DEMOS

• Podcast: Talking Cures We're back for a new series of Demos podcasts. In the coming weeks you'll be able to hear all about our work on the politics of public behaviour, privacy, and radicalisation, to name just a few. Stay tuned. First though, Duncan caught up with Jack and Faizal, to talk about their new pamphlet The Talking Cure, which was launched on Wednesday... continue reading Posted by Peter Bradwell on 15th May 2008 in Demos Podcasts
• Hold on to your asteroids... Microsoft unveiled Worldwide Telescope yesterday. Its a 'telescope for the masses' -  letting anyone with the internet see images from the world's most powerful instruments. Some say it could be 'like the human genome project' in scope. continue reading Posted by Kirsten Bound on 15th May 2008 Comments (1)
• Managing protest... It's worth taking a look at the recent Governance of Britain Draft Bill and accompanying White Paper. It's worth keeping an eye also on how the Bill develops as it passes through Parliament. One of the headlines is a possible repeal of the requirement that protesters seek permission int the vicinity of Parliament.
  
  In January we wrote a response for the Managing Protest Around Parliament consultation. If you'd like to have a read you can download a pdf copy here. continue reading Posted by Peter Bradwell on 14th May 2008
• Culture and learning urgent news We experienced severe problems with our emails around the deadline for responses to the cultural learning paper on April 30th. If you sent a response then, you will probably have received a message saying that your email could not be delivered.
  
  Responses that did not get through can still be sent  to
  
  cultural_learning@demos.co.uk; or to
  rachel@cloreduffield.org.uk
  
  With many apologies for this inconvenience. continue reading Posted by John Holden on 12th May 2008
• The Politics of Public Behaviour Demos published a new pamphlet yesterday: The Politics of Public Behaviour. It looks at the public consequences of private decisions. The aim was to ask where and when government should involve itself in people’s personal decision-making, from parenting to carbon emissions, diet, exercise, pensions savings, gambling and organ donorship. It seems on all this issues and more the public/private boundary is becoming blurred. continue reading Posted by Duncan O'Leary on 9th May 2008
• Political Science A couple of thoughts struck me this morning as I listened to the debate on the today programme (at 7.35) about the (re)re-classification of cannabis:
  continue reading Posted by Duncan O'Leary on 7th May 2008 Comments (5)
• Old habits die hard? There has been much in the news in the last few months about the past lives of our politicians, but how much do these really matter? I think there is good reason to be cautious about David Cameron's 'transformation' of the Conservative Party, given his past record and the prevailing economic consensus. continue reading 1st May 2008
• Demos 3.0 We're in the midst of upgrading our IT systems... this shouldn't take too long but it will mean our emails are out of action for some of today. But we're a resilient bunch at 136 so pick up a phone and you'll find us on the other end of the line (that's if you call 0207 367 4200). If it's a media enquiry get in touch with Will on 0207 367 6325 continue reading Posted by Charlie Edwards on 28th April 2008
• Extreme Measures I recently wrote on Comment is Free about what we should do with the so called preachers of hate, which you can read here. The article outlines some of the dangers of locking up people for incitement to terrorism - as happened last week with Abu Izzedeen and five others. Not that I agree one iota with anything they said of course.  But by putting these men in prison we risk legitimising their ideas in the eyes of their believers. The now outlawed al-Muhajiroon, of which all six were... continue reading Posted by Jamie Bartlett on 25th April 2008 in Wicked Jihad Comments (1)
• Think again Lots of talk of U-turns in the news today. Yesterday’s news on the 10p tax rate, Jim Knight insisting there will be ‘no U-turn’ over teachers pay. Which begs the question, would politics be better or worse without U-turns? Leaving aside these specific examples, I think U-turns (and U-turners) can be underrated.When we make a decision we tend to suffer from cognitive biases that make us surer and surer that our decision was the right one– partly because we look for... continue reading Posted by Duncan O'Leary on 24th April 2008 Comments (2)

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