Our Newsletters
The Newsletters are a pinch, punch, first-of-the-month update on our Altered State.
The Altered State- January 2025
The New Year’s Honours… Goldenballs Beckham has been passed over yet again, Sadiq’s in however, along with Stephen Fry and so is Southgate. Arise Sir Gareth: specialist in failure. It doesn’t take much to get under the skin at this liverish time of year and incredulity about recipients of gongs is right up there, as is the Herculean effort at mitigating our Christmas holiday gluttony. So it’s with some relief for those of us whose idea of Christmas chocolate is a Terry’s Chocolate Orange (guilty, M’Lud) that we look forward to our first talk of the New Year on 6th Feb HEALTH & HAPPINESS - THE MAGIC PROPERTIES OF CHOCOLATE AND MUSHROOMS. Host Eliz Mizon of The Bristol Cable will explore the science behind responsibly sourced craft chocolate and medicinal mushrooms and how they can work together to benefit us and our moods. Our speakers will be Bristol locals Joe McDonnell of Radek’s Chocolate, a purpose driven brand of artisanal chocolate and Tom Baxter of the Bristol Fungarium, who produce organic medicinal mushrooms. There will be a (free) mindful tasting led by yoga practitioner Miranda Shaw and I cannot think of a better way to banish the early February blues. Tickets and student discounts are available now. Reduced price early birds available until Sunday night.
Our podcast from the well received talk A LIFELESS ORDINARY - TALES OF INNER STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE will be available next week and will give us all a lift when fighting the January blues.
Our first book of the month this year is Hannah Ritchie’s ‘Not the End of the World’. Coming from an environmental and scientific viewpoint, Hannah debunks some of the myths around climate science and she finds many positives with which to start 2025. Check out all our choices from 2024 on our Book of the Month page.
We thought we’d also look back at some of the key events and narratives that sparked Altered State’s interest over the last month:
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We were warned in our AI talk that existing bias in society might reveal itself in AI and so it has transpired in the system used to detect benefit fraud, Guardian article.
The Romanian judiciary found that the first round of their elections was perverted in the favour of the Kremlin-supporting nationalist via an intense social media campaign on TikTok whose cost was illegal. The results were annulled, BBC article.
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Party-of-the-people Reform revealed billionaire Nick Candy as their new treasurer, initiating rumours that Elon Musk was to circumnavigate foreign donation laws via his UK companies and donate $100million to the party (the previous highest British political donation was the £8m given to Vote Leave by Aaron Banks). Campaigners called for the laws surrounding foreign donations to be tightened, the Cabinet seemed unmoved, Byline times report.
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The big geopolitical story was the Russian and Iranian reverse in Syria, to the apparent advantage of the US, Turkey and Israel. Putin’s power derives from his projection of strength and so the collapse of his brutal pet Assad regime will be felt acutely in the Kremlin. For the rest of us, seeing the signs and songs of freedom was hugely uplifting, BBC Article.
Happy new year to all Altered Staters and see you in the Hen and Chicken.
WE NEED TO TALK.
Previous Newsletters
Break through the BS.
I think we’d all recognise that the credibility defining question for cultural commentators in ten years’ time will likely not be “where were you at the first Altered State”? But for us, it was a big deal. It was minus 4 degrees on North St (the Hen & Chicken heating shut off during the questions) and whilst we were passionate we didn’t really know what we were doing, and so the question remained: would anyone show up? 38 hardy souls took a chance on a talk about THE PRICE OF PROTEST and people have continued to come in increasing numbers as our conversation has flowed this year.
Alongside the seismic political, environmental, cultural and technological changes of the era I think we can also all relate to the need to talk about more quirky subjects, especially in the gloom of February, so our first 2025 talk is ‘HEALTH & HAPPINESS - THE MAGIC PROPERTIES OF CHOCOLATE AND MUSHROOMS’ on Thurs Feb 6th. Our host Eliz Mizon of The Bristol Cable will talk to two local artisan producers, Radek’s Chocolate and The Bristol Fungarium, about the science and wonders of chocolate and mushrooms. How their ingredients give us health benefits, lift our mood and can be sustainably sourced in contrast to BIG chocolate and food. Best of all: there’ll be a free tasting. Super early bird tickets for a tenner and the usual student discounts are available now.
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Our podcast from an uplifting and positive talk about the comparison between GREENWASHING AND CREDIBLE CLIMATE ACTION is also live now from the website and apple podcasts.
The panel elicited sound advice on how we can all intervene and make a difference. It was uplifting to know that with the tipping point looming (and a fat orange finger now back on the scales) we do have agency and for every COP obscenity and its 60k delegates, there is an Altered State and our 60 enthusiasts with enquiring minds. Drill, baby, drill? TALK, BABY, TALK!
Somewhat grandly, we’ve also been nominating our Book Of The Month in recent times. This month we’re going with Andrew O’Hagan’s magnificent ‘Mayflies’ (yes, we know it’s not super-duper new but we’ve only just read it). Jim and Tully are two music obsessed Scots, the first in their families to go to university in Thatcher’s Britain in the 1980s. The first half of the book charts their raucous week travelling to Manchester for the 1986 Festival Of The 10th Summer that featured The Smiths, New Order and The Fall. Continuing in the present day, grave news now inhabits their relationship. Male friendships, class and attitudes to love and life are explored in an original manner- book available here.
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This being the final newsletter of what has been a life affirming first year for us, we asked some of our speakers from the varying talks this year to give us a heads up on developments since we listened to them.
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Such is the pace of change with AI, that author Heather Child might now find her books moved from the Dystopian Fiction section to Current Affairs, and she says: “The further development of generative AI. If a standard search engine serves up a buffet of results, a generative AI search goes further - loading your plate and perhaps even chewing and digesting for you too. It's helpful for planning and brainstorming, but is one of the many aspects of AI that should make us think carefully about where we'd prefer to be on the spectrum of convenience versus control.”
Journalist Sian Norris (CONSPIRACY THEORY): "Since speaking at Altered State, Trump was re-elected to the White House on a toxic combination of disinformation and conspiracy theories. This included his false claims that migrant people were eating pets, and continued attacks on LGBTQ+ people, as well as false claims about abortion.
He was aided in his election campaign by social media billionaire Elon Musk, who has used his platform on X to share far right disinformation, including most recently about the UK's far right influencer Tommy Robinson. Meanwhile, pro-Trump influencers have been exposed as spreading pro-Kremlin talking points, paid for by Russian money.
It's a worrying time. Trends that I started reporting on from the darker corners of the far right infosphere are now mainstream, and the Trump campaign demonstrates the power of conspiracist narratives and disinformation. Trump is not alone as a far right leader elected on a sea of disinformation and division, look at Modhi in India for example. But the fact his hateful conspiracies have taken hold in the US, at a time of growing global instability, is of real concern.”
Food scientist Johnathan Napier (SUSTAINABILITY OF FOOD SUPPLY): “The big change is the new Government. Their manifesto had a commitment to British farming but they’ve since clobbered family farmers in their budget.”
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Director at ARUP Will McBain (BRITAIN'S RIVERS) “Water (Special Measures) Bill was introduced into parliament in September. This will aim to address issues related to excessive bonus payments, will introduce new criminal charges for persistent rule breakers, and automatic severe fines for wrongdoing. An independent commission has also been appointed, led by former Deputy Governor of the Bank of England, sir Jon Cunliffe, to review the industry and identify the actions required to restore public and investor confidence.”
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Environmental consultant Jessica Ferrow (GREENWASHING) “while there are many bad actors, there are also plenty of purpose-driven business leaders out there who actively want to do the right thing. B Corp is a great community for such people and businesses, and is still undoubtedly a worthy certification to pursue. Sure, it's by no means perfect, but I really hope most of the issues B Corp has faced recently will be settled with their new certification standards - due to be finalised in 2025. Unfortunately there's a tendency to see the B Corp badge as the trophy, or the final destination, when really it's just one milestone on a journey of continuous improvement. The world keeps changing, so to truly lead and create positive impact, businesses have to keep moving with the times."
We’ll see you for a pint and a chinwag in the Hen & Chicken on the other side. Feb 6th to be precise. The full 2025 programme will be unveiled soon and remember,
WE NEED TO TALK.
As the conservatives take on yet more ideas and messaging from MAGA in the US, the result of their leadership contest between two from the Tory right is announced this weekend. It will in all likelihood be overshadowed in the public mind by the election next week in the US, so it seems appropriate to celebrate the amazing feats us humans can achieve in the face of adversity…
We will hear about bravery in its many forms at the final talk of what’s been an exciting first year for Altered State when we consider A LIFE LESS ORDINARY - TALES OF INNER STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE on Nov 19th. Douglas Robertson was a teenager in the 1970s when his parents took his 6 member family out of school to sail round the world, their boat was holed by killer whales in the Pacific Ocean and they abandoned ship into a raft, surviving 38 days until being picked up by a commercial ship. He’s joined by Dr. Rachael Craven, whose day job is as a senior anaesthetist at Bristol Royal Infirmary. Rachael is also the UK President of Doctors Without Borders and she volunteers to set up and operate surgeries in active war and disaster zones. She’s smuggled an entire surgery into Syria, worked in Libya and Haiti and spent her summer holidays in 2014 operating in Gaza. Our last panellist is endurance athlete Dan Beaumont. Dan’s journey from council estate to sober mental health advocate is inspiring, going via parental divorce and his own struggle with alcoholism and mental health, by means of extreme endurance athleticism and constant fundraising. Our host is author (and Baillie Gifford book prize nominee) Polly Morland, whose book ‘The Society of Timid Souls: or How to be Brave’ was a Sunday Times book of the year and we know Polly will reveal stories from the panel that we can all use to take into our lives to be the best versions of ourselves. Tickets are available now and include the usual deal on a pair and discounts for students
In a month where lakes formed in the Sahara and there were extreme rainfall events in many parts of the world, our well attended talk on GREENWASHING was uplifting. Our first all female panel and host gave the audience insightful and empowering information with which to influence things going forward. Our blog Good Eggs In A Bad Frying Pan from the night is up now and we’ll have our THE ALTERED STATE podcast devoted to highlights from the evening just as soon as we can breathe again after the US Election. Oh yes, that…
We’re meant to be talking here about our first talks of 2025 and we will be back with further announcements on that score, but this heart for one is beating like the clappers at the thought of how much the world may change next week: geopolitically, the sense that democracy might be a brand in decline, with the apparently ever-adolescent Elon Musk leaping around like a trillionaire with a fanboy crush while his fellow tech-bro media dons ban endorsements for fear of upsetting McDonald’s Employee of the Month. And then there’s the stuff about using the military against political opponents and internment and deportations… All elections are colossal events but this feels like it’ll have the most influence in eons.
See you on the other side - and in the Hen and Chicken on the 19th for our last dose this year of grown-up conversation. We’ll be continuing our content flow from the website and digitally and be letting everyone know just who we’ve got lined up for next year.
WE NEED TO TALK.
If you are vexed by the increasing sense that the whole future of the world - climate, geopolitics, world peace, the lot - would increasingly seem to rest on what a few thousand Pennsylvanians think about the price of their groceries or filling their tank, our next talk could be for you – as we will be asking what actions individuals can take to try and mitigate climate change and actually do something in our everyday lives as the tipping point looms above us.
At 7.30pm on Tuesday October 22nd, as ever in the Hen and Chicken, Eliz Mizon of The Bristol Cable will host our panel - THE GRASS ISN’T GREENER - GREENWASHING VERSUS CREDIBLE CLIMATE ACTION. Panellists are award-winning environmental campaigner and author Natalie Fée, Veronica Wignall of Adfree Cities / Badvertising and Jessica Farrow of climate consultancy Twelve and the B Corp movement, which is a standard by which companies can measure their social and environmental impacts. I’m pulling out what remains of my hair about the snail’s pace of meaningful legislative change and so we’re stoked to hear what the panel can recommend. Deal on a pair of tickets and student discount available here.
Our last talk of the year is an exciting departure for us into new talk territory. We’ll be hearing about A LIFE LESS ORDINARY - TALES OF INNER STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE on Tues 19th Nov. We’re finalising our last panelist now and *FANFARE* we have a Baillie Gifford prize nominee as another new host who will lead a conversation that reveals extraordinary stories of strength in the face of differing but grave situations. Full details coming shortly. Early birds and student discount available here.
The Altered State elves are busy putting the final touches to our next podcast with the highlights of the fascinating talk about conspiracy theories from last month, look for that on the website and there is a vigorous debate in the AS kommune about the subject matter for our first series of talks next year.
Do follow us on social media – especially X - where we continue to flag articles that interest us and hopefully you. And on the subject of Elon, next year we are planning to take a deep dive on his power and influence and whether he can be checked. Do let us know if you have any other burning issues you’d like us to discuss.
See you in the Hen and Chicken, mine’s a pint of peace.
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WE NEED TO TALK.
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