Death: can our final moment be euphoric? Fraser Sutherland • HSS • February 2020 Seamus Coyle, University of Liverpool People often look like they are sleeping just after dying, having a neutral facial expression. But one of my relatives, who had intense pain the hours leading up to his death and lacked access to…
Have humans evolved beyond nature – and do we even need it? Fraser Sutherland • HSS • February 2020 Manuel Berdoy, University of Oxford Our society has evolved so much, can we still say that we are part of Nature? If not, should we worry – and what should we do about it? Such is the extent of our…
Climate change novels allow us to imagine possible futures – read these crucial seven Fraser Sutherland • HSS • December 2019 Adeline Johns-Putra, University of Surrey Every day brings fresh and ever more alarming news about the state of the global environment. To speak of mere “climate change” is inadequate now, for we are in a “climate emergency”. It seems as…
Star Wars: from The Force to R2D2, does the science hold up? Fraser Sutherland • HSS • December 2019 Carsten Welsch, University of Liverpool Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker, the final film in the epic Star Wars series, will hit the big screens on December 19. Science fiction in general – and Star Wars in particular – is…
Dreaming of a Green Christmas Ceri Sutherland • HSS • December 2019 The winter months have traditionally been a time of celebratory feasts and gift giving, and for many people across Scotland it is a time to hang out with friends and family, reach out to people you’ve been meaning to contact…
What conspiracy theories have in common with fiction – and why it makes them compelling stories Fraser Sutherland • HSS • December 2019 Philip Seargeant, The Open University In an era dominated by “fake news” and disinformation, conspiracy theories are coming to play an increasingly influential role in modern politics. During the recent impeachment hearings in the US, for example, former National Security…
George Buchanan (1506-1582) – An Early Scottish Humanist Ceri Sutherland • HSS • October 2019 George Buchanan (1506-1582) – An Early Scottish Humanist My interest in George Buchanan’s work was sparked when I read that he had been described as a leading Scottish humanist. I was intrigued. Nobody in my circles had ever mentioned him,…
A dispatch from the Humanist Society Scotland conference Fraser Sutherland • HSS • June 2019 By Daniel Sharp You can listen to some of the talks from the day here. Last Thursday, May 17th, I attended the annual Humanist Society Scotland conference, for the first time, in the buildings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh….
A Humanist’s Tale Fraser Sutherland • HSS • May 2019 Daniel Sharp I still have the little Bible with the black metal magnetic cover given to me by John Rollo, son of Pastor Michael Rollo, when I was a child in a Falkirk primary school. This Bible, with an inscription…
Following the million dollar dark money trail from ‘Bible Belt’ USA to Scotland & Europe Fraser Sutherland • HSS • April 2019 Last week investigative journalists at the OpenDemocracy website revealed how tens of millions of dollars from religious ultra conservative groups based in the USA is flooding into Europe. This cash, estimated to be around $50 million over the past ten…
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