Beyond Tomorrow: Visions of the Future

The British Humanist Association is proud to announce the 2012 annual conference. The event will run from 6:00pm Friday 8 June – 12:30pm Sunday 10 June at the National Museum Cardiff.

The theme of the 2012 BHA conference is the future! Visions of the future that range from the apocalyptic to the utopian abound all through our culture and in almost all cultures we know of.

What is the most likely future for humanity now?

• What are the developments that will shape that future?
• What are the threats to a better future?
• What are the opportunities for a better future?
• How can we make a better future?
• What are our moral obligations to the future of the planet? Do we have any?
• What are our moral obligations to future generations? Do we have any?
• If humanity is wiped out does it matter?

Book today: you never know what the future will bring! … Or do we?

Pondering the future is a very human trait, and millions of pounds and thousands of hours have been spent on imagining the future – from novels, films, and art, through to science. Together with friends and Distinguished Supporters of the British Humanist Association we will help to unravel some of the pressing questions and take a humanist look at representations of the future in art, literature, and science.

The BHA’s annual conference includes talks, conversations, and open discussion with contributors including internet technologist, journalist, author, and broadcaster Ben Hammersley; the world’s first cyborg, Kevin Warwick; academic and journalist, Aleks Krotoski; Professor of the History of Political Thought at Royal Holloway, University of London, Gregory Claeys; former Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government Professor Sir David King; barrister, environmental lawyer and author Polly Higgins; and musician, comedian, public speaker, futurologist, and author, Mark Stevenson.  Entertainment on the Friday night features comedy and quizes, and a gala dinner on the Saturday evening will include the presentation of an award for services to Humanism.

The conference is a chance to meet fellow humanists and discover more about what we know, and can hope to know, about the universe from a number of humanist perspectives. Accessible to all levels of interest, delegates will hear scientists and writers, philosophers, and entertainers as they wrangle with such subjects as optimism, imagination, and making a better world.

Tickets are available from the BHA website. 

General public: £156
BHA members’ tickets: £120
Students / AHS members: £100