

Editor’s welcome
The humanist ideal has been applied to towns and cities for over 500 years. A 15th-century painting The Ideal City (1480-84, usually...

David Warden
Jul 313 min read


Andrew Copson steps down as President of Humanists International
Andrew Copson in Luxembourg After 15 years of leadership — including 10 years as President — Andrew Copson recently stepped down from his...

Humanistically Speaking
Jul 312 min read


Luxembourg Declaration on Artificial Intelligence: a call to arms or arm-waving?
By Mike Flood The Luxembourg Declaration on Artificial Intelligence and Human Values is a powerful statement of concern and intent. But...

Mike Flood
Jul 316 min read


Culture war refugees: how the humanist movement can foster reason and respect in a divided world
By Lloyd Hawkeye Robertson In this article, Lloyd explores the challenge of fostering respectful, reason-based dialogue across...

Lloyd Hawkeye Robertson
Jul 315 min read


Never again is now: calling out extreme anti-Zionism
By David Warden David is the humanist representative on the Bournemouth & Poole Holocaust Memorial Committee. In this article, writing in...

David Warden
Jul 3117 min read


Media Watch: centenary of the “Scopes Monkey Trial”
BBC on the Assisted Dying Bill The BBC News website extensively covered the passing of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill,...

Maggie Hall
Jul 312 min read


Memetic mapping – a transformative tool for therapy
Advertisement Self-mapping in therapy Lloyd Hawkeye Robertson, Ph D. Teela Joanne Robertson, M.C. Discover a transformative tool for...

Lloyd Hawkeye Robertson
Jul 312 min read


Poundbury: a surprising success story in rural town planning
By Lucy Erskine Poundbury isn’t for everyone. It has its quirks, but it’s a model that works. Lucy describes it as a tiny slice of safe,...

Lucy Erskine
Jul 316 min read


Phnom Penh: a city without a centre?
By Matthew Robinson Matthew is a British-Cambodian TV and film producer, director and writer. In this article, he explores the elusive...

Matthew Robinson
Jul 317 min read


Coming home: people, place and potential
By Dr George Locke In this article, George returns to her hometown of Pembroke Dock and finds herself reflecting not just on policy ideas...

Dr George Locke
Jul 3112 min read


De-centring the town: have we reached the point of no return?
By John Hubbard John is a retired English teacher who has had a lifelong interest in architecture. He currently volunteers for the...

John Hubbard
Jul 318 min read


Community hubs: can they help regenerate town centres?
By Maggie Hall Maggie is a retired teacher of speech and drama, a former Chair of Brighton Humanists, a member of the Humanists UK...

Maggie Hall
Jul 315 min read


Beyond retail: reimagining town centres for connection and belonging
By Aaron the Humanist In this month’s exploration of the future of our town centres, Aaron shares a bold and human-centred vision of what...

Aaron the Humanist
Jul 316 min read


Adapt or die! Our city centres must evolve in order to survive
By Paul Benton Paul is an educational support worker and freelance writer from Peterborough, UK. In this lively and thought-provoking...

Paul Benton
Jul 314 min read


The Buddha: humanist, rationalist and social reformer
By Mohit Palagiri Mohit is a humanist and a political activist. In India, he writes for the English-language magazine Modern Rationalist...

Mohit Palagiri
Jul 3115 min read


Links in the Chain: a human prompt, a profound response
By Owen Morton Reflecting on his forthcoming Tom White Memorial Lecture, the author presents a personal encounter with AI that began with...

Owen Morton
Jul 315 min read


Morality without bribes and threats: Why humanists reject the idea of a reward-and-punishment God — and what this means for our understanding of ethics
By Air Marshall Vir Narain (Retd.) Vir Narain, formerly Air Officer Commander-in-Chief, Indian Air Force Training Command, is currently...

Vir Narain
Jul 314 min read


The Algorithmic Soul: How digital systems are quietly shaping our sense of self, morality, and meaning
By David Falls In our increasingly post-religious age, technology is quietly stepping into the space once occupied by faith. Digital...

David Falls
Jul 317 min read


World Government by Superintelligent AI: Humanist Dream or Nightmare?
Dr Stephen Marshall in conversation with ChatGPT Stephen’s PhD was an early example of using neural networks in clinical decision...

Stephen Marshall
Jul 3112 min read


A scientist responds to the Kalam Cosmological Argument
By Geoff Kirby Geoff joined the Civil Service in 1960 as a scientist and took early retirement in 1993. He then worked part-time as a...

Geoff Kirby
Jul 3112 min read


From Faith to Naturalism: a personal journey
By Ron March Ron is a retired religious education teacher and a member of West Dorset Humanists. In this augmented version of a short...

Ron March
Jul 318 min read


The Climate Crisis and Other Animals
Book Review by Maggie Hall The Climate Crisis and Other Animals (2024) by Richard Twine is published by Sydney University Press. In this...

Maggie Hall
Jul 312 min read


Atheist’s Guide to Religion: why do Muslims ‘revert’ to Islam, not ‘convert’?
A new column on religious literacy by David Warden with some AI assistance I'd like to share two bits of learning about Islam with you....

David Warden
Jul 314 min read


In The Heart Of Manchester
A villanelle by David Seddon Gaze round and comprehend St Peter’s Square. Inhale it in the daytime and at night. Stand in this heart of...

David Seddon
Jul 312 min read


Begging Hymn
I beg for mercy, Lord most just, For all the wrong that I have wrought; For all my pride, for all my lust, For all my sin, for all my...

Matthew Robinson
Jul 311 min read