“We don’t have to save the world. The world is big enough to look after itself. What we have to be concerned about is whether or not the world we live in will be capable of sustaining us in it.” Douglas Adams, Speech at The University of California. If Douglas had lived, he’d have been 61 today. This is a speech he made in 2001, only days before his sudden death:

The Rationalist Association is aiming to set up a new online community. Caspar Melville of the RA writes: We do not think that irrationalism, intolerance, special interests and dogma should go unquestioned or unanswered. We are building a community that can offer questions and better answers. We want to invite you to our own “raising bee”. You’ll need to register, that is give us your email (and choose a password).

Yesterday was Darwin Day. It’s not officially recognised, yet, though some people here and in America would like it to be. There’s even talk of making it a public holiday, in recognition of Darwin and his work. But if 12th February is Darwin Day, the 8th January should be Wallace Day, in recognition of the equally important work done by Alfred Russel Wallace, who worked out the theory of Natural Selection as a young man in Indonesia.

And now evolution, not creationism, must be included in the science syllabus of British free schools – a reason to celebrate on the 204th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin – Darwin Day.

If you’ve been asleep or off-planet for the last day or so, you might have missed the news that the Pope’s resigned and Catholics everywhere are “shocked”. If you weren’t asleep, you’ll be sick to death of the news coverage and the ruddy awful jokes on Twitter. Anyhow, since it’s topical, why not do Christina Martin’s Pope quiz to pass the time ’til the next news bulletin? Click here to start.

Our latest newsletter, with details of meetings between now and May, news and views. [Click here to download it](http://www.suffolkhands.org.uk/files/1/SH&S News Feb 2013.pdf “SH&S Feb 2013 news”) (pdf). Why not share it with like-minded or undecided friends and family?

A brief introduction to the history of death and funerals in England, and attitudes to the same, by Margaret Nelson, retired celebrant and blogger at Dead Interesting. We’ll be in the seminar room on the first floor of Hadleigh library, on the corner of Duke Street and the High Street, from 2pm. There’s ample free parking in the council car park opposite, accessed via Magdalen Road (see map). Tea and cake will be provided.

The recent European Court of Human Rights ruling on religious “discrimination” cases was just one of several significant victories. The Daily Mail, among others, reported that BA staff member Nadia Eweida had won her right to wear a crucifix to work, despite the fact that BA had already changed its uniform policy, but made less of the fact that the three other litigants, Chaplin, Ladele and McFarlane, were unsuccessful in claiming that UK courts had discriminated against them on religious grounds.

We’ve changed ourTwitter username to @suffolkhands. If you don’t already follow us, why not?

Plans to open a Steiner free school in Suffolk are still being made by the people behind the Fullfledge Ecology School. The East Anglian Daily Times reports: The Fullfledge Ecology School curriculum would incorporate aspects of the Steiner approach, which is already practised at state-funded schools in other countries like America, Canada and Australia, but bidders say it would not be designated a Steiner School. The same news story mentions that plans for another free school from the Maharishi Free School Trust are also being re-submitted to the DfE.