Hi everyone,
Do you think we can argue about political issues better with scientists and researchers in the room? Do you think politics needs a better balance between evidence and values?
If your answer is no, look away now... If it's yes, come to the first sitting of the Rational Parliament, an experimental debating society I'm setting up with support from Simon Singh's Good Thinking Society, the Rationalist Association, and science writer and failed Science Party parliamentary candidate Michael Brooks.
Our rationalism is ensuring that a political debate considers relevant research alongside personal values and experiences. Imagine Nuttsack, without the sack. Or fracking without all the financial interests on one side and the dogmatic greens on the other.
In the Rational Parliament, we don't have a 'panel of experts' and a token Q&A sesh; everyone is in the debate together. A rhetoric officer points out where language is being used to limit our free thinking, motions are proposed and voted through or down, and signs are raised when debaters are being too scientistic or abusing evidence.
The title motion for the first sitting is: "This House agrees that GM is a rational approach to meeting food demand."
When? 10 September in London* - go here to register for FREE: http://rationalparliamentgm.eventbrite.co.uk/
No apologies for cross-posting - we need all the promo we can get ;-)
Thanks,
Adam
@AdamCommentism
*If the format works we'd love to roll it out into other cities and towns, and will need help to do this, probably in 2014.
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