I'm a Professor at University College London.  Most of my time is spent on how to create and implement good ideas: the practicalities of action as well as longer-term questions of strategy and imagination.  I work with national governments, global organisations, NGOs, foundations and businesses.  Recently,  I've been developing ideas on shared intelligence, wisdom, science policy, social science and systems, AI governance and evidence, with a side-line on imagination and the arts. I'm involved in various projects around evidence synthesis, including net zero, and on designing new institutions.  

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My latest books are - 'Another World is Possible' - on reviving social and political imagination - which came out in 2022,  'Prophets at a tangent: how art shapes social imagination', published early 2023, and 'When Science Meets Power' which is published winter 2023/24.

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Over the years I have had many roles - as a CEO, social entrepreneur, policy-maker and author. I've worked in civil society, government, business and academia; overseen investment funds and chaired companies and charities; had jobs ranging from cleaning homes to selling door to door; and hopefully gained a good perspective on how the world works and how it can be changed for the better.  

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This website brings together writings, ideas, videos and other materials.   I hope you find it interesting and useful.