15 thoughts on “Dawkins speaks on The Life Scientific”

  5. I listed to it too. It’s always a delight just listening too Dawkins speak. He has this amazing ability to describe processes ad lib that one can hardly find on anyone else.

    Regarding his new book, I wonder if another fact that spurred him on to write his memoir was Hitchens’ untimely demise.

  6. Pure speculation, based upon this podcast:

    Due to recent polarizing events, within two years Richard Dawkins retires from public atheist activism, except for a cameo here and there, and rededicates himself to science writing, which has always been his true love.

    I sincerely hope I’m wrong.

    1. I believe you are wrong. I did not reach that conclusion at all. You may have inserted some “confirmation bias” into your thinking to arrive at that conclusion.

      I listened to “The Life Scientific” online. Very succinct and informative. It is obvious that Richard Dawkins has covered this ground many, many times, as his commentary is always quite elegant. When he described one of Jim’s questions as “shrewd”, I saw the higher cognitive level of Richard Dawkins compared to folk like me…a beautiful thing.

  7. Amazing how, after all these years, he still has to explain that the selfish gene is the molecular unit which is unconsciously selfish, and not a gene for selfishness. He discusses some alternate titles…but would it really be too much to ask for people to read the book before judging it by its cover?

    Especially considering how much of the book is devoted to how individual altruism arises from selfish genes?

    b&

    1. It’s not too much to ask…but probably far too much to hope.

      Cover-judging is almost all the judging that gets done these days, especially in the artsy-fartsy community, which is where I suppose I have to place myself.

      Sorry for the somewhat OT rant.

    2. I am sure Jim Al-Khalili did his homework – don’t forget the programmes are not aimed at a purely scientific audience. The series, which is very good, has attempted to open up scientists to the general public & make people more aware of the wonderful things they discover.

  8. I listened.

    It was a bit sad to hear him get exasperated for once again having to discuss atheism more than science. It was as if the show was “The Life Atheistic”.

    But at least he felt good about his contributions, and that he should be!

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