List of The last word Archive

Who's got the power?

Blog

31 May 2012

Matthew Taylor

The mountain marathon I am running in two weeks (thanks again to all the kind people who got me to my £2,000 target) illustrates the distinction between ‘power over’ which is zero sum and ‘power to’ which is not. For many runners the goal is to come as close as possible to winning. As only one pairing can come first the power to win is power over others. But all my team of two hopes to do is in finish in one piece. In terms of this goal the ‘power to’ finish need not affect anyone else in the race.

The Moral Molecule

Video

31 May 2012

Paul J Zak is a neuroscientist and economist

Future universities

Comment

31 May 2012

In 25 years, when we look back to the decisions we make now, what directions might we wish universities had taken in 2012? Jack Kenward FRSA argues that RSA Fellows can make an independent and distinctive contribution to this debate.

What if Climate Change is not an 'Environmental' Issue?

Blog

31 May 2012

Jonathan Rowson

Like most people I know, I accept the gravity of climate change at an intellectual level, but don't live my life as if the message has really sunk in. It seems that many if not most people reading this blog will be in a similar state: fully aware of the balance of evidence but somehow trapped in patterns of thinking and behaving that seem to prevent us from aligning our actions with our awareness.

Climate Engineering in the Anthropocene

Video

31 May 2012

Clive Hamilton is Charles Sturt Professor of Public Ethics at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics in Canberra

RDInsights: Neisha Crosland

Video

30 May 2012

Listen to textile designer Neisha Crosland in this informative discussion as part of the RDInsights series.

RDInsights: Michael Wolff

Video

30 May 2012

Michael Wolff is an American author, essayist, and journalist. He currently writes a regular column for British GQ magazine.

Wicked priorities

Blog

30 May 2012

Matthew Taylor

In my last post I used a footballing metaphor to suggest that the lifestyles of well-off people in the UK, particularly those based in the South East of England, put them in the Premiership of developed economy citizens while the poor have fallen to the level of the Championship. Given there are twenty teams in the top football division, there was gloomy confirmation in the statistics released yesterday by UNICEF that UK children are now 21st of  34 in a league table measuring child poverty levels (where the top country has the lowest levels).

Brands and behaviour change: beyond the usual suspects

Blog

30 May 2012

Benedict Dellot