Central London Humanists

An illuminating and entertaining talk exploring the themes of space and humanism in literature and reality

Humans live for stories, and we love seeing ourselves reflected in them. After all, fiction is often used both as metaphor and mirror of our society.

Alfredo will talk about space and astronomy in the real universe and in the many imagined ones - and how that often overlaps with the expectation and representation of humanists.

Following the talk, after a refreshments interval, there will be a Q&A, and we invite people to suggest their favourite fictional representation of a humanist and/or scientists for a lively debate on how we see ourselves and how the world sees us.

Your Speaker

Dr Alfredo Carpineti (he/him):
is a queer Italian astrophysicist, science journalist, and social activist. He is the Senior Staff Writer & Space Correspondent for IFLScience where he has worked for 10 years, writing over 6,000 articles that have been read by millions. He is the author of the upcoming pop astronomy book Invisible Rainbows. He is the chair and founder of Pride in STEM, an award-nominated British charity dedicated to supporting and showcasing LGBTQIA+ in STEM and founder of the International Day of LGBTQIA+ People in STEM.

Post event social
As after all our in-person talks at the Old Diorama Arts Centre, we will move on to a local pub for a post event social. So from 8:30 PM we will be going to the Queen's Head and Artichoke, 30-32 Albany St, London NW1 4EA.

Payment
We ask for a £5 donation to attend this talk, which can be paid on the door. (Or pay what you can afford.)
If you would prefer to make the £5 donation online or can't attend and would still like to support the event please click here.
Alternatively you can do a transfer using our account details: Central London Humanist Group, Sort code: 30-94-25, Account number: 19143068, Reference: Talk
Beacon

Please note this event will be recorded and we will take photos for publication on CLH media channels. If you do not wish to be featured in video or photographs please contact the CLH team in advance or make us aware at the event.

Resources and FAQs
…for members, supporters, and participants in CLH activities

See here for our knowledge base packed with important, useful information about the group, the organisers, and what we offer the community. See here for our code of conduct and complaints policy.

Our events are 18+ unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. We encourage dialogue, debate, and sharing of information, but ask people to keep their comments cordial. Any individual's views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the group at large.

Major upcoming in-person event – sign up using this link.

Hello fellow Humanist Sci-Fi fans!

Instead of our next regular online meeting, the sci-fi group is teaming up with the CLH Talks team to present an in-person event with a sci-fi flavour on 28th of January 2026. This will feature Dr Alfredo Carpinati: scientist, author, podcaster and member of CLH sci-fi group talking about Space and Humanism in Fiction and Reality. It would be great to see lots of you there, primed with questions for the Q&A.

As well as enjoying the talk, members of the sci-fi group can meet up at the venue and at the after-talk pub social nearby.

See the main CLH Meetup page for this event for more details and to sign up for the event.

Have Your Say

• As always, if you have anything you would like to share or discuss let us know too by posting in the CLH sci-fi WhatsApp group or leaving a message on this page.
• As usual, we will also be keen to hear all suggestions for ideas that would be interesting to cover and future events to add to the calendar both online and in person.
• Looking forward to hopefully seeing lots of you so we can boldly do lots together!

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Resources and FAQs
…for members, supporters, and participants in CLH activities

See here for our knowledge base packed with important, useful information about the group, the organisers, and what we offer the community. See here for our code of conduct and complaints policy.

Our events are 18+ unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. We encourage dialogue, debate, and sharing of information, but ask people to keep their comments cordial. Any individual's views expressed at events do not necessarily reflect the views of the group at large.
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Central London Humanists is a volunteer-run community group. We aim to provide a safe space for the humanist community in London to come together for fellowship, learning and fun. We receive no financial support and are entirely funded by donations from our membership and event attendees.
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Stay Connected with Central London Humanists

• Subscribe to our mailing List
• For more events follow us on Meetup
• Chat with fellow members in our WhatsApp Community
• Follow us on Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
• Listen to the Humanism Now Podcast

For any questions email us at info@centrallondonhumanists.org.uk

January's Book: The Cut Throat Trial by the Secret Barrister writing as SJ Fleet.

It is one of the biggest trials of the year. Three seventeen-year-old boys are accused of the brutal murder of an elderly teacher on New Year's Eve.

Each boy denies it.
Each points the finger at the other two.
But they can’t all be innocent.

The three defence barristers have only one job: to persuade the jury that their client is not guilty. But they’re up against a prosecutor who needs to win the case, no matter the cost.

Because when the game is murder, the competition is deadly.

Launching a brilliant new voice in crime fiction, a criminal barrister with an incomparable insider’s knowledge, The Cut Throat Trial is the most gripping thriller of the year.

'A sharp legal thriller that grips you from the first page . . . a thrilling page turner' - Mason Cross, author of The Killing Season

'A deviously plotted, whip-smart courtroom thriller that oozes tension' - Neil Broadfoot, author of Falling Fast

'Astute, empathetic, and satisfyingly twisty' - Sarah Vaughan, author of Anatomy of a Scandal

The meeting starts at 7:15. At 7:30 pm we will break up into small groups. Those familiar with the CLH Book Group meeting know how this works: in each group we take turns introducing ourselves and giving our 1 minute thoughts on the book. It's important not to go over a minute and not to interrupt other people's minute so that everyone gets a chance to participate. After this first round, each group discusses for another 20 minutes or so.

We then shuffle the groups so as to talk to as many different people as possible and in the new groups repeat our introductions and 1 minute thoughts. We'll do this a couple of times before coming all together at the end in one last big group.

While we are very social and welcoming, the book group's primary focus is on discussing books. Feel free to turn up if you haven't managed to finish this month's book but note that the group works best when we have all read at least half of the book and are prepared to share our opinions.

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£3 per person to attend. If it's your first time, come and try us out for free!
If you prefer, you can pay online, by clicking here.

We encourage dialogue, debate and sharing of information on our site but ask people to keep their comments cordial. Any views expressed here are those of the individual posting them and may not reflect those of CLH.

Battersea Park – plus Power and Pumps

This walk is presented by Central London Humanists and led by Robert Hall. Humanists believe we have just one life to be lived rationally and well, with compassion for others.

This event is a guided walk of +/- 2.25 hours pointing out places of interest. We will be walking 4 Km / 2.4 miles.

As befits a walk in winter it will be walked at a moderate pace.

Whilst the grand power station still dominates the landscape it has competition from the new-build flats which have transformed the appearance of the area. However the walk is primarily based on Battersea park which was one of the main locations for the Festival of Britain in 1951 and still has features from that event. The large pagoda is a major surprise as are the many sculptures including one that is deliberately away from the main paths. Plus the Victorians certainly knew how to design elegant pumphouses!

Date: Saturday 21st February 2026

Time: 2 pm with a prompt departure at 2.15 pm

Place: Meet at exit of Battersea Power Station underground station at the top level. (NOT at Battersea Power Station building.) Turn left after the ticket barriers.

It is strongly suggested you find us using: https://what3words.com/cure.bench.junior - or the What3Words app.

The nearest toilets are in the Duchess Belle, 101 Battersea Park Road SW8 4DS (across the main road) or in the Battersea Power Station building. There will be a very brief toilet stop on the walk.

Finishes: About 4.30 pm at Battersea Power Station underground station or join us for refreshments at the Duchess Belle, 101 Battersea Park Road SW8 4DS.

The walk is led by Robert – 07981963681. He can be contacted for further information but please note he won’t be able to respond to messages or calls after the walk has started.

The formal bit:
These walks are not suitable for dogs, sorry.

CLH events are 18+ unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. The maximum group size is 40 people. If you have signed up but find you can't attend, please change your RSVP on Meetup (it’s very easy to do) as soon as possible so others can join.

You are responsible for your own actions and safety; there is no liability on the walk leader or CLH for anything that may happen on the walk.
You must be able to keep up with the walk leader at 4 Km/h (2.5 mph) for 5 Km (3 miles). It is participants' responsibility to safely cross roads.

Where appropriate, pedestrian controlled lights will be used and obeyed unless it is obvious that the whole group can cross safely.

When the group stops at a point of interest, please be mindful not to block pavements so members of the public can pass by safely
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Don’t forget this is the UK and it may rain at any time! The walk will go ahead whatever the weather unless conditions are dangerous so please bring clothing for all seasons.

A donation of £3 to Central London Humanists would be appreciated.

The majority of Central London Humanists events are free, but we welcome a £3 contribution per head. This helps towards the running and organising of events, as well as various admin expenses. If you can't attend and would still like to contribute, or would prefer to pay online, please click here.

We encourage dialogue, debate, and sharing of information, but ask people to keep their comments cordial. Any individual's views expressed (most definitely including the walk leader!) do not necessarily reflect the views of the group at large.