Saturday 24 May 2025 at 5.00pm HowTheLightGetsIn Hay 2025

On Saturday 24 May 2025 at 5pm Harvey Whitehouse will present an Academy Talk entitled "Polarization and the future of humanity” at HowTheLightGetsIn Hay 2025.

Our deeply ingrained need to conform and belong is, for the first time in history, propelling us toward a future of political polarization, deadlier wars, and environmental devastation. Join Oxford anthropologist, Harvey Whitehouse, who argues that biases that were essential for the evolution of humanity may now imperil its future. Taking us deep into New Guinea tribes, Libyan militias, ancient archaeology sites, and child psychology labs, Whitehouse argues that the tools we once used to manage our evolved predispositions are breaking down. But it isn’t too late to fix them.

Join Harvey at the world's largest ideas and music festival in Hay this May 23rd-26th! He will be appearing alongside @yanisvaroufakis, @jordanfstephens, @sapinker, @Slavojiek, @NicolaSturgeon and many others! With debates, talks, music and comedy