The author and journalist Christopher Hitchens passed away on the 15th December 2011. His radical style, wit and anti-theism marked him out as one of the major advocates for "New Atheism" and he is often considered one of the "four horsemen" along with Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett. To remember Hitch at his best, OxASH will be showing the Hitchens/Lennox debate, where Hitchens and Professor John Lennox debated the question "can atheism save europe?"

OxASH plan to maintain our tradition of deep, philosophical debate, fuelled with excessive alcohol, at the Lamb and Flag on Thursday.

David Nutt is currently the Edmund J Safra Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London. In 2010 he was listed as one of the 100 most important figures in British Science by The Times Eureka science magazine; this is due to his work in the Section of Clinical Science in the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, as Chair of the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs (ISCD), President of the British Neuroscience Association and a member of the International Centre for Science in Drug Policy. Until 2009 he was Chair of the Advisory Committee on the Misuse of Drugs when he was sacked for presenting evidence that alcohol and tobacco are more dangerous then cannabis and for questioning the government's drugs policies. The regulation of drugs ­ including alcohol and tobacco ­ is an issue of pressing importance due to the increasing health care costs associated with their use and the new sorts of synthetic agents being developed and sold over the internet. Professor Nutt will reflect on these issues in the light of ten years experience on the governments Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs from which he was sacked 2 years ago. He shall present new analyses that compare the harms of drugs and alcohol using more sophisticated methodology and challenge many of the current misconceptions about drugs, ­ their harms, ­ and how to deal with them.

OxASH will reflect on Professor Nutt's analysis of alcohol and alcoholism with a trip to the pub.

John Webster will be looking at how Shelley's poems and prose convey his humanist approach to life. John will also be considering Shelley's literary reputation as well as his analysis of Christianity and his development of a non-theistic moral philosophy which stressed the imagination as a redeeming force. The talk will be aimed to interest both English literature students as well a lay audience. In his own words: "We've heard of the New Atheists, meet the Old Atheists in the form of the 19th century poet who described York Minster as 'a monstrous hulk of superstition' and was sent down from Oxford after writing and publishing 'The Necessity of Atheism'."

Think Week returns for a 3rd successive year. We will be hosting two non-religious events every day during 6th Week (more information can be found at www.thinkweek.co.uk).

OxASH will be celebrating democracy with elections for the new committee. You can run for any position including: Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, IT Officer, or Presidents of Atheism, Secularism and Humanism.

Peter Holland is the Linacre Professor of Zoology and the Head of the Department of Zoology at the University of Oxford. He was an undergraduate student at Oxford and a PhD student in London before holding academic postions in Oxford, Reading and Oxford again. His research on the evolution of the animal kingdom has been recognized by several international prizes and awards, as well as election to Fellowship of the Royal Society. His latest book 'The Animal Kingdom: A Very Short Introduction' was published in 2011.