Lord Browne: How to Make the Future

Fans of Steven Pinker and Yuval Noah Harari ought not to miss this eloquent blueprint for building a brighter future from Britain’s most farsighted and philosophical engineer, Lord Browne.

Civilisation is founded on the human urge to make things. But today’s unprecedented pace of change leaves many people wondering what new technologies are doing to our lives. Has social media robbed us of our privacy and fed us with false information? Are robots going to take our jobs? And has our demand for energy driven the Earth’s climate to the edge of catastrophe?

As a politician, business leader, engineer and philosopher, John Browne is uniquely situated to answer this vision of technological meltdown. Can the same spark that triggers each new innovation be used to counter its negative consequences? Can science and technology produce greater freedom, health, and wealth for all?

Drawing on his own experiences as the former CEO of BP and non-executive director of the British government, as well as conversations with today’s greatest innovators, including Tim Berners Lee, Thomas Heatherwick, and John Hennessy, Lord Browne will uncover the basis for all progress – and present an impassioned vision for ensuring we can keep things moving towards a brighter future.

This event is in the Main Hall on the ground floor (Ground floor – accessible. Induction loop audio). For accessibility info: conwayhall.org.uk/about/visiting-us