Politics & Society

Can we really trust the work of social change to the ‘winners’ of global capitalism? Can our most urgent challenges be truly addressed by an unelected elite, whose ‘win-win’ solutions do little to question the root causes of systemic inequality and injustice? Anand Giridharadas offers an analysis of the global elite who claim to be

Work hard, play by the rules, and you’ll go as far as your talents will take you. Right? But so often this isn’t how the system works. In this powerful new RSA Minimate, political philosopher Michael Sandel confronts our age of stalling social mobility and entrenched inequality, and asks: what would it take to give

All of us fail in myriad ways almost every single day and yet, we live in an age where it is very difficult to be honest about failure, where it seems as if everyone else is nailing their life. Award-winning author and journalist Elizabeth Day explains how failure can teach us lessons we would never

Legendary producer and QI mastermind John Lloyd visits the RSA to share the culmination of a life’s reading — that it’s what we don’t know that really matters. Find out more about QI: http://www.qi.com/ Follow the RSA on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/thersaorg Like the RSA on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thersaorg Our events are made possible with the support of

Success is no longer about individual talent, knowledge or skill. Success is about freeing ourselves from the blind spots that beset us all, and pooling our collective intelligence. In our latest RSA Short, best-selling author and columnist Matthew Syed shows where the best ideas come from and how we can apply these ideas to tackling

We are living in a change of eras. Our current models of energy, finance and healthcare are not sustainable for the future. We need new solutions based on ecological, human-friendly relationships. We need new organizational structures focused on meaningfulness and new economic principles. With a new consciousness we can improve quality of life for vulnerable

This is the full webcast from the RSA event including Q&A from the audience on Thursday 4 July at 1pm BST. There is also an edited HD video available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXSjc-pbXk4. For more information about this talk, visit the RSA event page http://www.thersa.org/events/audio-and-past-events/2013/the-power-of-vulnerability Dr Brené Brown has spent the past twelve years carrying out ground-breaking

Sleep is one of the most important aspects of our life and yet it is increasingly neglected in twenty-first-century society, with devastating consequences. Award-winning professor of neuroscience Matthew Walker provides a fascinating insight in to why it is vital we start taking sleep seriously. Watch Matthew Walker, director of the Centre for Human Sleep Science,

We call for a different way of thinking about both democracy and society. Healthy democracies are able to promote responsiveness and accountability between institutions, experts and citizens; whilst those that fail to do lack precisely those qualities. We need to look beyond the ballot box – understanding elections and electoral democracy one part of a

Award-winning food writer Michael Pollan shows how we can become more mindful of what we eat, and how we can make food choices that are better for ourselves and our environment

One of the world’s most influential business thinkers Professor Clayton Christensen of Harvard Business School visits the RSA to explain how countries and companies can become more successful innovators, and create new, robust sources of growth. Speaker: Clayton M. Christensen, Kim B. Clark Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and author of “The

How did the internet giants come to dominate our world? Big Tech firms are now some of the richest and most powerful entities on the planet – and we’re starting to see the effects of this extreme concentration of power, in the shocking ways these platforms have been used to manipulate our elections, violate our

Bestselling author of Drive and star of the most-viewed RSA Animate, Dan Pink visits the RSA to explore the ways in which we can all improve our everyday sales skills, and identifies the personal qualities and essential skills necessary to move people. Listen to the podcast of the full event including audience Q&A: http://www.thersa.org/events/audio-and-past-events/2013/the-surprising-truth-about-motivating-others Follow

Adam Phillips, one of Britain’s most renowned psychoanalysts and literary figures, joins RSA Chief Executive Matthew Taylor for a conversation about life, the universe, and everything (and maybe a little Freud as well). Follow the RSA on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/thersaorg Like the RSA on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thersaorg Our events are made possible with the support of our

Award-winning science journalist Dan Hurley investigates the new field of intelligence training, and asks: can we really boost our brain power? For more information about the event go to the RSA event page http://www.thersa.org/events/audio-and-past-events/2013/can-you-make-yourself-smarter Listen to the podcast of the full event including audience Q&A: http://www.thersa.org/__data/assets/file/0009/1539117/20140130DanHurley.mp3 Follow the RSA on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/thersaorg Like the RSA

Author and business adviser Josh Kaufman reveals a new approach for acquiring new skills quickly with just a small amount of practice each day. SUBSCRIBE to our channel! Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RSAEvents Like RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rsaeventsoff… Listen to RSA podcasts: https://soundcloud.com/the_rsa See RSA Events behind the scenes: https://instagram.com/rsa_events/

Sir Ken Robinson addresses the fundamental economic, cultural, social and personal purposes of education. He argues that education should be personalised to every student’s talent, passion, and learning styles, and that creativity should be embedded in the culture of every single school. Chair: Matthew Taylor, RSA chief executive. Supported by Samsung Mobile Listen to the

Oxfam senior researcher and former co-author of the UN’s annual Human Development Report Kate Raworth visits the RSA to explain ‘doughnut economics’ — the bold new theory that is sweeping the development world. Listen to the podcast of the full event including audience Q&A: http://www.thersa.org/events/audio-and-past-events/2012/doughnut-economics-creating-a-safe-and-just-space-for-humanity Follow the RSA on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/thersaorg Like the RSA on

We have taken huge steps towards tackling some of the biggest threats on humanity throughout history, and in many ways our lives have never been better! So where do we go from here? Author and historian Rutger Bregman argues that in order to continue towards a better world, we need big ideas and a robust

In the latest event in our series on spirituality in the 21st century, psychiatrist and writer Iain McGilchrist considers the status of the soul. Once considered the most important part, indeed the whole purpose, of a human life – has science has now rendered the idea of the soul irretrievably redundant? If so, what have

For more information about the event and to listen to the podcast go to the RSA event page: http://bit.ly/1ksPP0R One of the world’s most respected public thinkers visits the RSA to explore the hidden workings of capital. David Harvey, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at the City University of New York Graduate School, unravels the paradoxes

In May this year, James Williams, a former Google employee and doctoral candidate researching design ethics at Oxford University, won the inaugural US$100,000 Nine Dots Prize. James argues that digital technologies privilege our impulses over our intentions, and are gradually diminishing our ability to engage with the issues we most care about. Watch James Williams,

Watch this backstage interview with Vanessa Van Edwards, behavioural investigator and author of ‘Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People’. These bite-sized interviews offer backstage access insights – with brand new, updated questions, hear about what makes Vanessa happy, who inspires her, and what she’s most curious about! SUBSCRIBE NOW to get these bite-sized interviews

Watch this 5 Minute Life Lesson interview with one of Europe’s most prominent young thinkers, Rutger Bregman. These bite-sized interviews offer a backstage access insight into the thoughts of Rutger Bregman! With brand new, updated questions, hear about what he’s currently reading, who inspires him, and how success is often down to having a boring

Acclaimed philosopher Theodore Zeldin takes us in search of what a full and flourishing life could be. Theodore Zeldin has engaged in a lifetime of philosophical study. He now argues that both the greatest problem and the greatest opportunity of the twenty-first century are to be found in our relationships with others. With examples from

This event was live-streamed 6pm BST Thurs 10 April Designer and social entrepreneur Aral Balkan believes it is time to build an alternate future where we own our own tools, services, and data. And to do this we must create a new category of design-led, experience-driven ‘technology’. For more information about the event go to

Robert Kegan’s theory of adult meaning-making has influenced theory and practice internationally across multiple disciplines. In a special RSA event, he considers: is it really possible to grow beyond the psychological independence of the “self-authoring mind,” so often seen as the zenith of adult development? Follow the RSA on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/thersaorg Like the RSA on

We spend our lives gathering – at home, at school, in the workplace, in our communities and beyond. And yet all too often these occasions are lacklustre and unproductive. Priya Parker offers a human-centred approach to gathering that can help us design meetings, events and experiences with greater care, clarity and creativity. Watch expert facilitator

In an increasingly social world, author Susan Cain argues that we undervalue the power of the introvert at our peril. How can organisations ensure that the best ideas dominate, rather than those of the most vocal and assertive people? Susan Cain is in conversation with Jon Ronson, journalist, humourist and documentary maker. Listen to the

Influential author and speaker Dr Brené Brown tackles the myth that vulnerability is a weakness. Instead, she argues, it is the clearest path to courage and meaningful connection, and has the power to transform the way we engage and educate. Listen to the podcast of the full event including audience Q&A: http://www.thersa.org/__data/assets/file/0007/1526353/20130704DrBreneBrown.mp3 Follow the RSA

Bestselling author Johann Hari discovered that, in reality, depression and anxiety are caused largely by crucial changes in the way we are living. Using vivid human stories and social science, he explains the evidence. Watch Johann Hari, bestselling author, in our latest RSA Spotlight – the edits which take you straight to the heart of

What do Pixar and the San Antonio Spurs have in common?? They all owe their extraordinary success to their team-building skills. Daniel Coyle, New York Times bestselling author of The Talent Code, explains what makes successful groups tick and identifies specific strategies that encourage collaboration and build trust. Watch Daniel Coyle, bestselling author, in our

Renowned behavioural scientist and No 10 ‘nudge’ guru David Halpern discusses how minor tweaks can have a huge effect in the world of decision-making. Watch the full replay: https://youtu.be/4XSKEM9FiZU RSA Spotlights – taking you straight to the heart of the event, highlighting our favourite moments and key talking points. In this excerpt from the event

Nir Eyal, a leading expert in addictive technologies explores how we can escape distraction, beat the urge to scroll, refresh and reply and do more of the things we want to do. Watch Nir Eyal in our latest RSA Spotlight – the edits which take you straight to the heart of the event! Enjoyed this

In this RSA Animate, celebrated academic David Harvey looks beyond capitalism towards a new social order. Can we find a more responsible, just, and humane economic system? The RSA is a 258 year-old charity devoted to creating social progress and spreading world-changing ideas. For more information about our research, RSA Animates, free events programme and

David Graeber is an anthropologist, a leading figure in the Occupy movement, and one of our most original and influential public thinkers. He comes to the RSA to address our current age of ‘total bureaucratization’, in which public and private power has gradually fused into a single entity, rife with rules and regulations, whose ultimate

Internationally influential thinker on education and creativity, Sir Ken Robinson considers how higher education institutions might play a greater role in developing the creative capacities of their students. His RSA Animate ‘Changing Educational Paradigms’ galvanised thinking about the role that creativity plays in schools: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U RSA Spotlights – taking you straight to the heart of

The Future of Humankind with Yuval Harari. What is the next stage of human evolution? How will we protect this fragile planet and humankind itself from our own destructive powers? Professor and author Yuval Harari envisions our future: a not-too-distant world in which we face a new set of challenges and possibilities. With his trademark

RSA Spotlights – taking you straight to the heart of the event, highlighting our favourite moments and key talking points. Modern society is in a state of data deluge, and our brains are struggling to keep up with the demands of the digital age. In this excerpt from the event, Daniel Levitin explains how our

Alain de Botton asks: what is it that we’re really looking for when we watch or read the news – and is it doing us any good? Follow the RSA on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/thersaorg Like the RSA on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thersaorg Our events are made possible with the support of our Fellowship. Support us by donating or

RSA Thursday – The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work Alain de Botton; renowned essayist, philosopher and founder of ‘The School of Life’ examined the nature and function of work in this thought-provoking lecture. Most of our waking hours are spent at work, and yet we rarely challenge the basic assumptions that lie behind this time-consuming,

Are you trapped in an online echo chamber? Society is becoming ever more divided as we seek out information that reinforces our views – but how do we avoid ending up dogmatic and entrenched? Renowned social psychologist Jonathan Haidt shares a shocking personal example of confirmation bias on social media, and shows just how vital

In this powerful new RSA Minimate, TIME’s Editor-at-Large Anand Giridharadas argues that while the winners of our age might be well meaning in their desire to give back, too many stop short at the kinds of real change that would see power more radically distributed. The minds behind the award-winning RSA Animate series are back!

Do you think our attention is for sale? Is the technology we carry in our pockets distracting us from pursuing our life goals? Have we woken up to the scale of the attention-capturing and persuasive powers being held by a small number of big tech companies? In the latest RSA Short, James Williams warns of

Ever wondered why kids say they’re bored at school, or why they stop trying when the work gets harder? Educationalist Carol Dweck explains how the wrong kind of praise actually *harms* young people. This short video is essential viewing for EVERYONE – from teachers and education workers to relatives and friends – and will totally