Thursday, February 7, 2008 | Science : Teaching Science | print version

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BREAK THE SCIENCE BARRIER - Available Now on DVD

RichardDawkins.net

Watch it free online!
Part 1: YouTube (Pt 1, Pt 2) | Quicktime | Google Video
Part 2: YouTube (Pt 1, Pt 2) | Quicktime | Google Video
Part 3: YouTube (Pt 1, Pt 2) | Quicktime | Google Video

(thanks to PiroNiro for uploading to YouTube)

SCIENCE is useful but that is not all it is. Science can be uplifting, thrilling, life-enhancing. Originally broadcast on Britain's Channel 4 in 1996, Break the Science Barrier follows the Oxford Biologist Richard Dawkins as he meets with people who have experienced the wonders of science first-hand. We meet the astronomer who first discovered pulsars, the geneticist who invented DNA fingerprinting, a scientist who discovered a protein that causes cancer, and others. Dawkins interviews famous admirers of science such as Douglas Adams and David Attenborough, and asks them why science means so much to them. We also see how dangerous ignorance of science can be in classrooms, courts, and beyond.

With so many expressing paranormal beliefs and ignorance of science, Dawkins encourages viewers to contrast these ancient superstitions with the power and beauty of our scientific achievements and understanding.

View the DVD jacket artwork here

All-Region, NTSC
4:3 Aspect Ratio
1 DVD
Run Time: 50 min
Subtitles: English

Posted: Thursday, February 7, 2008 | Permalink

Comments 1 - 26 of 26 |

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1. Comment #123834 by Matt H. on February 7, 2008 at 5:31 pm

Wow, great! Thanks for the uploads. Any chance of you guys over at RDFRS offering every DVD in one big set? I'd be sure to buy such a thing if it was offered.

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2. Comment #123835 by admin on February 7, 2008 at 5:40 pm

I actually just put up a big set of ALL the DVDs in the store:
http://richarddawkins.net/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=16

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3. Comment #123837 by Matt H. on February 7, 2008 at 5:50 pm

Ah great, thank you Josh.

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4. Comment #123882 by Mental Slavery on February 7, 2008 at 8:37 pm

I've bought them all, and now will buy this one!

Thanks for the great programs. Can't wait for Enemies of Reason to come out on DVD. Also any debates that have been held with the 4 horsemen. That would be a great DVD set.

Keep 'em coming!

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5. Comment #123890 by argibson on February 7, 2008 at 9:58 pm

That bit about the 'surgeon' with HIV 'patients' is abhorrent.

I'm glad Prof. Dawkins has worked hard to emphasize the importance of science. How do we get more scientists to do so?

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6. Comment #123891 by Cartomancer on February 7, 2008 at 10:01 pm

Professor Dawkins is much better at punting than I am... Is there anything the great man can't do?

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7. Comment #123897 by Apemanblues on February 7, 2008 at 11:35 pm

I never got the chance to see this when it was aired on TV.

Nice one!

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8. Comment #123927 by kram50 on February 8, 2008 at 2:11 am

I put everything on hold when I have a chance to watch Mr. Dawkins do what he does best....a wonderfull film, keep them coming!! I would also cosider a set of videos.

There are some people I know that would benefit from watching...I think it's time(way over due)that people get educated...too much garbage has gone in...makes me ill thinking about it!

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9. Comment #123958 by MikeV on February 8, 2008 at 3:01 am

Is it me or is the audio out of sync in the Google Video version?

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10. Comment #123974 by BoDy on February 8, 2008 at 3:41 am

Great stuff.
It was refreshing with a pure promotion video for science and not at the same time debunking religion.

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11. Comment #123976 by Matt H. on February 8, 2008 at 4:14 am

Is it me or is the audio out of sync in the Google Video version?

It went out of sync for me too. The Quicktime links worked fine.

Great stuff.
It was refreshing with a pure promotion video for science and not at the same time debunking religion.

True, although it does deal with anti-science which often goes hand in hand with religion. The creationists near the start appalled me. The woman who said 'I'd rather believe I came from Adam and Eve than an ape'... well, ma'am, I'd rather believe I'm a millionaire than an indebted student. Doesn't mean it is true.

I know that film was made about 15 years ago (was lovely seeing Douglas Adams again), I hope those people have fought off their delusion by now.

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12. Comment #123986 by Incredulous on February 8, 2008 at 4:50 am

I really will have to buy this for my nephews and nieces. No-one explains science and the dangers behind mumbo jumbo or slavish dogmatic non-thinking better than RD.

Even the Guardian seems amenable to presenting the evolutionary biologist's view:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/feb/09/darwin.dawkins

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13. Comment #124061 by JuxtaMonkey on February 8, 2008 at 9:04 am

Dawkins is fascinating. He never ceases to amaze me. And, Alabama hasn't changed one bit, nor Tennessee. They taught us with those truth "inserts" and I did not learn about evolution until college, inspired by a particular Microbiology class. The topic: bacteria's growing resistance to antibiotics and what was happening. I was amazed and said to the teacher, "That sounds an awful lot like evolution in action?" She replied, "Well, yes, it is like evolution." I was surprise that after she made this statement, she had to inform the class that evolution is not a "bad word". I was mortified that she had to make this statement to a classroom full of people getting ready to go into the health field. Watching Dawkins sketch the "Physic surgeon" bit, now I'm more than terrified. Bloody christ...literally

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14. Comment #124090 by Cartomancer on February 8, 2008 at 10:47 am

I do find it a powerfully tragic irony that Douglas Adams is on record here as saying that he feels wonderfully privilleged to have seventy or eighty years ahead of him to apply himself to understanding the universe as best he can...

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15. Comment #124091 by admin on February 8, 2008 at 10:52 am

Yes, the Google video versions lose A/V sync for some reason. I'm going to try and upload some new versions today.

Josh

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16. Comment #124103 by obscured by clouds on February 8, 2008 at 11:16 am

Josh is to modest sometimes ;)~ He went though the entire video and corrected the color. A very time consuming process. I saw the side-by-side comparison, he truly did a great job.

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17. Comment #124164 by pipelineaudio on February 8, 2008 at 2:42 pm

As funny as playing the bluegrass music was, the polarization and divisiveness and the slide back into the old myth about the USA being religious where europe is not, isn't all that helpful.

I see most of the new atheists backing away from this, which is a good thing, as we have just as many whacky stories about europe.

Lets just concentrate on the things that unite us as logical freethinkers, not continue to push divisive myths

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18. Comment #124669 by Timmeh! on February 10, 2008 at 3:09 am

Anyone else having trouble with the QT versions?
Part one freezes the video and goes into an audio loop around 12.36 here.

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19. Comment #124778 by Miss Harry on February 10, 2008 at 8:02 am

Great video, wish I'd seen it at the time. Better late than never, though. Thanks to RD and a few other great science writers I have been inspired to start studying again and am taking some courses with the Open University. Might even do a degree! Fascinating stuff. Wish science had been this interesting at school.

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20. Comment #125435 by Arcturus on February 11, 2008 at 11:06 am

Amazing program, very inspiring!

Thank you for putting this up!

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21. Comment #125441 by bluebird on February 11, 2008 at 11:18 am

Our DVD arrived today...thanks.

EDIT:
Just watched it...great program, we liked it!!!

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22. Comment #128506 by krisking on February 17, 2008 at 9:03 am

Interesting videos. Given the number of repeats we have to avoid on our televisions nowadays, how come I have not seen this advertised in the broadcasting schedules?

I'm not convinced he has answered the "why?" question, though....Certainly the "how?"

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23. Comment #130391 by Gunnar on February 20, 2008 at 1:00 pm

A civilized being should know his or her science as well as he or she should know his or her arts and history.

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24. Comment #136304 by Socrates on February 29, 2008 at 9:34 pm

I very much enjoyed this documentary. Hopefully Dawkins and company will make a 21st century film along the same lines.

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25. Comment #137066 by wsiegrist on March 2, 2008 at 9:22 am

(in)credibly good!!!

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26. Comment #148800 by bryantee on March 24, 2008 at 12:41 am

Terrific video.

Does anyone know what piece of music is playing during the closing credits? I thought it was eerily beautiful. Reminded me of watching the X-Files as a child.

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