE1 4SG. Doors opens at 6:30. £1 for NEH members. £2 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
Online: Zoom opens at 6:45. Register using the Eventbrite link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/decolonisation-and-empire-tickets-202871854177
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
If you have a few friends you would like to discuss this with, perhaps you could consider inviting them to your home to watch this event with you on Zoom. Since this is an interactive discussion, we will not be broadcasting it on YouTube.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the button at the bottom of our homepage. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
Who: Philip Nathan
When: Thursday November 18th at 7:00 PM
What: A 2-hour group discussion using videos and slides to spur debate.
In-Person: Tyneside Irish Centre, NE1 4SG. Doors opens at 6:30. £1 for NEH members. £2 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
Online: Zoom opens at 6:45. Register using the Eventbrite link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/decolonisation-and-empire-tickets-202871854177
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
If you have a few friends you would like to discuss this with, perhaps you could consider inviting them to your home to watch this event with you on Zoom. Since this is an interactive discussion, we will not be broadcasting it on YouTube.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the button at the bottom of our homepage. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
Mass Irrationality? There’s a Science for That!
The Story of Cognitive Immunology by Andy Norman
21 October 2021 7:00pm—8:30pm
The Story of Cognitive Immunology by Andy Norman
21 October 2021 7:00pm—8:30pm
For too long, we’ve indulged the fiction that teaching critical thinking is enough to protect us from outbreaks of mass irrationality. Recent years have underscored the inadequacy of this view: the critical thinking approach is simply not doing enough to prevent the spread of dangerously unhinged worldviews. But what’s the alternative? In this talk, Andy Norman will argue that an emerging science of mental immunity offers far better tools for combatting viral nonsense. He calls this science “cognitive immunology” and his research institute—the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative (CIRCE)—is coordinating the efforts of leading thinkers to develop and apply its findings. By understanding bad ideas as mind-parasites, and the mind as having an “immune system” that protects us to one degree or another from bad ideas, we gain powerful new ways to promote wisdom. If cognitive immunology impacts humanity at anything like the scale immunology has, we can anticipate a day when the worst forms of cognitive contagion are contained.
Andy Norman is the award-winning author of Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think. His work has appeared in Scientific American, Psychology Today, Skeptic, Free Inquiry, and The Humanist. He has appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience, NPR, The BBC’s Naked Scientist, and The Young Turks. His research illuminates the evolutionary origins of human reasoning, the norms that make dialogue fruitful, and the workings of the mind’s immune system. He champions the emerging science of mental immunity as the antidote to disinformation, propaganda, hate, and division. He is the founder of the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative (CIRCE), a global think-tank leading the effort to inoculate humanity against cognitive contagion.
Who: Dr Andy Norman
When: Thursday October 21st at 7:00 PM
What: 45-minute lecture plus plenty of time for interactive Q&A afterwards
How: Zoom opens at 6:45 PM. You can register using the Eventbrite link: https:// www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-story-of-cognitive-immunology-tickets-180174676307
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
This talk will also be available to watch live on YouTube at the following link: https://youtu.be/n1kwG2GakOo. Viewers there can post their questions in the chat.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the button at the bottom of our homepage. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
Andy Norman is the award-winning author of Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think. His work has appeared in Scientific American, Psychology Today, Skeptic, Free Inquiry, and The Humanist. He has appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience, NPR, The BBC’s Naked Scientist, and The Young Turks. His research illuminates the evolutionary origins of human reasoning, the norms that make dialogue fruitful, and the workings of the mind’s immune system. He champions the emerging science of mental immunity as the antidote to disinformation, propaganda, hate, and division. He is the founder of the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative (CIRCE), a global think-tank leading the effort to inoculate humanity against cognitive contagion.
Who: Dr Andy Norman
When: Thursday October 21st at 7:00 PM
What: 45-minute lecture plus plenty of time for interactive Q&A afterwards
How: Zoom opens at 6:45 PM. You can register using the Eventbrite link: https:// www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-story-of-cognitive-immunology-tickets-180174676307
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
This talk will also be available to watch live on YouTube at the following link: https://youtu.be/n1kwG2GakOo. Viewers there can post their questions in the chat.
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the button at the bottom of our homepage. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
Pacifism and Remembrance
23 September 2021 7:00pm—8:30pm
23 September 2021 7:00pm—8:30pm
In this talk, Barbara Chandler will provide some history of conscientious objection, especially by Humanists. She will also focus on the history of International Conscientious Objectors' Day, which is held to remember "all those who have refused to bear arms and participate in war, throughout history and today", who are honoured with events each year on May the 15th.
Barbara will share the history of the Conscientious Objectors’ Memorial stone in Tavistock Square, at which the London CO Day memorial event is held. She will ask us to consider whether there is a place for building a national Humanist Peace Network within Humanists UK.
Barbara Chandler retired from teaching the teaching of adults in 2011 and became an Accredited Humanist celebrant, leading non-religious funerals and naming ceremonies as a member of the Humanist Ceremonies part of Humanists UK. She currently represents Humanists UK on the organising group for the London International CO Day event.
Who: Barbara Chandler
When: Thursday September 23rd at 7:00pm (Zoom opens at 6:45)
What: 45-minute online lecture plus plenty of time for interactive Q&A afterwards
In-Person: Tyneside Irish Centre, NE1 4SG. Doors opens at 6:30. £1 for NEH members. £2 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
Online: Zoom opens at 6:45. Register using the Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pacifism-and-remembrance-tickets-169243468771
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
This talk is available to watch live on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y3FTJxd7hM
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the button at the bottom of our homepage. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
Barbara will share the history of the Conscientious Objectors’ Memorial stone in Tavistock Square, at which the London CO Day memorial event is held. She will ask us to consider whether there is a place for building a national Humanist Peace Network within Humanists UK.
Barbara Chandler retired from teaching the teaching of adults in 2011 and became an Accredited Humanist celebrant, leading non-religious funerals and naming ceremonies as a member of the Humanist Ceremonies part of Humanists UK. She currently represents Humanists UK on the organising group for the London International CO Day event.
Who: Barbara Chandler
When: Thursday September 23rd at 7:00pm (Zoom opens at 6:45)
What: 45-minute online lecture plus plenty of time for interactive Q&A afterwards
In-Person: Tyneside Irish Centre, NE1 4SG. Doors opens at 6:30. £1 for NEH members. £2 for non-members. This includes tea, coffee, and light refreshments.
Online: Zoom opens at 6:45. Register using the Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pacifism-and-remembrance-tickets-169243468771
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
This talk is available to watch live on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y3FTJxd7hM
Anyone is welcome to our online events. Whilst we do not charge for joining these, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the button at the bottom of our homepage. We suggest £3 for these donations but all amounts are greatly appreciated.
Death and the Surgeon
17 June 2021 7:00pm—8:30pm
17 June 2021 7:00pm—8:30pm
In this event, we will hear from the esteemed doctor Henry Marsh. Henry says, "I spent forty years as a surgeon involved with death, but this did not help me much when I was diagnosed with advanced cancer myself. But the diagnosis reinforced my conviction that Assisted Dying should be available in an humane and civilised society. I will concentrate in my talk on countering the arguments presented by the opponents of Assisted Dying."
Henry Marsh was the Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon at St George’s Hospital in London UK until 2015. He continued to work abroad as a neurosurgeon in Ukraine, Nepal, and Albania until 2020. He was the subject of two major BBC television documentaries, one of which won an Emmy, and the other the Royal Television Society Gold Medal. His memoir Do No Harm has been an international best seller, was shortlisted for numerous awards, winning the PEN Ackerley and Sky Arts prizes, and was translated into 37 languages. His subsequent book Admissions was a Sunday Times No 1 best seller. He was made a CBE by HM the Queen in 2010.
Who: Dr Henry Marsh CBE
When: Thursday June 17th at 7:00pm (Zoom opens at 6:45)
What: 45-minute online lecture plus plenty of time for interactive Q&A afterwards
How: Register using the Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/death-and-the-surgeon-tickets-156225355243.
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
You don’t need to be a member. All are welcome to this free event! Whilst we do not charge for these online events, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the link on our homepage. All amounts are greatly appreciated.
Henry Marsh was the Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon at St George’s Hospital in London UK until 2015. He continued to work abroad as a neurosurgeon in Ukraine, Nepal, and Albania until 2020. He was the subject of two major BBC television documentaries, one of which won an Emmy, and the other the Royal Television Society Gold Medal. His memoir Do No Harm has been an international best seller, was shortlisted for numerous awards, winning the PEN Ackerley and Sky Arts prizes, and was translated into 37 languages. His subsequent book Admissions was a Sunday Times No 1 best seller. He was made a CBE by HM the Queen in 2010.
Who: Dr Henry Marsh CBE
When: Thursday June 17th at 7:00pm (Zoom opens at 6:45)
What: 45-minute online lecture plus plenty of time for interactive Q&A afterwards
How: Register using the Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/death-and-the-surgeon-tickets-156225355243.
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
You don’t need to be a member. All are welcome to this free event! Whilst we do not charge for these online events, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the link on our homepage. All amounts are greatly appreciated.
Tolerance and Free Speech
20 May 2021 7:00pm—8:30pm
20 May 2021 7:00pm—8:30pm
In this talk, John Roberts gives a historical overview of free speech, discusses some different theories of free speech, and looks at some current free speech controversies.
John Roberts is a political sociologist currently based at Brunel University. He has researched and written about voluntary activity in local communities, social and political movements, digital culture, and free speech activism. He is currently working on a project about free speech activism at Hyde Park from 1945 to 2017 and on another project about everyday experiences of being an activist in the Momentum political group within the Labour Party. He once made the error of experiencing what it is like taking part in the noble art of speaking at Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park, and was quite rightly heckled down to laughs and guffaws by onlookers.
Who: John Roberts, Brunel University
When: Thursday May 20th at 7:00pm (Zoom opens at 6:45)
What: 45-minute online lecture plus plenty of time for interactive Q&A afterwards
How: Register using the Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tolerance-and-free-speech-tickets-152185893103.
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
You don’t need to be a member. All are welcome to this free event! Whilst we do not charge for these online events, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the link on our homepage. All amounts are greatly appreciated.
John Roberts is a political sociologist currently based at Brunel University. He has researched and written about voluntary activity in local communities, social and political movements, digital culture, and free speech activism. He is currently working on a project about free speech activism at Hyde Park from 1945 to 2017 and on another project about everyday experiences of being an activist in the Momentum political group within the Labour Party. He once made the error of experiencing what it is like taking part in the noble art of speaking at Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park, and was quite rightly heckled down to laughs and guffaws by onlookers.
Who: John Roberts, Brunel University
When: Thursday May 20th at 7:00pm (Zoom opens at 6:45)
What: 45-minute online lecture plus plenty of time for interactive Q&A afterwards
How: Register using the Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tolerance-and-free-speech-tickets-152185893103.
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
You don’t need to be a member. All are welcome to this free event! Whilst we do not charge for these online events, we are a registered charity that you may donate a few pounds to by using the link on our homepage. All amounts are greatly appreciated.
Mormonism: The Invention of a Religion
15 April 2021 7:00pm—8:30pm
15 April 2021 7:00pm—8:30pm
John Adams will give a talk on the extraordinary story of the creation of the Mormon religion which, within a couple of generations, spread from a small town in New York State to become a world religion. He will use the story to reflect on the spread of all religions, past and present.
John is a retired academic and past Chair of North Yorkshire Humanists. He is currently a trustee of Humanists UK.
Who: John Adams
When: Thursday April 22nd at 7pm (Zoom opens at 6:45)
What: 45-minute online lecture plus plenty of time for interactive Q&A afterwards
How: Register using the Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mormonism-the-invention-of-a-religion-tickets-148434370197.
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
You don’t need to be a member. All are welcome to this free event!
John is a retired academic and past Chair of North Yorkshire Humanists. He is currently a trustee of Humanists UK.
Who: John Adams
When: Thursday April 22nd at 7pm (Zoom opens at 6:45)
What: 45-minute online lecture plus plenty of time for interactive Q&A afterwards
How: Register using the Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mormonism-the-invention-of-a-religion-tickets-148434370197.
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
You don’t need to be a member. All are welcome to this free event!
Darwin Day Lecture
How To Become a Wise Manager of Evolutionary Processes
18 February 2021 7:00pm—8:30pm
How To Become a Wise Manager of Evolutionary Processes
18 February 2021 7:00pm—8:30pm
Distinguished Evolutionary Biologist, Professor David Sloan Wilson will deliver this year’s North East Humanists Darwin Day Lecture.
Many people use words such as “evolve” and “adapt” to describe positive change, but seldom think to consult the actual science of change—evolutionary science. That’s because the study of evolution was confined largely to the study of genetic evolution for most of the 20th century, relegating the study of personal and cultural change to other disciplines. More recently, an expanded view of evolution as any process that includes the three ingredients of variation, selection, and replication provides a new set of practical tools for improving the human condition at all scales, from individuals to the planet. Anyone can begin learning these tools to become wise managers of evolutionary processes.
David Sloan Wilson is trained as an evolutionary biologist and is at the forefront of the expansion of evolutionary thinking described in his talk. He is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Binghamton University, New York, and president of Prosocial World, a new nonprofit and spinoff of his previous nonprofit, the Evolution Institute. His books include Darwin’s Cathedral, Evolution for Everyone, The Neighborhood Project, Does Altruism Exist?, This View of Life, Prosocial (with Paul Atkins and Steven C. Hayes) and his first novel, Atlas Hugged. An extended conversation between David and North East Humanists trustee Ed Gibney about Atlas Hugged and Evolutionary Philosophy is available here.
Who: Professor David Sloan Wilson
When: Thursday February 18th at 7pm (Zoom opens at 6:45)
What: 45-minute online lecture plus plenty of time for interactive Q&A afterwards
How: Register using the Eventbrite link:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/darwin-day-lecture-how-to-become-a-wise-manager-of-evolutionary-processes-tickets-137927080611
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
You don’t need to be a member. All are welcome! There is no charge to join us for this talk. However, if you would like to make a donation to our Charity of the Year as a thank you for the event, you can do so at our JustGiving page for Crisis Skylight Newcastle. (https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/nehumanists)
NOTE: We will be giving away 3 copies of David’s new novel Atlas Hugged at this event. Winners will be selected randomly from the online participants. So, be sure to sign up and attend for your chance to win!
Many people use words such as “evolve” and “adapt” to describe positive change, but seldom think to consult the actual science of change—evolutionary science. That’s because the study of evolution was confined largely to the study of genetic evolution for most of the 20th century, relegating the study of personal and cultural change to other disciplines. More recently, an expanded view of evolution as any process that includes the three ingredients of variation, selection, and replication provides a new set of practical tools for improving the human condition at all scales, from individuals to the planet. Anyone can begin learning these tools to become wise managers of evolutionary processes.
David Sloan Wilson is trained as an evolutionary biologist and is at the forefront of the expansion of evolutionary thinking described in his talk. He is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Binghamton University, New York, and president of Prosocial World, a new nonprofit and spinoff of his previous nonprofit, the Evolution Institute. His books include Darwin’s Cathedral, Evolution for Everyone, The Neighborhood Project, Does Altruism Exist?, This View of Life, Prosocial (with Paul Atkins and Steven C. Hayes) and his first novel, Atlas Hugged. An extended conversation between David and North East Humanists trustee Ed Gibney about Atlas Hugged and Evolutionary Philosophy is available here.
Who: Professor David Sloan Wilson
When: Thursday February 18th at 7pm (Zoom opens at 6:45)
What: 45-minute online lecture plus plenty of time for interactive Q&A afterwards
How: Register using the Eventbrite link:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/darwin-day-lecture-how-to-become-a-wise-manager-of-evolutionary-processes-tickets-137927080611
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
You don’t need to be a member. All are welcome! There is no charge to join us for this talk. However, if you would like to make a donation to our Charity of the Year as a thank you for the event, you can do so at our JustGiving page for Crisis Skylight Newcastle. (https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/nehumanists)
NOTE: We will be giving away 3 copies of David’s new novel Atlas Hugged at this event. Winners will be selected randomly from the online participants. So, be sure to sign up and attend for your chance to win!
Smart Cities (But Not Too Smart)
21 January 2021 7:00pm—8:30pm
21 January 2021 7:00pm—8:30pm
Despite many of our cities claiming to be “smart” these days, they would be largely recognisable to our great-great grandparents in their layout, structure, organisation, and day-to-day operations. Scratch away at most smart city projects and you find that they are very limited in their objectives, outcomes, and durability. Where implemented, many have come to be rightly criticised for being driven by technological availability rather than need or insight. They are also blighted by reasonable and wholly understandable concerns about privacy and data ownership. To make things even worse, infrastructure and service providers see the opportunity to silo and lock away data from smart systems preventing interoperability of data.
So, what role could this new paradigm of data play in future cities? What are the opportunities and risks of highly observed cities? What types of data can we collect, and should we be collecting it? In this talk, Professor Phil James will discuss some of the lessons we have learnt and the role this new data could play in re-imagined cities. The COVID-19 pandemic has generated both opportunities and new questions but also demonstrated some of the benefits of these new data sources.
Phil James is a professor of Urban Data at Newcastle University and director of the Newcastle Urban Observatory, which is the UK’s largest urban environmental monitoring programme. His research is at the intersection of engineering and computer science with a focus on the Internet of Things and environmental monitoring.
Who: Professor Phil James
When: Thursday January 21st at 7pm (Zoom opens at 6:45)
What: 45-minute online lecture plus plenty of time for interactive Q&A afterwards
How: Register using the Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/smart-cities-but-not-too-smart-tickets-134648734991.
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
You don’t need to be a member. All are welcome! There is no charge to join us for this talk. However, if you would like to make a donation to our Charity of the Year as a thank you for the event, you can do so at our JustGiving page for Crisis Skylight Newcastle.
So, what role could this new paradigm of data play in future cities? What are the opportunities and risks of highly observed cities? What types of data can we collect, and should we be collecting it? In this talk, Professor Phil James will discuss some of the lessons we have learnt and the role this new data could play in re-imagined cities. The COVID-19 pandemic has generated both opportunities and new questions but also demonstrated some of the benefits of these new data sources.
Phil James is a professor of Urban Data at Newcastle University and director of the Newcastle Urban Observatory, which is the UK’s largest urban environmental monitoring programme. His research is at the intersection of engineering and computer science with a focus on the Internet of Things and environmental monitoring.
Who: Professor Phil James
When: Thursday January 21st at 7pm (Zoom opens at 6:45)
What: 45-minute online lecture plus plenty of time for interactive Q&A afterwards
How: Register using the Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/smart-cities-but-not-too-smart-tickets-134648734991.
If you prefer not to use Eventbrite, you can send an email to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com and she will send you a Zoom link directly.
You don’t need to be a member. All are welcome! There is no charge to join us for this talk. However, if you would like to make a donation to our Charity of the Year as a thank you for the event, you can do so at our JustGiving page for Crisis Skylight Newcastle.
Festive Social
17 December 2020 7:00pm—9:00pm
17 December 2020 7:00pm—9:00pm
Time to sign up for this year’s virtual Festive Social!
We’ve all gotten pretty good at using Zoom during the pandemic, so we plan to use these skills to host a quiz, play a few party games, enjoy some seasonal music and readings, and much more. If you have any special Zoom game requests, just let us know and we’ll do our best to add them in.
We can’t meet up as usual for a buffet and drinks, but you can have your own favourite holiday drink and food instead and enjoy them along with everyone else during the refreshment break. We’re sad we can’t try everyone’s offerings, but this promises to be a fun substitute.
Whilst there is no ticket charge, we do hope to boost the funds of our Charity of the Year, Crisis Skylight, by inviting you to donate to it instead. You can do so with just a few clicks by visiting our JustGiving page for Crisis Skylight Newcastle.
The party will be Thursday December 17th at 7:00pm.
To request a Zoom invitation, send your name to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com.
We really look forward to spending the evening with you all!
We’ve all gotten pretty good at using Zoom during the pandemic, so we plan to use these skills to host a quiz, play a few party games, enjoy some seasonal music and readings, and much more. If you have any special Zoom game requests, just let us know and we’ll do our best to add them in.
We can’t meet up as usual for a buffet and drinks, but you can have your own favourite holiday drink and food instead and enjoy them along with everyone else during the refreshment break. We’re sad we can’t try everyone’s offerings, but this promises to be a fun substitute.
Whilst there is no ticket charge, we do hope to boost the funds of our Charity of the Year, Crisis Skylight, by inviting you to donate to it instead. You can do so with just a few clicks by visiting our JustGiving page for Crisis Skylight Newcastle.
The party will be Thursday December 17th at 7:00pm.
To request a Zoom invitation, send your name to Susan Walker at northeasthumanist@gmail.com.
We really look forward to spending the evening with you all!
Home Education: Solution or Problem?
19 November 2020 7:00pm—8:30pm
19 November 2020 7:00pm—8:30pm
Before the current pandemic, about 1% of UK school children were home educated. Their parents had exercised their legal right to do so, but these rights come with responsibilities. Whilst many home schooling parents make significant personal and financial sacrifices to ensure that the needs of their children are met, some do not. In this talk, Liz Armstrong will discuss the extent of home education, explore the reasons why numbers (pre-Covid) have been increasing, and critically describe the legislative and administrative procedures which are in place to manage it. Now that schools are reopening, early indications suggest that home schooling has increased significantly, making these issues more relevant and urgent than ever.
Liz Armstrong is a trustee of North East Humanists and a longtime member. She worked as a teacher in secondary schools for 15 years and then spent 13 years as a Local Authority Education Advisor contributing to the monitoring of home education. She has also spent the last few months supporting the education of her granddaughter at home.
Who: Liz Armstrong
When: Thursday November 19th at 7 PM (Zoom opens at 6:45)
What: 45-minute online lecture plus plenty of time for interactive Q&A afterwards
How: Register using the following link: Home Education Solution or Problem
You don’t need to be a member. All are welcome!
There is no charge to join us for this talk. However, if you would like to make a donation to our charity of the year as a thank you for the event, you can do so at our JustGiving page for Crisis Skylight Newcastle.
Liz Armstrong is a trustee of North East Humanists and a longtime member. She worked as a teacher in secondary schools for 15 years and then spent 13 years as a Local Authority Education Advisor contributing to the monitoring of home education. She has also spent the last few months supporting the education of her granddaughter at home.
Who: Liz Armstrong
When: Thursday November 19th at 7 PM (Zoom opens at 6:45)
What: 45-minute online lecture plus plenty of time for interactive Q&A afterwards
How: Register using the following link: Home Education Solution or Problem
You don’t need to be a member. All are welcome!
There is no charge to join us for this talk. However, if you would like to make a donation to our charity of the year as a thank you for the event, you can do so at our JustGiving page for Crisis Skylight Newcastle.
Richard Wilkinson: How More Equal Societies Improve Wellbeing
15 October 2020 7:00pm—8:30pm
15 October 2020 7:00pm—8:30pm
This lecture will focus on the psychological effects of large income differences between rich and poor. It will show how inequality undermines feelings of self-worth, damages social relationships, and contributes to the heavy burden of stress and mental illness in rich developed countries. The material is taken from the The Inner Level, the new book by Wilkinson and Pickett, which shows that inequality is not merely about economics and living standards, but affects us all intimately, changing the nature of social life and reducing levels of confidence. It describes some of the social and psychological processes which lead to the increased rates of health and social problems shown in their earlier book, The Spirit Level.
Richard G. Wilkinson is a Professor Emeritus of Social Epidemiology. He wrote The Spirit Level with Kate Pickett, a best seller now available in 24 languages. It won the 2011 Political Studies Association Publication of the Year Award and the 2010 Bristol Festival of Ideas Prize. He co-founded The Equality Trust with support from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, and in the last few years he has given many hundreds of conference addresses and media interviews around the world, including at WHO, the EU, OECD, and the World Bank. His latest book, The Inner Level, also co-authored with Kate Pickett, was published in paperback in 2019.
Who: Richard Wilkinson, Patron and Co-founder of The Equality Trust
When: Thursday October 15th at 7 PM (Zoom opens at 6:45)
What: 45-minute online lecture plus plenty of time for interactive Q&A afterwards
How: Join us on Zoom using the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89631934722?pwd=OVNkdTZnQ3ViMUo0WVJhczh2WnpGdz09 Meeting ID: 896 3193 4722 Passcode: 968035
There is no charge to join us for this talk. However, if you would like to make a donation to our charity of the year as a thank you for the event, you can do so at our JustGiving page for Crisis Skylight Newcastle.
Richard G. Wilkinson is a Professor Emeritus of Social Epidemiology. He wrote The Spirit Level with Kate Pickett, a best seller now available in 24 languages. It won the 2011 Political Studies Association Publication of the Year Award and the 2010 Bristol Festival of Ideas Prize. He co-founded The Equality Trust with support from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, and in the last few years he has given many hundreds of conference addresses and media interviews around the world, including at WHO, the EU, OECD, and the World Bank. His latest book, The Inner Level, also co-authored with Kate Pickett, was published in paperback in 2019.
Who: Richard Wilkinson, Patron and Co-founder of The Equality Trust
When: Thursday October 15th at 7 PM (Zoom opens at 6:45)
What: 45-minute online lecture plus plenty of time for interactive Q&A afterwards
How: Join us on Zoom using the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89631934722?pwd=OVNkdTZnQ3ViMUo0WVJhczh2WnpGdz09 Meeting ID: 896 3193 4722 Passcode: 968035
There is no charge to join us for this talk. However, if you would like to make a donation to our charity of the year as a thank you for the event, you can do so at our JustGiving page for Crisis Skylight Newcastle.
Treating Gambling Addiction
17 September 2020 7:00pm—8:30pm
17 September 2020 7:00pm—8:30pm
GambleAware is an independent charity tasked to fund research, education, and treatment services to help reduce gambling-related harms in Britain. Citizens Advice Gateshead have been commissioned by GambleAware to deliver the national Citizens Advice Gambling Support Service (GSS). In this talk, Evan Hook, the regional project lead for this work, will share some facts with us about gambling, and what can be done to reduce the harms associated with it.
Gambling-related harms are the adverse impacts from gambling on the health and well-being of individuals, families, communities, and society. We know that in Britain 430,000 people have a gambling problem and another 2 million are at risk of developing one. Reports tell us that 6-10 additional people can be directly affected by someone else’s gambling—putting the number that could be affected at 2.5-4.3 million. The Gambling Commission tells us that 370,000 11-16-year-olds are gambling with their own money and 25,000 are problem gamblers.
Who: Evan Hook, Project Lead for Gambling Support Service in Gateshead
When: Thursday September 17th at 7 PM
What: 45-minute online lecture plus plenty of time for interactive Q&A afterwards
How: Join us on Zoom using the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87640105450?pwd=dGV1eERNTEVRMnkwSTcvVzRjWmlPZz09 Meeting ID: 876 4010 5450 Passcode: 830489
There is no charge to join us for this talk. However, if you would like to make a donation to our charity of the year as a thank you for the event, you can do so at our JustGiving page for Crisis Skylight Newcastle.
Gambling-related harms are the adverse impacts from gambling on the health and well-being of individuals, families, communities, and society. We know that in Britain 430,000 people have a gambling problem and another 2 million are at risk of developing one. Reports tell us that 6-10 additional people can be directly affected by someone else’s gambling—putting the number that could be affected at 2.5-4.3 million. The Gambling Commission tells us that 370,000 11-16-year-olds are gambling with their own money and 25,000 are problem gamblers.
Who: Evan Hook, Project Lead for Gambling Support Service in Gateshead
When: Thursday September 17th at 7 PM
What: 45-minute online lecture plus plenty of time for interactive Q&A afterwards
How: Join us on Zoom using the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87640105450?pwd=dGV1eERNTEVRMnkwSTcvVzRjWmlPZz09 Meeting ID: 876 4010 5450 Passcode: 830489
There is no charge to join us for this talk. However, if you would like to make a donation to our charity of the year as a thank you for the event, you can do so at our JustGiving page for Crisis Skylight Newcastle.
The Humane League—Is the UK Really a Leader in Animal Welfare?
16 July 2020 7:00pm—9:00pm
16 July 2020 7:00pm—9:00pm
Recent legislation in countries around the world are starting to put the UK’s animal welfare laws to shame. In the UK, we like to think of ourselves as the biggest animal lovers in the world, but as laws progress in other countries, we’re quickly beginning to lose our status.
This year in Brussels, for example, the government prohibited the breeding of Scottish Fold* cats and certain hybrids based on concerns about health and welfare. They’re not even the first government to address breed concerns in companion animals. And let us not forget the welfare of farmed animals, with billions of animals suffering every year in intensive farming systems.
So, what are governments doing about this? Some are beginning to take action, but in the UK the only legislation recently passed for farm animals was putting CCTV in slaughterhouses. While this is positive, it isn’t raising standards, simply making sure people comply with current ones.
[*Scottish Folds are domestic cats famous for their small floppy ears, but this is the result of a genetic condition that can cause them to have short painful lives.]
Who: Vicky Bond, Managing Director, The Humane League UK
When: Thursday July 16th at 7 PM
What: 45-minute online lecture plus plenty of time for interactive Q&A afterwards
How: You have three options to join this talk.
There is no charge to join us for this talk. However, if you would like to make a donation to our charity of the year as a thank you for the event, you can do so at our JustGiving page for Crisis Skylight Newcastle.
This year in Brussels, for example, the government prohibited the breeding of Scottish Fold* cats and certain hybrids based on concerns about health and welfare. They’re not even the first government to address breed concerns in companion animals. And let us not forget the welfare of farmed animals, with billions of animals suffering every year in intensive farming systems.
So, what are governments doing about this? Some are beginning to take action, but in the UK the only legislation recently passed for farm animals was putting CCTV in slaughterhouses. While this is positive, it isn’t raising standards, simply making sure people comply with current ones.
[*Scottish Folds are domestic cats famous for their small floppy ears, but this is the result of a genetic condition that can cause them to have short painful lives.]
Who: Vicky Bond, Managing Director, The Humane League UK
When: Thursday July 16th at 7 PM
What: 45-minute online lecture plus plenty of time for interactive Q&A afterwards
How: You have three options to join this talk.
- Zoom — https://zoom.us/j/98569189183
- Google Meet — https://meet.google.com/djz-gama-upn
- By phone — 02039 567 137 (PIN: 910164699)
There is no charge to join us for this talk. However, if you would like to make a donation to our charity of the year as a thank you for the event, you can do so at our JustGiving page for Crisis Skylight Newcastle.
NEH AGM & Human Population
19 March 2020 7:00pm—9:00pm
Brunswick Methodist Hall, Newcastle, NE1 7BJ
19 March 2020 7:00pm—9:00pm
Brunswick Methodist Hall, Newcastle, NE1 7BJ
THIS EVENT HAS NOW BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO CONCERNS ABOUT COVID-19.
At this meeting there will be reports on NEH activities for the year 2019/20, followed by the election of the Trustees for the year 2020/21. Members of NEH will be able to comment on any aspect of the operation of NEH.
After the formal business of the AGM, Ron Armstrong will give a talk on "How the growth of the human population is reducing the number of other species on our planet."
Doors open at 6:30, the talk starts at 7pm. The talk and formal Q&A will be finished by 9 but many people stay to chat afterwards.
We charge £1 for NEH members and £2 for non-members, which covers the cost of light refreshments. (Please consider bringing your own mug for a hot drink; help us be as green as we can be.)
At this meeting there will be reports on NEH activities for the year 2019/20, followed by the election of the Trustees for the year 2020/21. Members of NEH will be able to comment on any aspect of the operation of NEH.
After the formal business of the AGM, Ron Armstrong will give a talk on "How the growth of the human population is reducing the number of other species on our planet."
Doors open at 6:30, the talk starts at 7pm. The talk and formal Q&A will be finished by 9 but many people stay to chat afterwards.
We charge £1 for NEH members and £2 for non-members, which covers the cost of light refreshments. (Please consider bringing your own mug for a hot drink; help us be as green as we can be.)
Darwin Day Lecture
Social Evolution in Darwin's World
11 February 2020 5:30pm—7:30pm
Curtis Auditorium, Newcastle, NE1 7RU
Social Evolution in Darwin's World
11 February 2020 5:30pm—7:30pm
Curtis Auditorium, Newcastle, NE1 7RU
Robin Dunbar, University of Oxford
Though Darwin was much interested in social behaviour and psychology, he lived in a time when little was known about animal societies. We have since come to appreciate how complex some mammal societies, in particular, can be. In this lecture Professor Dunbar will present some novel ideas on how mammal, primate, and especially human societies have evolved – and why.
Robin Dunbar is Professor of Evolutionary Psychology at the University of Oxford, and a Fellow of Magdalen College, and an elected Fellow of the British Academy. His principal research interests focus on the evolution of sociality (with particular reference to primates and humans). He is best known for the social brain hypothesis, the gossip theory of language evolution, and Dunbar’s Number (the limit on the number of relationships that we can manage). His popular science books include Grooming, Gossip and the Evolution of Language, The Human Story, How Many Friends Does One Person Need? Dunbar’s Number and Other Evolutionary Quirks, and The Science of Love and Betrayal. His latest book, Evolution: What Everyone Needs to Know, will be published in April 2020 by Oxford University Press.
There will be no charge for this lecture, which is part of the Insights series of public lectures.
The Curtis Auditorium is on the main Newcastle University campus, a short distance from the Haymarket Metro station.
Though Darwin was much interested in social behaviour and psychology, he lived in a time when little was known about animal societies. We have since come to appreciate how complex some mammal societies, in particular, can be. In this lecture Professor Dunbar will present some novel ideas on how mammal, primate, and especially human societies have evolved – and why.
Robin Dunbar is Professor of Evolutionary Psychology at the University of Oxford, and a Fellow of Magdalen College, and an elected Fellow of the British Academy. His principal research interests focus on the evolution of sociality (with particular reference to primates and humans). He is best known for the social brain hypothesis, the gossip theory of language evolution, and Dunbar’s Number (the limit on the number of relationships that we can manage). His popular science books include Grooming, Gossip and the Evolution of Language, The Human Story, How Many Friends Does One Person Need? Dunbar’s Number and Other Evolutionary Quirks, and The Science of Love and Betrayal. His latest book, Evolution: What Everyone Needs to Know, will be published in April 2020 by Oxford University Press.
There will be no charge for this lecture, which is part of the Insights series of public lectures.
The Curtis Auditorium is on the main Newcastle University campus, a short distance from the Haymarket Metro station.
The Biology of Ageing
16 January 2020 7:00pm—9:00pm
Brunswick Methodist Hall, Newcastle, NE1 7BJ
16 January 2020 7:00pm—9:00pm
Brunswick Methodist Hall, Newcastle, NE1 7BJ
Slowing ageing in humans: is it really feasible?
More and more of us are living to advanced ages. The challenge is to ensure that these extra years are spent in good health. We are most likely to achieve this by paying careful attention to the underlying biology of ageing. We are fortunate in Newcastle to host world-leading research in this area. We now know that we can slow or even reverse ageing with diverse nutritional and pharmacological interventions. This talk will provide an overview of our current understanding of ageing; present recent exiting findings and conclude with addressing the question of whether or not we can indeed slow ageing in humans.
Guest speaker Dr Daryl Shanley is a Reader in Systems Biology of Ageing at Newcastle University. He is a computational biologist with specific expertise in the biology of ageing and is the current Director of the Newcastle University Centre for Integrated Systems Biology of Ageing and Nutrition. Dr Shanley’s work combines deep and detailed knowledge of molecular and cellular mechanisms with state-of-the-art computational methods. This is increasingly recognised as an essential way to address the complexity of the ageing process. Over the last 20 years, Dr Shanley has played a key role in this emerging field.
Doors open at 6:30, the talk starts at 7pm. The talk and formal Q&A will be finished by 9 but many people stay to chat afterwards.
We charge £1 for NEH members and £2 for non-members, which covers the cost of light refreshments. (Please consider bringing your own mug for a hot drink; help us be as green as we can be.
More and more of us are living to advanced ages. The challenge is to ensure that these extra years are spent in good health. We are most likely to achieve this by paying careful attention to the underlying biology of ageing. We are fortunate in Newcastle to host world-leading research in this area. We now know that we can slow or even reverse ageing with diverse nutritional and pharmacological interventions. This talk will provide an overview of our current understanding of ageing; present recent exiting findings and conclude with addressing the question of whether or not we can indeed slow ageing in humans.
Guest speaker Dr Daryl Shanley is a Reader in Systems Biology of Ageing at Newcastle University. He is a computational biologist with specific expertise in the biology of ageing and is the current Director of the Newcastle University Centre for Integrated Systems Biology of Ageing and Nutrition. Dr Shanley’s work combines deep and detailed knowledge of molecular and cellular mechanisms with state-of-the-art computational methods. This is increasingly recognised as an essential way to address the complexity of the ageing process. Over the last 20 years, Dr Shanley has played a key role in this emerging field.
Doors open at 6:30, the talk starts at 7pm. The talk and formal Q&A will be finished by 9 but many people stay to chat afterwards.
We charge £1 for NEH members and £2 for non-members, which covers the cost of light refreshments. (Please consider bringing your own mug for a hot drink; help us be as green as we can be.
NEH Xmas Social
12 December 2019 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
12 December 2019 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
Our annual holiday party where we get together and celebrate the end of the year. There will be a buffet and a quiz.
Cost is £9 for members / £10 for non-members.
Cost is £9 for members / £10 for non-members.
Homelessness
21 November 2019 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
21 November 2019 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
Speaker: Andrew Burnip (Crisis Skylight, Newcastle)
Doors open at 6:30, the talk starts at 7pm. The talk and formal Q&A will be finished by 9 but many people stay to chat afterwards.
We charge £1 for NEH members and £2 for non-members, which covers the cost of light refreshments.
Doors open at 6:30, the talk starts at 7pm. The talk and formal Q&A will be finished by 9 but many people stay to chat afterwards.
We charge £1 for NEH members and £2 for non-members, which covers the cost of light refreshments.
Permaculture
10 October 2019 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
10 October 2019 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
What is permaculture? Permaculture combines three key aspects: 1. An ethical framework; 2. Understandings of how nature works; 3. A design approach. This unique combination provides an ethical framework that is used to design regenerative systems at all scales – from home and garden to community, farm and bioregions.
The word ‘permaculture’ comes originally from ‘permanent agriculture’ and ‘permanent culture’ – it is about living lightly on the planet, and making sure that we can sustain human activities for many generations to come, in harmony with nature.Permanence is not about everything staying the same. It is about stability, about deepening soils and cleaner water, thriving communities in self-reliant regions, biodiverse agriculture, and social justice, peace and abundance.
The speaker for this talk will be Wilf Richards, who is a certified educator with Abundant Earth as well as a coordinator for the North East Permaculture Network and the North East Permaculture Diploma group.
Doors open at 6:30, the talk starts at 7pm. The talk and formal Q&A will be finished by 9 but many people stay to chat afterwards.
We charge £1 for NEH members and £2 for non-members, which covers the cost of light refreshments.
The word ‘permaculture’ comes originally from ‘permanent agriculture’ and ‘permanent culture’ – it is about living lightly on the planet, and making sure that we can sustain human activities for many generations to come, in harmony with nature.Permanence is not about everything staying the same. It is about stability, about deepening soils and cleaner water, thriving communities in self-reliant regions, biodiverse agriculture, and social justice, peace and abundance.
The speaker for this talk will be Wilf Richards, who is a certified educator with Abundant Earth as well as a coordinator for the North East Permaculture Network and the North East Permaculture Diploma group.
Doors open at 6:30, the talk starts at 7pm. The talk and formal Q&A will be finished by 9 but many people stay to chat afterwards.
We charge £1 for NEH members and £2 for non-members, which covers the cost of light refreshments.
Human Gut Biome: Hopes, Threats, and Promises
19 September 2019 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
19 September 2019 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
The microbiome is the collection of microbes that live on and in us- How do we get our microbiome? Why is it important? Can it affect our health and disease? How can we alter our microbiome? Dr Fiona Cuskin will discuss all of these questions and more in her talk about the emergence of the human microbiome in health and disease.
Dr Fiona Cuskin is a Lecturer in Metabolic Biochemistry at the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University. Her research is focussed on understanding microbial degradation of complex carbohydrates in the human gut microbiome and its effect on human health and disease.
Doors open at 6:30, the talk starts at 7pm. The talk and formal Q&A will be finished by 9 but many people stay to chat afterwards.
We charge £1 for NEH members and £2 for non-members, which covers the cost of light refreshments.
Dr Fiona Cuskin is a Lecturer in Metabolic Biochemistry at the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University. Her research is focussed on understanding microbial degradation of complex carbohydrates in the human gut microbiome and its effect on human health and disease.
Doors open at 6:30, the talk starts at 7pm. The talk and formal Q&A will be finished by 9 but many people stay to chat afterwards.
We charge £1 for NEH members and £2 for non-members, which covers the cost of light refreshments.
The Campaigns of Humanists UK
18 July 2019 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
18 July 2019 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
North East Humanists is a partner group of Humanists UK (HUK). Whereas we provide services to the local non-religious community, HUK do the national campaigning. Humanists UK is expanding rapidly and now has over 75,000 members and supporters so its national voice is becoming more effective. Following soon after the HUK annual conference, this talk by Richy Thompson will give everyone interested in humanist campaigns a chance to hear of the latest successes and plans for the future.
Richy Thompson is the Director of Public Affairs and Policy at HUK. Richy works on issues from across Humanists UK’s public policy remit. From 2015 to early 2017 Richy was the Campaigns Manager. From 2011 to 2015 he was the Faith Schools and Education Campaigns Officer, and before that he was the President of Humanist Students.
Doors open at 6:30, the talk starts at 7pm. The talk and formal Q&A will be finished by 9 but many people stay to chat afterwards.
We charge £1 for NEH members and £2 for non-members, which covers the cost of light refreshments.
Richy Thompson is the Director of Public Affairs and Policy at HUK. Richy works on issues from across Humanists UK’s public policy remit. From 2015 to early 2017 Richy was the Campaigns Manager. From 2011 to 2015 he was the Faith Schools and Education Campaigns Officer, and before that he was the President of Humanist Students.
Doors open at 6:30, the talk starts at 7pm. The talk and formal Q&A will be finished by 9 but many people stay to chat afterwards.
We charge £1 for NEH members and £2 for non-members, which covers the cost of light refreshments.
Doubt, Faith, and Trust in Science
20 June 2019 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
20 June 2019 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
Professor Daniel Nettle will talk about the decline in trust in science and expertise in society at large, and how that relates to the so-called ‘replication crisis’ within science – the realisation that much of the information in the published scientific literature may not be robust. The question he poses is: why should you have faith in science, and what is the best set of beliefs about the world to follow?
Daniel Nettle is a professor of Behavioural Science at Newcastle University, where he is a member of the cross-disciplinary Centre for Behaviour and Evolution. See more about his work at https://www.danielnettle.org.uk.
Doors open at 6:30, the talk starts at 7pm. The talk and formal Q&A will be finished by 9 but many people stay to chat afterwards.
We charge £1 for NEH members and £2 for non-members, which covers the cost of light refreshments.
Daniel Nettle is a professor of Behavioural Science at Newcastle University, where he is a member of the cross-disciplinary Centre for Behaviour and Evolution. See more about his work at https://www.danielnettle.org.uk.
Doors open at 6:30, the talk starts at 7pm. The talk and formal Q&A will be finished by 9 but many people stay to chat afterwards.
We charge £1 for NEH members and £2 for non-members, which covers the cost of light refreshments.
Child Poverty
16 May 2019 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
16 May 2019 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
We hear a lot these days about children and families living in poverty. They are frequent subjects of media coverage, policy debate, and popular discussions. But the facts and figures we see can sometimes appear contradictory, and there is little agreement on what we should be doing to better understand and fight child poverty.
In this talk, Dr. Gill Main will go over some details of how we measure poverty in the UK today, how and why this has changed over time, and how different policy regimes have impacted poverty rates over the past few decades. She will discuss some of the popular narratives on child poverty in policy and in wider society, linking these to different theories of poverty and providing evidence on what kinds of narrative are most accurate and helpful. Finally, Dr. Main will talk about recent work she’s leading with The Children’s Society, the Child Poverty Action Group, and Leeds City Council, in which they have been trying to put children’s and families’ own perceptions and priorities at the heart of understanding and addressing child poverty.
Doors open at 6:30, the talk starts at 7pm. Talk and formal question will be finished by 9 but many people stay to chat afterwards.
We charge £1 for NEH members and £2 for non-members, which covers the cost of light refreshments.
In this talk, Dr. Gill Main will go over some details of how we measure poverty in the UK today, how and why this has changed over time, and how different policy regimes have impacted poverty rates over the past few decades. She will discuss some of the popular narratives on child poverty in policy and in wider society, linking these to different theories of poverty and providing evidence on what kinds of narrative are most accurate and helpful. Finally, Dr. Main will talk about recent work she’s leading with The Children’s Society, the Child Poverty Action Group, and Leeds City Council, in which they have been trying to put children’s and families’ own perceptions and priorities at the heart of understanding and addressing child poverty.
Doors open at 6:30, the talk starts at 7pm. Talk and formal question will be finished by 9 but many people stay to chat afterwards.
We charge £1 for NEH members and £2 for non-members, which covers the cost of light refreshments.
The 'Post-Truth', 'Post-Expert' World: Memes: Past and Present
18 April 2019 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
18 April 2019 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
In this lecture, Richard Clay will argue that internet memes (images, texts, and films shared widely online) have intriguing historical precedents. Rather than giving us cause for alarm about the emergence of a ‘post-truth’, ‘post-expert’ world, he will suggest that internet cultures have the potential to reinvigorate public debate just as new technology-driven phenomena have done in the past. Richard will argue that, while his parent’s generation invented the internet, and his generation took it World Wide with the Web, the next generations are working out how to make the laudable, as well as the laughable and the ‘dank’, go viral, reshaping the world for the better.
Richard Clay is a Professor of Digital Cultures at Newcastle University. Although Richard’s publications range across a wide array of subjects, they all tend to examine aspects of contested meaning making in public space. He often explores how changing technologies offer new opportunities to recode the meaning and value of the spaces that we share: from iconoclasm in revolutionary Paris, to graffiti’s use in armed conflicts past and present; from contemporary jewellery as wearable art, to watercolour’s role in the Birmingham Blitz. Over the years, Richard has led a range of major cross-disciplinary and cross-sector projects funded by the EU and by the AHRC. He has also written and presented six 60-minute documentary films for BBC 4: Tearing Up History; A Brief History of Graffiti; Utopia: in Search of the Dream (parts, 1, 2, 3); and How to Go Viral: The Art of the Meme (currently on iPlayer). He also wrote and presented the BBC Radio 4 documentary Two Minutes to Midnight.
Doors open at 6:30, the talk starts at 7pm. Talk and formal question will be finished by 9 but many people stay to chat afterwards.
We charge £1 for NEH members and £2 for non-members, which covers the cost of light refreshments.
Richard Clay is a Professor of Digital Cultures at Newcastle University. Although Richard’s publications range across a wide array of subjects, they all tend to examine aspects of contested meaning making in public space. He often explores how changing technologies offer new opportunities to recode the meaning and value of the spaces that we share: from iconoclasm in revolutionary Paris, to graffiti’s use in armed conflicts past and present; from contemporary jewellery as wearable art, to watercolour’s role in the Birmingham Blitz. Over the years, Richard has led a range of major cross-disciplinary and cross-sector projects funded by the EU and by the AHRC. He has also written and presented six 60-minute documentary films for BBC 4: Tearing Up History; A Brief History of Graffiti; Utopia: in Search of the Dream (parts, 1, 2, 3); and How to Go Viral: The Art of the Meme (currently on iPlayer). He also wrote and presented the BBC Radio 4 documentary Two Minutes to Midnight.
Doors open at 6:30, the talk starts at 7pm. Talk and formal question will be finished by 9 but many people stay to chat afterwards.
We charge £1 for NEH members and £2 for non-members, which covers the cost of light refreshments.
NEH AGM & What Can Evolution Teach Us About Humanism?
21 March 2019 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
21 March 2019 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
Our Annual General Meeting will begin by following the formal agenda sent to members via email. Trustees for NEH for the year 2019/20 will be elected. There will also be a vote by members present at the AGM to decide which charity should be the NEH charity of the year. Both members and guests are welcome at the AGM – however only members will be able to vote.
The formal agenda will be followed by a talk entitled “What Can Evolution Teach Us About Humanism?” by Ed Gibney. Ed is a local writer and an NEH member who has published numerous fiction and non-fiction works relating to evolutionary philosophy. He will talk about how a worldview might be defined, what the humanist worldview looks like, and how a philosophical examination of evolution might inform that worldview.
Doors open at 6:30pm and proceedings start at 7pm
The formal agenda will be followed by a talk entitled “What Can Evolution Teach Us About Humanism?” by Ed Gibney. Ed is a local writer and an NEH member who has published numerous fiction and non-fiction works relating to evolutionary philosophy. He will talk about how a worldview might be defined, what the humanist worldview looks like, and how a philosophical examination of evolution might inform that worldview.
Doors open at 6:30pm and proceedings start at 7pm
Universal Basic Income
21 February 2019 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
21 February 2019 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
Lee Irving from the Green Party will be outlining the case for a Universal Basic Income
We charge £1 for members of North East Humanists and £2 for non-members this covers the cost of refreshments.
We charge £1 for members of North East Humanists and £2 for non-members this covers the cost of refreshments.
Buddhism: World Religion or Secular Pathway
19 January 2019 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
19 January 2019 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
Robert Bluck author of British Buddhism: Teachings, Practice and Development will be giving this months talk.
As always new faces are welcome, there will not only be the opportunity to learn some thing new but there will also be plenty of time to chat and socialise. Doors open at 6:30 the talk starts at 7pm, talk and formal question will be finished by 9 but many people stay to chat afterwards. We charge £1 for NEH members £2 for non-members which covers the cost of light refreshments.
As always new faces are welcome, there will not only be the opportunity to learn some thing new but there will also be plenty of time to chat and socialise. Doors open at 6:30 the talk starts at 7pm, talk and formal question will be finished by 9 but many people stay to chat afterwards. We charge £1 for NEH members £2 for non-members which covers the cost of light refreshments.
NEH Quiz and Social Evening
6 December 2018 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
6 December 2018 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
Come and join us for our annual Christmas Quiz and buffet.
Tickets: Members £10, Non-members £12. Contact us for purchase.
Tickets: Members £10, Non-members £12. Contact us for purchase.
Invisible Crimes
15 November 2018 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
15 November 2018 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
Tanya Wyatt. Prof of Criminology, Northumbria University. Topic: Invisible crimes. The talk will explore how the intersections of power, religion and crime make it possible for crimes to be made invisible through control of the legislative and enforcement process.
Doors open at 6:30 for a 7pm start. There is a £1 charge which includes tea and coffee.
Everyone is welcome
Doors open at 6:30 for a 7pm start. There is a £1 charge which includes tea and coffee.
Everyone is welcome
Leaving Jehovah—The Cost of Being Born Into a Cult
18 October 2018 7:00pm—9:00pm
The Bridge Hotel, Newcastle, NE1 1RQ
18 October 2018 7:00pm—9:00pm
The Bridge Hotel, Newcastle, NE1 1RQ
Theo Howarth, a former Jehovah’s Witness will be telling us about his experiences and the difficulties that many face when they leave the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Please note the change of venue as our regular venue is unavailable this month. Please note the room is on the first floor and accessed by a flight of stairs, sorry for any inconvenience.
We charge £1 to cover the cost of the venue, everyone is welcome.
Please note the change of venue as our regular venue is unavailable this month. Please note the room is on the first floor and accessed by a flight of stairs, sorry for any inconvenience.
We charge £1 to cover the cost of the venue, everyone is welcome.
The Christian Myths—The Truth
20 September 2018 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
20 September 2018 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
Jamie Driscoll will be giving this months talk. Doors open at 6:30 we make a charge of £1 which includes tea and coffee. Everyone is welcome.
Confessions of a Devout Sceptic
19 July 2018 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
19 July 2018 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
David Boulton a Humanist Quaker we be delivering a talk: Confessions of a Devout Sceptic: On being Godless for God’s sake.
Doors open at 6:30 and the talk will start at 7pm. There is a £1 charge which covers refreshments, there is also a raffle to raise money for our charity of the year.
Doors open at 6:30 and the talk will start at 7pm. There is a £1 charge which covers refreshments, there is also a raffle to raise money for our charity of the year.
Kate Smurthwaite Presents ForniKATEress
10 July 2018 7:00pm—9:00pm
The Bridge Hotel, Newcastle, NE1 1RQ
10 July 2018 7:00pm—9:00pm
The Bridge Hotel, Newcastle, NE1 1RQ
We are so lucky to have Kate back to entertain us again at North East Humanists. Award-winning British TV and radio regular Kate Smurthwaite presents her hilariously honest show about open relationships and her own non-monogamous lifestyle.
“Edgy and brilliantly funny, Kate deals with what would be considers hard hitting topics with an openness and ease that is fabulous to behold. The show is beautifully written, sensitive and totally immersive with an attitude that is perfect for the subject.” ★★★★★ Bunbury Magazine, 2017
“One of the wittiest gun-slingers I’ve ever seen on stage…she can cover the full spectrum from crunchy political interviews to live prime-time comedy” The Spectator, 2017
Tickets are £6 for members and £10 for non-members. They can be purchased using the form below or by sending a cheque for the full amount made payable to North East Humanists to NEH Phil Barraclough, Treasurer, North East Humanists, 7 Kildale, Mount Pleasant, Houghton-Le-Spring. DH4 7SG.
If you choose to pay by BACS rather than PayPal our account details are:
The Co-operative Bank
Sort code 08-92-99
a/c no. 65183674
a/c name: North East Humanists
Please use KS and your name as our reference number.
“Edgy and brilliantly funny, Kate deals with what would be considers hard hitting topics with an openness and ease that is fabulous to behold. The show is beautifully written, sensitive and totally immersive with an attitude that is perfect for the subject.” ★★★★★ Bunbury Magazine, 2017
“One of the wittiest gun-slingers I’ve ever seen on stage…she can cover the full spectrum from crunchy political interviews to live prime-time comedy” The Spectator, 2017
Tickets are £6 for members and £10 for non-members. They can be purchased using the form below or by sending a cheque for the full amount made payable to North East Humanists to NEH Phil Barraclough, Treasurer, North East Humanists, 7 Kildale, Mount Pleasant, Houghton-Le-Spring. DH4 7SG.
If you choose to pay by BACS rather than PayPal our account details are:
The Co-operative Bank
Sort code 08-92-99
a/c no. 65183674
a/c name: North East Humanists
Please use KS and your name as our reference number.
Innovation on Ageing
21 June 2018 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
21 June 2018 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
Graham Armitage ( Deputy Director Institute for Ageing, Newcastle University) will be delivering the talk for our June monthly meeting.
We charge £1 entrance which includes light refreshments.
We charge £1 entrance which includes light refreshments.
Assassination and Secret Prisons
17 May 2018 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
17 May 2018 7:00pm—9:00pm
Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
The Work of Reprieve around Assassination & Secret Prisons (in association with Amnesty Newcastle and Freedom from Torture)
Talk by Omran Belhadi Barrister and Caseworker with REPRIEVE.
Doors open at 6:30 for a 7pm start there is a £1 entrance fee which includes refreshments.
Talk by Omran Belhadi Barrister and Caseworker with REPRIEVE.
Doors open at 6:30 for a 7pm start there is a £1 entrance fee which includes refreshments.
Please contact us for any further history of our events.
