Claudia Aradau

Professor Claudia Aradau is Professor of International Politics in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London. Her current research focuses on how digital technologies reconfigure security and surveillance practices, and how algorithms and machine learning recast relations between security, democracy, and critique.

Her latest book, Algorithmic Reason: The New Government of Self and Other (with Tobias Blanke) won the 2023 Best Book Award by the Science, Technology and Arts in International Relations section of the International Studies Association.

Claudia spent a decade as associate editor and editor of Security Dialogue and 15 years as a member of the editorial collective of Radical Philosophy. She is currently co-editor of International Theory. She is Principal Investigator of SECURITY FLOWS (‘Enacting border security in the digital age: Political worlds of data forms, flows and frictions’), funded by the European Research Council, which seeks to analyse how datafication – the process of transforming our everyday lives into quantifiable digital data – is also transforming borders today.

Alfredo Carpinenti

Dr Alfredo Carpineti (he/him) is an astrophysicist and communicator, working for IFLScience for nine years. He is the staff writer and space correspondent. He is committed to fighting inequity in STEM and is the chair and founder of Pride in STEM, the largest UK charity dedicated to supporting LGBT People in STEM.

He’s an avid science communicator producing videos and podcasts under the moniker The Astroholic. He’s writing a book, Invisible Rainbows, about all the astronomical discoveries conducted with light beyond the range that humans can see.

Andrew Copson

Andrew Copson is Chief Executive of Humanists UK, responsible for day-to-day management of the organisation as a whole, and management of the staff team. He has been Chief Executive of Humanists UK since 2010, prior to which he worked across educational and public affairs roles within the charity.

He is an expert on humanism who has written widely on the subject, and is regularly invited to appear on TV and radio news programmes. As well as these roles, Andrew is a trustee of the Religious Education Council and President of Humanists International – the umbrella body bringing the global humanist movement together to pursue human rights at an international level.

Helen Czerski

Dr Helen Czerski is a physicist, oceanographer, broadcaster, and author. Whilst Helen’s primary academic interests are those of the physics of the oceans, she describes herself as a lover of the science of the ‘everyday world’.

Helen’s passion for a broad range of scientific endeavours, as well as her skill in science communication, has made her well known as the presenter of a host of popular BBC TV and radio science programmes and documentaries. She also gave a talk on the impact of oceans on human civilisations to a packed house at the 2017 Humanists UK Convention. Helen is a patron of Humanists UK.

Her latest book is Blue Machine: How the Ocean Shapes Our World.

Kate Devlin

Professor Kate Devlin is a leading expert on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Society, serving as Professor in the Department of Digital Humanities at King’s College London. Her research explores how people interact with technology, both historically and in the future. With a background in archaeology and a PhD in computer science, she bridges the arts and sciences to examine AI’s societal impact.

Her 2018 book, Turned On: Science, Sex and Robots, critically examines the ethical and social implications of intimacy with technology, praised for its accessible and thought-provoking insights.

Kate leads King’s College London’s role in the £31 million Responsible AI UK programme, funded by UK Research and Innovation, bringing together researchers to shape AI development for societal benefit.

Beyond academia, she serves on the board of the Open Rights Group, advocating for digital rights. In 2022, she became a patron of Humanists UK and represents Humanists UK as a Commissioner for the AI, Faith & Civil Society Commission.

Luke Donnellan

Luke Donnellan is Director of Understanding Humanism, where he is responsible for promoting the understanding of humanism, especially in formal education settings. He manages Humanists UK’s school speakers programme; teacher training and CPD; and the production of educational resources. He is the co-author of Understanding Humanism, writer and editor of the online courses Introducing humanism and Humanist lives, and writer-director of Humanists UK’s recent short film with Alice Roberts, One Life, Live It Well.

Ian Dunt

Ian Dunt is a political journalist, author, and broadcaster, known for his insightful analysis of the UK’s political landscape. He currently serves as a columnist for the i newspaper and co-hosts the ‘Origin Story’ podcast with Dorian Lynskey. Previously, he was the editor of politics.co.uk and a host on the ‘Remainiacs’ podcast. 

In his 2023 book, How Westminster Works… and Why It Doesn’t, he offers a critical examination of the UK’s political system. He delves into the complexities of parliamentary procedures, the influence of special advisers, and the functionality of institutions like the House of Lords. The book aims to demystify the often opaque workings of Westminster, highlighting systemic issues and proposing avenues for reform. 

Ian’s previous works include Brexit: What the Hell Happens Now?, an influential guide to the Brexit process, and How To Be A Liberal, which traces the history and importance of liberalism in modern society. 

Beyond his writing, Ian frequently appears on television and radio, providing commentary on political developments. His work is driven by a commitment to clarity and transparency in political discourse, aiming to make complex political processes accessible to the public.

Charlie George

Charlie George is an award-winning stand-up comedian and writer, host, MC, and speaker. Charlie has performed on BBC Asian Network Live, on BBC’s No Country for Women podcast, on Comedy Central in Rhod Gilbert’s Growing Pains, on ITV2’s Stand Up Sketch Show, and BBC Two’s The Apprentice: You’re Fired.

A talented and accomplished writer, Charlie was chosen to feature in Charlie Brooker’s writers room for Cunk & Other Humans 2019, The BAFTA-nominated AntiViral Wipe 2020, Death to 2020 & 2021 for Netflix, and the BBC’s Cunk on Life 2024. She has written for Have I Got News For You, 8 out of 10 Cats, The Now Show, Hypothetical, Newsjack, Horrible Histories, Joe Lycett’s Got Your Back, Frankie Boyle’s New World Order, Stand Up to Cancer, Kiri Pritchard-McLean’s Best Medicine, and Mawaan Rizwan’s BAFTA-winning Juice.

Madeleine Goodall

Madeleine Goodall is the Humanist Heritage Coordinator for Humanists UK, researching and writing about the history of humanism to celebrate the organisation’s 125th birthday. She has a background in education, museums, and community history, and is also Humanists UK’s Wikimedian in Residence.

She led the two-year National Lottery Heritage Fund project – Humanist Heritage: doers, dreamers, place makers – focused on the remarkable freethinkers and activists who changed the world, and the communities they built around them.

Deborah Hyde

Deborah Hyde is a folklorist and cultural anthropologist. For ten years, she was the editor of the Skeptic magazine, the UK’s only regular magazine to take a critical-thinking and evidence-based approach to pseudo-science and the paranormal. Deborah wants to know why people believe in weird stuff. She attributes her fascination with the supernatural to having spent her childhood with mad aunties. She approaches the subject using the perspectives of psychology and history.

During the day, she’s a film and TV industry coordinator and production manager who has worked in makeup effects and scenery. She also gets on the wrong side of the camera from time to time.

Azeem Ibrahim

Dr Azeem Ibrahim OBE is a renowned scholar and author, serving as a Research Professor at the Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College, and as Senior Director at the Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy in Washington, DC. He earned his PhD from the University of Cambridge and has completed fellowships at Oxford, Harvard, and Yale universities.

In his 2022 book, Authoritarian Century: Omens of a Post-Liberal Future, Azeem examines the global shift towards authoritarianism and the challenges facing liberal democracies. He argues that economic and policy failures have eroded public trust in liberal institutions, leading to the rise of populist and authoritarian movements. In the book, he explores historical and contemporary factors contributing to this trend and offers insights into how liberal democracies can renew themselves to address these challenges.

Azeem has advised numerous world leaders on policy development and strategy. He has been recognized as a Top 100 Global Thinker by the European Social Think Tank, and named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. In 2022, he was awarded an OBE for his services to foreign policy.

Richard Layard, Lord Layard

Professor Lord Layard is a distinguished economist dedicated to enhancing societal well-being by addressing unemployment and inequality. He pioneered the integration of happiness studies into economic research, emphasising the importance of aligning cost-benefit analyses with genuine human values. As the founder and former director of the London School of Economics’ Centre for Economic Performance, he currently leads its Wellbeing Programme.

In 2005, Lord Layard authored Happiness: Lessons from a New Science, a seminal work translated into 20 languages, which examines the profound impact of factors beyond income on overall happiness. He expanded on this theme with the 2018 co-authored publication, The Origins of Happiness: The Science of Wellbeing Over the Life Course. His most recent book, Wellbeing: Science and Policy, published in 2023, stands as the first comprehensive textbook on wellbeing science.

Beyond his academic contributions, Lord Layard has actively engaged in discussions on humanism. In a 2013 House of Lords debate, he highlighted the significant role of humanists in British society, acknowledging their efforts in promoting free speech, secularism, and human rights. The debate also celebrated the work of Humanists UK in public policy and ethical issues.

Charlotte Lydia Riley

Dr Charlotte Lydia Riley is a historian of 20th-century Britain at the University of Southampton, specialising in questions about empire, politics, culture and identity. She is editor of The Free Speech Wars and author of Imperial Island: A History of Empire in Modern Britain. Her writing has appeared in a wide range of publications including the Guardian, New Statesman, Financial Times, Washington Post and History Today.

Richard Norman

Professor Richard Norman is Emeritus Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Kent, and author of many books, including: The Moral Philosophers; Free and Equal; Ethics, Killing, and War; On Humanism; and Religion and Atheism.

His forthcoming book, What is Humanism For? will be published in June 2025.

Richard is on the committee of Humanist Climate Action, and is a patron of Humanists UK.

Katherine Stewart

Katherine Stewart has been covering religious nationalism and the assault on American democracy for over 15 years. Her latest book, The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism, was awarded first place for Excellence in Nonfiction Books by the Religion News Association as well as a Morris D. Forkosch award. Her previous book, The Good News Club: The Christian Right’s Stealth Assault on America’s Children covered the religious right’s efforts to infiltrate and undermine public education.

Katherine writes for The New York Times Opinion, New Republic and many others, and has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, and NPR. In 2020, The Power Worshippers was acquired by producers Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner, who subsequently based their documentary feature film, God & Country, on the book. Stewart’s forthcoming book, Money, Lies, and God, will be published by Bloomsbury in February 2025.

Will Storr

Will Storr is an acclaimed writer and thinker, known for his work on storytelling, psychology, and the human condition. His books, including Selfie, The Science of Storytelling, and The Status Game, have been widely praised by critics and influential figures across journalism, academia, and the arts. His work is read by leading public intellectuals, cultural commentators, and comedians alike, with admirers ranging from Philippa Perry and Susan Cain to Jimmy Carr and Fern Brady.

Will’s 2021 book, The Status Game, explores how status drives human behaviour, shaping our relationships, identities, and even morality. Blending psychology, history, and social science, it examines why status matters and how it influences the way we see ourselves and others.

Previously, Will was an award-winning longform journalist, specialising in human rights reporting across Latin America, Africa, and remote Aboriginal communities in Australia. His work has appeared in The Guardian, The Sunday Times, The Observer, The New York Times, and The New Yorker. His groundbreaking reporting on sexual violence against men earned the Amnesty International Award and the One World Press Award, and his BBC documentary work was recognised with the Association for International Broadcasting Award for Best Investigative Documentary.

Sara Wahedi

Sara Wahedi is an Afghan-Canadian tech entrepreneur and humanitarian, serving as CEO of Civaam and founder of Ehtesab, Afghanistan’s first civic technology startup. Established in 2018, Ehtesab provides real-time security and service updates to Kabul residents via a mobile app, combating misinformation and enhancing public safety. Since its launch, it has sent over a quarter million alerts.

Born in Kabul in 1995, Sara and her family emigrated to Canada in 2005. She later returned to Afghanistan, working in the Office of the President before founding Ehtesab. She holds a degree in urban studies from Columbia University and has worked with Apple’s AI and Machine Learning team.

Her work has earned her recognition as a TIME Next Generation Leader, one of the BBC’s 100 Women, an MIT Technology Review Innovator Under 35, and a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree. She also serves on the board of Rukhshana Media, supporting women’s journalism in Afghanistan.

Harvey Whitehouse

Professor Harvey Whitehouse is a distinguished anthropologist renowned for his research into the evolution of human culture and social structures. He holds the position of Chair in Social Anthropology at the University of Oxford and serves as Director of the Centre for the Study of Social Cohesion.

Over four decades, Professor Whitehouse has conducted extensive fieldwork in diverse and challenging environments, including millenarian cults in Papua New Guinea, battlefields during the Arab Spring, and among violent football gangs in South America. His pioneering ‘modes of religiosity’ theory examines how the frequency and emotional intensity of rituals influence the formation and cohesion of religious communities.

In his 2024 book, Inheritance: The Evolutionary Origins of the Modern World, Professor Whitehouse explores how our evolved psychology has shaped human history. The book delves into the ancient biases forged through millennia of natural and cultural selection, revealing how these inherited traits have influenced societal development and offering insights into addressing contemporary global challenges.

Professor Whitehouse’s work has been featured in prominent publications such as the Guardian, Telegraph, Scientific American, and New Scientist. He has also delivered talks at esteemed platforms, including the World Economic Forum.

Invisible rainbows

The light we can see is only a small part of the whole electromagnetic spectrum. From radio waves to gamma rays, there is so much of the universe that is invisible to us and we will explore these phenomenal objects and events in this talk.

Is free speech under threat?

In Is Free Speech Under Threat? Charlotte Lydia Riley will explore the contemporary moment which sees such fraught discussions around issues of freedom of speech, censorship and ‘cancellation’. She will argue that accusations of cancel culture and defences of free speech are too often disingenuous attempts to fuel a culture war, and so inhibit an important realignment in which hateful speech is at last being called out for what it is. Who gets to exercise free speech, and what happens when powerful voices think they have been silenced? And is cancel culture actually a demonstration of an abundance of speech, not its limitation?