So, tonight I had a civil and fun public conversation with Richard Dawkins, hosted by the British Humanist Association, which went well…but was marred by protests at the beginning. It was very exciting.

The cause for the chaos was peculiar to me: they were protesting AC Grayling’s proposed new university, which would have an £18,000 tuition, twice what other universities charge. It seems silly to demonstrate over Richard Dawkins, who has only agreed to lecture there, or AC Grayling, who just wants a good education in the liberal arts for students, or the university itself, when the real cause of the problem is declining political support for a cheap education. Yell at the parliament, people! They’re the ones screwing us all over!

On a more cheerful note, my appearance on the MPR program Bright Ideas was broadcast today, and I guess a fair number of people saw it. It was a studio interview in front of a live audience, and they’ve also made the video avaliable.

I haven’t watched it because I can’t bear to see myself in these things, you’ll have to let me know if my fly was unzipped the whole time or something.