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Digital technology is revolutionising economics; both the tools it uses, and what it seeks to measure, understand, and shape. Long-standing accusations levelled against economics – that it values the wrong things, ignores the real world, and misunderstands what drives people – have been given a new edge by events of recent years. How does economics need to change to respond to the dizzying changes we have experienced, and help policymakers resolve our biggest crises?Professor Diane Coyle explores how, as our societies are rewired in the 21st century, economics can adapt to offer new solutions to new problems. How can we move away from the idea that people are self-interested, calculating “cogs”, and address the burgeoning “monsters” that characterise the digital economy? Coyle lays out a vision for how economics can become more inclusive, sustainable, and equip us to meet the challenges of tomorrow’s world. #RSAeconomicsBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9xDonate to The RSA: https://utm.guru/ud

The focus on sustainable design has led to a great deal of positive change in our shared built environment, but for two visionary systems change thinkers, it’s now time to embrace a radical, regenerative design approach for a truly flourishing future.  Michael Pawlyn, founder of the innovative biomimicry architecture firm Exploration, has joined forces with Sarah Ichioka, urbanist and leader of multi-disciplinary strategic consultancy firm Desire Lines, on a new book which maps out key design paradigms in a time of planetary emergency. They argue that as a globalized society, we urgently need to reach the turning point in human civilization where everything we do not only doesn’t cause harm, but actually has a net positive impact on the environment. By embracing approaches that restore ecosystems, reunite divided communities, and reciprocally enhance the interdependent health of people, place and planet, their approach to the built environment may be just what the planet needs.  #RSAflourish Become an RSA Eve

The modern workplace can be tough to navigate. But women of colour in particular are hired, promoted, paid, and retained at lower rates than other groups. Many underrepresented women feel like they need to work twice as hard to get half the recognition.What needs to change to level the playing field? What can underrepresented women do for themselves and each other to get to where they want to be? What should employers really do to nurture diverse talent? Award-winning coach and author Octavia Goredema shares a playbook for women to claim power in spaces where they are often the minority. She outlines strategies for navigating crucial career milestones, knowing your true worth and values, and charting success and fulfilment in the workplace and beyond.Become an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9x#RSAsuccessDonate to The RSA: https://utm.guru/udNNBFollow RSA Events on Instagram: https://instagram.com/rsa_events/Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RSAEventsLike RSA Events on Facebook: https://w

Much like 2020’s, the events of 2021 have largely been dwarfed by the ongoing Covid crisis. The second year of the global pandemic challenged the globe with more overwhelming loss, restriction and separation. Glimmers of normal life appeared after heroic mass vaccination campaigns, but with 5.2 million deaths and another variant on the loose, it seems our old ‘normal’ is retreating ever further in the distance.But despite our focus firmly set on the pandemic, somehow there was also time for other major newsworthy events - the Capitol riots, Biden’s inauguration and first year, the Olympics, the US’ withdrawal from Afghanistan, the G7, COP26, a WHO-approved malaria vaccine, and the first small steps of billionaire-funded space tourism.Are we any further forward on global emergencies like climate change and inequality, or has Covid seen our goals become more distant and our problems more entrenched? What can we learn from a year like 2021, and what will 2022 likely hold?Become an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm

‘Never let a good crisis go to waste’ was Churchill’s infamous wartime quip, and the early days of the pandemic seemed the ideal opportunity to pivot to a fairer way of life in Britain. Cherished systems were re-invented wholesale, underpaid frontline workers propped up the nation and big state intervention saved millions of lives – prime conditions for a shake-up of priorities.But as the months passed, it seemed COVID only magnified existing disadvantage and entrenched poverty further. The crisis cleaved the nation into the ‘exposed poor and the shielded rich’ (FT) and the nightly round of applause for NHS workers replaced pay rises, protections or altered conditions. Indeed, the wealth of British billionaires and tech companies rose to dizzying new peaks in the last two years, whilst its poorest areas struggled with high mortality rates and deepening poverty and desperation.How can we reverse this trend and break a 200-year high-inequality, high-poverty cycle that is only worsening? What can we learn from t

Regenerative Futures: redesigning the human impact on earthDr Daniel Christian Wahl is awarded the 2021 RSA Bicentenary Medal in recognition of his outstanding contribution to regenerative design.In his Medal address, Dr Wahl will offer reflections on 20 years of research and professional practice exploring the role of design as a catalyst for the transition towards a future of diverse regenerative cultures everywhere. Find out more about the RSA Bicentenary Medal and the Regenerative Futures programme.#JointheRegeneration Become an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9x Donate to The RSA: https://utm.guru/udNNB Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RSAEvents Listen to RSA Events podcasts: https://bit.ly/35EyQYU See RSA Events behind the scenes: https://instagram.com/rsa_events/ 

From vaccine misinformation to racist and misogynistic abuse, the scale of harmful content online is a cause of increasingly widespread public concern. Meanwhile, recent whistle-blower accounts from within Big Tech have shed new light on the nature of the algorithm design and business models that are driving the amplification of toxic content and threatening both individual safety and wider societal health. As the UK government’s draft Online Safety Bill passes through its final scrutiny stages, the RSA gathers an expert panel to review the quality of public debate that has accompanied the progress of the Bill thus far, and the policy proposals in question - from expanded and strengthened regulatory powers to increased demands of the technology platforms themselves.Speakers to include William Perrin of Carnegie UK Trust, whose work has been central to the scrutiny of the Online Safety Bill, and Chloe Colliver of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, whose work on disinformation and online extremism has shone

'Fashion has to reflect who you are' Pharrell Williams.Despite its fun reputation, the fashion industry isn't a trifling part of the climate change equation. The UN Environment programme estimates that it is responsible for 8-10% of global carbon emissions – more than international flights and maritime shipping combined. But it's not just a case of carbon - the industry is a systemic offender that impacts people, place and planet with its exploitative working practices, fossil fuel-based synthetics, land degradation, water waste, destructive microfibres and textile landfills.Many consumers have duly moved from 'fast' to 'slow' fashion purchases, and plenty of manufacturers have reviewed their materials, factories, supply chains, and installed textile recycling bins in store. The 2020 Circular Fashion System Commitment was signed by 86 companies, representing 12.5% of the global fashion market. But how much progress have we actually made, and how much is greenwashing?Despite its eco-marketing spiel and the goo

What would our cities look like if they were designed with mental wellbeing, equity, and restoration at their core? Many cities around the world are built on models that haven’t kept pace with growing urban populations and the imperative to halt damage to the climate – which means millions living high-cost, high-stress lives in polluted, overcrowded surroundings. How can cities be better geared towards living well together?A panel including health policy expert Layla McCay gathers to explore the principles and practice of designing and running cities with mental health at the forefront. How do our surroundings affect us? What role can citizen participation play in developing inclusive urban environments? And what will it take in practice for our cities to enable healthy, happy, more equitable lives for everyone?Look out for more events on this theme coming up in our Regenerative Futures programme this autumn.Become an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9x #RSAcities Donate to The RSA: https://utm.guru/ud

The pandemic exposed the risks and weaknesses of the market-driven global system like never before, revealing a critical lack of institutional preparation and failings of the basic apparatuses of state administration.  It also revealed that states could exercise experimental policy and control over the economy when necessary: governments around the world introduced new measures and spent whatever it took to deal with Covid. The US stimulus was the largest on record, the UK government supported 11 million workers with its job retention scheme. It’s hard to ignore this turning point in global economics.After a period where we’ve seen radical measures, how can we ensure that we continue to support workers in the long-term? And as we think about our response to the climate crisis, what parallels can be drawn with the handling of the pandemic? Exploring how Covid-19 ravaged the global economy, and where it leaves us now, historian Adam Tooze and political economist Helen Thompson look to the future and explore how

We know climate change is the big existential challenge of our time and must be matched by the scale of our global response. Some have expressed scepticism about the potential for COP26 to bring about meaningful change, but with public appetite for climate action reaching new heights, is now the time when people power and formal politics could converge?  It can’t all be left up to the people in charge – but without good leadership, we won’t achieve the whole-system change we need. What would bold thinking, radical action, and meaningful momentum-building look like at this critical juncture in climate politics? As COP26 approaches, former Labour Party leader and ex-Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband reflects on the research in his new book, Go Big, and explores what it would take for this moment to become a catalyst for real change.  Look out for more events on this theme coming up in our Regenerative Futures programme this autumn. https://www.thersa.org/regenerative-futures Become an RSA Events sponsor: htt

Work allows us to pay the bills – but for lots of people, it’s become about more than that. Many of us derive a sense of purpose or identity from our work: is this a consequence of more people being able to choose work that’s meaningful to them, or simply of work consuming more of our lives than ever? And what if we don’t get meaning or purpose from what we do for a living?Transforming work for the 21st century will mean rethinking lots of things beyond work itself: its relationship with our social and personal lives, how we structure our economies, and how we live more sustainably now and in the future. Matthew Taylor, former RSA Chief Executive, returns to the RSA to discuss how the meaning, structure and status of work have changed over time, and how it might be reshaped to become a means by which we live good lives together.#RSAworkThis conversation was broadcast online on the 14th October 2021. Join us at: www.thersa.org

Now is the time to rethink our future and how we get there.Can we harness digital technology to tackle poverty and increase social mobility? Could reforming work help reverse the mental health crisis? And what could happen if we empower communities to imagine and shape their futures?We are facing big questions about the kind of society and economy we need and want. Technological and demographic change, economic and climate crisis are intensifying insecurity and inequality. The need to seed cohesion, change and regeneration has never been more urgent. So how do we move forward?By taking a frank and honest look at the nature and scale of the problems we’re currently facing, we can begin to explore the scope of the change needed, and imagine how we might reform state and society to create a fairer, more sustainable future.There are huge challenges ahead, but if we respond with radical thinking, concerted action and serious ambition, we can create a future that is better than the present. Policy thinker James Plu

The role of imagination for thriving and prosperous communities. As we emerge from the pandemic there is a collective opportunity to rethink and to create bold, community-led practices that can steer us towards a better future. This is the time for imagining radical initiatives that match the size and complexity of the challenges we face. The government’s overarching aim to ‘level up’ speaks to the need for community and social infrastructure to underpin recovery. Communities across the UK share common desires for the future and an appetite and ambition for change in the long term. Imaginative thinking is vital to help communities realise these ambitions and to prosper and thrive, but in the current crisis it can be hard for communities to find the capacity and capability for strategic foresight, leaving the act of imagining our collective futures to those in positions of privilege and power.So what will it take to resource and nurture community capacity to imagine better futures? How can we build the social,

As Chief Negotiator for the EU, Michel Barnier was at the very heart of the Brexit process over four turbulent years.He visits the RSA to reveal insights from one of the most complex sets of talks in modern political history, to share his perspective on the lessons learned on both sides of the negotiating table, and to look forward to a new chapter in EU-UK relations.At a time of interconnected crises, there is an urgent need to re-build trust between political leaders and institutions, and to re-commit to active partnership and collaboration on our shared challenges, from climate change to good work and economic security for all. Join us at RSA house as we explore how we can respond to these challenges.#RSABarnierThis conversation was broadcast online on the 29th September 2021 . Join us at: www.thersa.org

r versus g? Or a Debt Jubilee?David Graeber’s bestselling book “Debt: The First 5000 Years” revolutionised our understanding of the origins of money and the role of debt in human societies. But intellectual revolutions take time, and David’s sudden and untimely death left this revolution unfinished.David’s widow Nika Dubrovsky has established ‘The Fight Club’ to keep David’s unique way of challenging conventional wisdoms alive after him. Each ‘Fight’ will pit leading advocates of different visions of how society functions against each other.The inaugural fight, to mark the first anniversary of David’s death, is a debate between the renowned economists Thomas Piketty, author of “Capital in the Twenty-First Century”, and Michael Hudson, author of “And Forgive Them Their Debts”.Thomas Piketty wrote the preface to the tenth anniversary edition of “Debt: the First 5000 Years”. Michael Hudson’s anthropological research into the origins of money and debt in ancient Sumeria was the basis of much of David’s analysis i

How can we make progress together when faced with increasingly complex challenges?The major challenges of our time demand creative and collaborative solutions. But they’re not always easy to come by: we face increasing complexity and, often, decreasing control. We need to work with people across more divides. How can we move forward in ever less straightforward situations?Adam Kahane presents transformative facilitation as a new way of creating change. By focusing on removing the obstacles to everyone connecting and contributing equitably, he says, we can enable real breakthrough. He offers a guide for how we can all become better mediators; bridging our differences, distributing power, and moving forward together.#RSAbreakthrough This conversation was broadcast online on the 23rd September 2021 . Join us at: www.thersa.org

How did the world become addicted to fossil fuels? How did we discover that electricity may be our saviour?Who first sounded the alarm bell for climate change, and how could we seemingly ignore all these papers from the 1960s or 1970s musing that “if” we didn’t do anything, climate change could worsen significantly after the year 2000?As we look forward to COP26, Alice Bell takes us back to explore the earliest signs and causes of climate change in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, through the advancing realisation that global warming was a significant problem in the 1950s and right up to the growth of the environmental movement, climate scepticism and present-day political responses.The science and numbers are vital to understanding climate change but they’re only part of the story. If we really want to understand the evolution of the climate crisis, we’re going to have to look deeper at the story behind the science; who commissioned what, why, when, and how was it received? This is a new perspective

What is fear costing you? Your career; connection with others; believing in yourself?Fear is part of all of our lives but left unchecked it can drive many negative emotions and hold us back from finding fulfilment. Fear of failure, inadequacy and rejection can make us jealous, self-critical or turn us into perfectionists. Cultures of fear in the workplace, in family relationships and in friendships, can undermine intimacy, honesty and creativity. In a life ruled by fear we strive for success but are rarely happy. And the more we try to win, the more we risk losing ourselves.But what if we replace fear with something more hopeful? What if we could find courage in our true voice, and connect with the people around us on a deeper level?One of the world’s most influential and sought-after psychologists, Dr Pippa Grange encourages us to live with less fear, to find deeper fulfilment and live freer lives. Pippa has worked with some of the biggest names in sport and business and her strategies for fearing less have

Where are the opportunities for young people navigating an era rife with challenges?Studies show that many of the social and economic consequences of the pandemic have hit younger people the hardest, in a time when many were already facing adversity. Declining living standards, heightened insecurity, and deepening social divisions are changing what work, home, education, and community look like for younger generations – but young people are resourceful and resilient, and should have a voice in deciding the future they will have to live with.Youth activist and social entrepreneur Jeremiah Emmanuel reflects on what it means to be a young person in the UK today, exploring themes of identity, justice, politics, and belonging. He examines the barriers facing young people that ultimately affect us all, and presents a hopeful account of how to move forward in a world that holds so many back.#RSAYouthThis conversation was broadcast online on the 1st July 2021 . Join us at: www.thersa.org