“Many people think of humanism or atheism as an absence or emptiness, and think that the richness and depth of our culture would be somehow diminished if we became less religious. The work of the awardees and nominees we have honored so far has shown me that art can thrive by focusing not on God's greatness but on common human goodness.” – Dan Robinson, ‘10, former HSS president and CHAC committee member

The Annual Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism is presented at Harvard University each year by the Harvard Secular Society on behalf of the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard and the American Humanist Association. Selected by a committee of 20-30 Harvard students each year, this award is given to a figure greatly admired by our students and community for both artistic and humanitarian reasons.

Now in its fourth year, the HSS Cultural Humanism committee has chosen the recipients for the award, the MythBusters, based on what they feel is an outstanding contribution to Humanism in culture. The MythBusters – special-effects experts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman – take on the task of separating truth from urban legend on their television show with the same name. In true Humanist style, the pair takes on three myths per episode and uses modern-day science to demonstrate, through scientific trials, whether or not some things we take for granted really hold any ground. The award ceremony (April 16 8:00pm Memorial Church. Click here to buy tickets.) will feature a talk and demonstrations by the pair.

Previous winners of the Cultural Humanism Award are, in 2007, novelist Sir Salman Rushdie, in 2008, punk rock star Greg Graffin (of the band Bad Religion and the UCLA Faculty of Biology), and in 2009, writer/ director/producer Joss Whedon (“Buffy,” “Angel,” Firefly,” “Dollhouse”).

And MORE "Drawing Inspiration from the Arts:"

On April 7, novelist Rebecca Goldstein will read from her new novel, 36 Arguments for the Existence of God (Pantheon 2010) (6:00pm, Mandela Room, 45 Mount Auburn Street). The novel's fictional debate on atheism and Christianity is set in Harvard’s Memorial Church. Co-sponsored by the Harvard Book Store.