RSA Events

How much of what we do is driven by the automatic and the unconscious? When should we bring conscious reasoning to bear? What kinds of tasks is consciousness good for? Nicholas Shea and Barry Smith present a new research project bringing together philosophy, psychology and neuroscience to explore the purpose of consciousness.

What will your 100-year life look like? Does the thought of working for 60 or 70 years fill you with dread? Or can you see the potential for a more stimulating future as a result of having so much extra time? Offsetting the excess of negative debate about longevity, Lynda Gratton and Andrew Scott take a fundamentally different approach - seeing long life an opportunity for a fundamental restructuring of finances and careers, and of relationships and leisure – in other words, for a redesign of life.

The very near future presents a critical turning-point for the FE & Skills sector; many challenges and opportunities, not least of which are around funding, in addition to Area Reviews and the commitment to 3 million apprenticeship starts, invite a raft of questions about the future of further education and skills training. Join us to explore and re-imagine custom and practice within technical and professional education, a sector which continues to be critical to securing social and economic flourishing – for this generation and into the future.

Author and activist Ashton Applewhite uncovers the roots of ageism and shows how ageist myths and stereotypes cripple the way our brains and bodies function. It’s time, she argues, to expose these myths, and to create a world of age equality by making discrimination on the basis of age as unacceptable as any other kind.

The RSA launches the Citizens Economic Council, asking: can citizens really be economists, and what might the extent of their role and influence in shaping economic policy be?

What are young people’s opportunities today? Do their social and digital networks offer new routes to learning? What is the meaning of education in a digitally connected but fiercely competitive and individualised world? At the RSA, Professor Sonia Livingstone presents the results of her most recent fieldwork, based on the experiences of young teenagers growing up and learning in a digital world. In her study she explores youth values and prospects as well as tactics for facing the opportunities and challenges ahead.

Richard Clarke shares his journey from RSA Student Design Award winner to global head of advanced innovation at Nike, and explores the power of design in problem solving and shaping the future.

With the historic referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU impending, we look back on how the campaign has played out, look ahead to the likely result and post-vote fallout. Our panel of expert commentators assess the decisive issues in the remaining days before the vote, and look ahead to possible post-referendum landscape scenarios. If ‘remain’ carries the day, is the question of the UK’s relationship with Europe truly settled for at least a generation? If the result is close, will the clamour for a re-run intensify? If Brexit prevails, the ‘what next’ questions are myriad – for our economy, society and politics.

As we draw nearer to 23rd June and the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU, we bring together Nick Clegg and Andrea Leadsom from either side of the debate, in a special conversation format. By allowing each advocate to make their case positively, and by seeking clarity on what really divides them – as well as where points of agreement may lie – we’ll aim to get closer to the heart of the European matter, and the historic decision the country now faces.

Why don’t money and friendship mix? Can money buy happiness? Why does money have such a hold on us? The surprising psychology of money reveals that our relationship with it is more complex than we might think. At the RSA, BBC Radio 4 broadcaster Claudia Hammond explores the latest research in psychology, neuroscience, biology and behavioral economics, and offers some simple yet effective advice that can help us improve our relationship with money.