John August has a physics qualification, and a longtime interest in politics, economics, science, secularism and ethics. He is President of the Humanist Society of New South Wales, and convenes the Sydney Shove, a politics and economics discussion group. He is also active in the Sydney Humanist and Atheist meetup groups, philorum (a Sydney philosophy discussion group), the Australian Space Research Institute, and the Sydney Outdoor Lighting Improvement Society, a group which seeks to reduce light pollution.