Battles in Print & Culture Wars

Battles in Print are specially-commissioned essays that explore topics being discussed at the Battle of Ideas 2008, serving as introductions to the debate and encouraging further reflection. Battles in Print take a variety of forms, from short provocation essays to longer think pieces and interviews, and are available both online and in print at the festival itself. They are complemented by themed book reviews on Culture Wars, the Academy of Ideas' online review, which was relaunched this summer.

Editors: Dolan Cummings and Sarah Boyes

The 2008 Battles in Print are now available below. Select a theme on the left to see related Battles in Print from the archive.

 Technology & The City

The (Real) Power of Making, Paul Reeves

Real innovation should not be forced, Dr Paul Reeves

The staycation: making a virtue out of necessity, Jim Butcher

Building ourselves happy, Karl Sharro

Rethinking privacy and trust , Norman Lewis

Rethinking privacy, Sean Bell

The ‘Regeneration Games’, London, 2012, James Woudhuysen

The problem with design, Colin Davies

Moving into the future?, Peter Smith

The New Jerusalem - built on a house of cards?, David Clements

Surveillance society - protection from ourselves?, Karl Sharro

Putting design and technology to good use, Martyn Perks

IT: Threat or Opportunity?, Robert Killick and Nathalie Rothschild

Human enhancement: creating superhumans or dicing with our destinies?, Stuart Derbyshire

The Age of the Uber-Athlete, Jon Entine

What is innovation for?, Dr Norman Lewis

Tomorrow's innovators - will today's science education create the Brunels and Einsteins of tomorrow?, David Perks

Reaching for the stars - realising the ambitions of the space age, Henry J McCracken

 Festival Buzz

"I was astonished by the interest and by the fact that so many thoughtful and intelligent people were willing to give up a huge part of their weekends to listen to and discuss ideas."
Ruth Gledhill, religion correspondent, The Times