Session 3 of #Humanists2021 is go – featuring astrophysicists @SteveSmartt & @Liv_Boeree. The talk is on humanity's place in the universe – a perpetually fascinating subject. We're excited to hear @SteveSmart's insights into the science!
@SteveSmartt @Liv_Boeree @stevesmart As humanists, creation myths no longer satisfy our need to explain the world, says Stephen. We look to the evidence and the science – which is constantly progressing forwards, he says, as he covers the history of astronomy all the way back to the Enlightenment.
But we essentially do the same thing as we did in the Enlightenment. We observe the universe to the best of our ability. From Galileo to super-powered NASA telescopes – the fundamental scientific principles remain.
Pictured: 10,000 galaxies. It's the deepest exposure of the sky ever taken. It's called Hubble Ultra-Deep Field. The photo was assembled by combining 10 yrs of NASA Hubble Space Telescope photographs taken of a patch of sky.
Mind blowing: @SteveSmartt introduces the The Sloan Digital Sky Survey, which portrays a very real 'slice of the universe'. It's the most detailed three-dimensional maps of the Universe ever made.

@SteveSmartt introduces redshift: an increase in the wavelength, & corresponding decrease in the frequency and photon energy. Objects with more redshift are further away. We've been measuring this for over 100 years and it gives us an idea of how fast the universe is expanding.
The last 100 years has seen a revolution in how we see the universe. Visible optical light is a very small window to see through the universe through. Today, we have mapped out the sky by looking through different windows (wavelengths).
This however, is one of the most peculiar wavelengths, and it's the strongest evidence for the big bang. The cosmic microwave background is electromagnetic radiation which is a remnant from an early stage of the universe, also known as relic radiation.
A great talk on our cosmic origins! Thank you @SteveSmartt. As with many of our talks, we've only just scratched the surface, but it's astounding to think how humanity has been able to reach these conclusions.
What philosophical implications does the rarity of 'Earth-like' planets have? asks @Liv_Boeree. @SteveSmartt responds: 'It gives us an impetus to take care of this planet, this precious place.'
If you can have one questioned answered, what would it be? asks @Liv_Boeree, @SteveSmartt responds: 'I'd have the question of "What is dark matter?" answered. It's bothered everyone for such a long period of time! And, I suspect it will revolutionise physics.'
Q&A: Into what place or space are the galaxies expanding to? A great question! Stephen gives the 'expanding balloon' analogy. 👇

phys.org/news/2013-11-u…
Q&A: Do you believe in time travel? 'Not for beings like us, but it might be possible for very small particles. Stephen responds with the theory of Quantum Entanglement. @SteveSmartt will be answering #Humanists2021 questions via twitter! Thank you!
wired.com/2011/01/timeli….

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More from @Humanists_UK

19 Jun
It’s almost time for our final event of #Humanists2021 Convention – an 'in conversation' lecture on the evolution and origins of human beings – featuring our Vice President @jimalkhalili as chair & President @thealiceroberts as keynote speaker.
And we're go! 🎉Alice ‘sets the scene’ for what science tells us about human origins: ‘It’s quite extraordinary to think about what we know now, when we think back to the time of Darwin, when very little was known about human origins...’ #Humanists2021
‘He [Darwin] of course was absolutely convinced that human beings had evolved on the planet like every other life form, but the evidence for that happening was very thin on the ground, says @aliceroberts, and now we have an extraordinary amount of evidence.’ #Humanists2021
Read 18 tweets
19 Jun
Up next at #Humanists2021! #HumanistHeritage and we couldn't have asked for a better line-up. @GUhumanisthub, @nashhistory, @drcharlielynch, & @maddyogoodall form a truly expert panel. It’s time to explore its rich history. See you in 5! heritage.humanists.uk.
This year is our 125th birthday! To celebrate we launched the #HumanistHeritage website (linked above!). Please do explore the website. We're proud to host our panel of esteemed historians, says @maddyogoodall, as she kicks session two off!
@maddyogoodall @GUhumanisthub @nashhistory @drcharlielynch are currently researching this project! The Humanist Movement in Britain 1896-2021: A History. @GUhumanisthub introduces the project, and how Humanists UK started out as the Union of Ethical Societies.
Read 14 tweets
19 Jun
An hour to go until the first session of our #Humanists2021 Convention!🕑Our Chief Exec, @AndrewCopson will be kick-starting the session to be followed by @Sathnam (Sanghera) & @SamiraAhmedUK in conversation. They'll be discussing Sathnam's Sunday Times bestseller #Empireland!
Just ten minutes to go until session one of #Humanists2021 Convention. We hope you’re ready!
And we’re off 🎉

@Andrewcopson begins by welcoming Convention attendees joining us from across the globe, including from North America & Australia. 🌍

It’s our biggest Convention yet – over 1000 people are in attendance! #Humanists2021
Read 30 tweets
17 Jun
1/6 #HumanistHeritage: The newspaper publisher Henry Hetherington – who championed freedom of the press, freedom of thought, & the rights of the working class – was born #onthisday 1792. He fought to make radical ideas accessible to everyone, regardless of wealth or status. Image
2/6 He believed in social reform & cooperation, motivated not by religious belief but by a humanist sense of duty to his fellow man. During the 1820s, he joined variety of radical, reformist causes, particularly in support of universal suffrage & democratic politics.
3/6 Hetherington’s defining cause, however, was that of the ‘taxes on knowledge’. These taxes on newspapers & printed materials were designed – many felt – to prevent the poor being exposed to radical ideas.
Read 6 tweets
1 Jun
This morning, we were curious as to whether the Prime Minister’s Catholic wedding would theoretically render him unable to continue appointing Church of England bishops under the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 or even risk his job. Read along to follow our journey! ⬇
The RCRA says that a Catholic PM can have no involvement in the appointment of C of E bishops. If they do, and are convicted of that, they commit a

‘high misdemeanor, and [are] disabled for ever from holding any office... under the Crown.’

😲😲

legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo4/10/…
So we asked: does the PM, who was baptised Catholic, and has now had a Catholic wedding, count as Catholic under RCRA?
Read 16 tweets
4 May
Matt Hancock said the facts underpinning assisted dying debate in the UK need to be 'properly addressed & published' in order to hold an informed debate. @ONS data will 'shed more light' on this issue and would produce an 'impartial set of facts'.

humanism.org.uk/2021/05/04/hea…
The Secretary of State for Health & Social Care has gone further than any of his colleagues to advance a debate. But crucially he has stopped short of instigating the full and frank inquiry those who are terminally ill or incurably suffering require.
The news follows shortly after a cross party group of 50+ MPs and peers called for the Government to instigate a review of the UK’s laws on assisted dying, in a letter organised by us and our partners in the Assisted Dying Coalition, @MDMDmydecision
Read 4 tweets

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