Western communities are plagued with divisions; Leavers and Remainers, Momentum and moderates, 'deplorables' and 'the resistance'. This has been called polarisation, and we’re in an era where identities are fractured more than ever before. Pundits and academics have stated that this is terrible for democracies. Populism is on the rise and we no longer believe in facts to make decisions.

But is this the right way to understand politics in the 21st century? To what extent can the concept of polarisation help us design online public spaces, offline forums and structure journalism?

This evening seminar looks to understand the difference between polarisation and disagreement and asks are we truly more polarised now than ever before? And does that matter?

Join us on the 23rd October where we will host a keynote by Alice Thwaite of the Echo Chamber Club, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A.

About the speakers

Alice Thwaite is the founder of the Echo Chamber Club and has been carrying out research at the Oxford Internet Institute into the nature of online conversations.

Kris De Meyer is a neuroscientist working at King’s College London. His interest lies in using neuroscience and psychology to help understand and improve what goes on in society. He co-produced “Right Between Your Ears”, a documentary about how we become convinced that our beliefs are right, and how we deal with being wrong.

Rula Awad is the founder of a media transparency and ethical AI platform. She is an advocate for transparency in information, particularly political and social content. She has an MSc in machine learning and an undergraduate degree in politics and economics.

Full panel TBA. Spaces are limited and you will need to be on the guestlist in order to attend.