Topics for Autumn 2024
13 September
Transport.
Does our transport system work? Do we need more trains? Better trains? Better roads? More buses? Electric vehicles? Should we just stay at home more? Can we afford the improvements we undoubtedly need? Should the taxpayer subsidise public transport or should the user pay the full cost?
20 September
How well do we know our family and friends?
We interact with some people almost daily. Sometimes people turn out to to be heroes or villains (these make the news more often) and this comes as a complete surprise to friends and neighbours. How well do we know people? And how much do we have a right to know?
27 September
Thursday’s headlines
Today is Friday. What made the news yesterday? Whatever it turns out to be, we’ll have a discussion about it.
4 October
Have we reached peak life expectancy?
Throughout the 20th century, many of us have expected to live longer than our parents. Is this trend stalling? Do our oldest people actually live longer or is increased life expectancy mainly a result of lower child mortality?
11 October
Are we living in a lawless society?
We probably have more laws today than we have ever had, but are they enforced? Would we be better off with stricter law enforcement or is this a road to an authoritarian state?
18 October
Pets.
There are millions of cats and dogs, not to mention more exotic pets, in the UK. Why so many? Are they a substitute for children? Should pets (or owners) be licensed?
25 October
Is there still a class system?
We used to have a society dominated by an aristocracy, with a clearly identified professional class and we, the plebs, at the bottom. Has society really changed or is there still a kind of class system at work?
1 November
In Our Time.
BBC sounds has an archive of more than 1000 editions of the programme chaired by Melvyn Bragg. One of our members will choose an episode for us to talk about.
8 November
Farming.
Does the UK produce enough of its own food? Do we pay our farmers enough for what they produce? Is our reliance of food imports likely to cause problems in the future?
15 November
Do we import too much?
Much of what we buy is now manufactured overseas. Should the UK be manufacturing more? Is it still possible to have a truly UK based manufacturing industry?
22 November
Radiology.
Some of the most exciting medical developments depend on the ability to look inside people – without opening them up. Chris will present a history of radiology from the discovery of x-rays in 1895 to modern imaging techniques like MRI.
29 November
Can we (older people) cope with modern technology?
It's hard these days to use a bank, park your car, order a meal and do many seemingly ordinary things without a phone app or a computer. Even watching TV presents us with a baffling array of platforms (not somewhere you get on a train). Can we keep learning these new techniques? Should we need to?
6 December
Planning meeting