Richard Dawkins and Aubrey Manning
2. Comment #295643 by Jenny Taylier on December 2, 2008 at 4:07 pm
It was interesting to see them both chuckling at the poor statistical confidence of Niko's early papers but not questioning how those papers got past the review process. How can scientists point to the importance of peer review in building a solid body of evidence when it clearly was not happening then?3. Comment #295645 by Brian English on December 2, 2008 at 4:11 pm
4. Comment #295647 by admin on December 2, 2008 at 4:19 pm
5. Comment #295648 by beeline on December 2, 2008 at 4:23 pm
6. Comment #295649 by Matt H. on December 2, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Thanks Josh! Derren Brown has a large internet following, if this gets around we could get more people here (which can only be a good thing!)7. Comment #295650 by Clairebear on December 2, 2008 at 4:27 pm
8. Comment #295651 by Laurie Fraser on December 2, 2008 at 4:28 pm
9. Comment #295656 by beeline on December 2, 2008 at 4:37 pm
10. Comment #295665 by Uhtred on December 2, 2008 at 5:15 pm
I agree, beeline, Manning's 'Earth Story' is a brilliant doco and one of my all time favorites.11. Comment #295668 by HourglassMemory on December 2, 2008 at 5:22 pm
I love listening to these conversations, these discussions.12. Comment #295680 by robotaholic on December 2, 2008 at 7:20 pm
13. Comment #295687 by j.mills on December 2, 2008 at 8:08 pm
And I hope not just Dawkins tapes these long discussions. But other scientists and thinkers.In case you're unaware of it, there's lots of interesting video discussions over at the Science Network, http://thesciencenetwork.org/programs.
14. Comment #295688 by headcold on December 2, 2008 at 8:10 pm
15. Comment #295703 by Eli on December 2, 2008 at 9:17 pm
16. Comment #295721 by howardb on December 2, 2008 at 9:46 pm
I agree very much with Aubreys attitude towards religion. How he feels it helps people deal with the knowledge of there own mortality and gives people a feeling of complacency and strength.17. Comment #295726 by Mbee on December 2, 2008 at 9:59 pm
18. Comment #295727 by Steve Zara on December 2, 2008 at 9:59 pm
What a great discussion. I have been a fan of Aubrey Manning because of his wonderful series "Earth Story".19. Comment #295729 by Lucas on December 2, 2008 at 10:07 pm
20. Comment #295746 by Roy_H on December 2, 2008 at 11:19 pm
21. Comment #295772 by Lord of the Morning on December 3, 2008 at 12:07 am
22. Comment #295782 by AdrianB on December 3, 2008 at 12:23 am
23. Comment #295806 by Rawhard Dickins on December 3, 2008 at 1:07 am
24. Comment #295838 by NightSod on December 3, 2008 at 1:48 am
I'm as delighted to see this video as the rest of you.25. Comment #295848 by AdrianB on December 3, 2008 at 2:31 am
26. Comment #295851 by beeline on December 3, 2008 at 2:35 am
If religion was a misfire of something else then why doesnt the misfire happen with Santa Claus? Most of us grow out of that one and accept it as myth.
27. Comment #295872 by gcdavis on December 3, 2008 at 3:09 am
28. Comment #295878 by AdrianB on December 3, 2008 at 3:16 am
29. Comment #295899 by gcdavis on December 3, 2008 at 3:34 am
30. Comment #295917 by Peacebeuponme on December 3, 2008 at 3:58 am
I could spend days on that settee chatting with this Aubrey chap. What a wonderful, interesting fellow, and what a comforting setting!31. Comment #296010 by howardb on December 3, 2008 at 5:34 am
comment #26 by beelineThis is a good question, but I think the answer is something that Daniel Dennett has talked a lot about a lot in 'Breaking the Spell' - the answer being that certain organisations have used 'belief in the supernatural' as a vehicle for their authoritarian attempts to gain political power
Father Christmas just doesn't present enough of a 'hook' in people for organisations to be able to leverage it for political ends.
32. Comment #296020 by howardb on December 3, 2008 at 5:45 am
I also like what Aubrey Manning said about our genes.33. Comment #296038 by beeline on December 3, 2008 at 5:56 am
Those emotions that kick and make us believe in religion no matter what evidence comes forward, I believe is a human predisposition that has been breed into us by natural selection for 100,000's of years since we became aware of our own mortality.
34. Comment #296063 by howardb on December 3, 2008 at 6:12 am
beeline wroteIf the only tangible benefit to an individual is supposed to happen after death, then that is rather outside the remit of natural selection, which only passes on genes during reproduction.
35. Comment #296103 by Lucas on December 3, 2008 at 6:42 am
You may be right, but for that to have been the case, 'being religious' must have generated some advantage to those genes' hosts within their society, and in the environment of other genes. It's not clear what those genes are, and it's certainly not clear what the advantages are either, separate from those that any community should be able to give to an individual.
36. Comment #296262 by fsm1965 on December 3, 2008 at 10:46 am
just like to echo the compliments, refreshing to hear non-dumbed down, flashy-graphix science.37. Comment #296296 by The Hogfather on December 3, 2008 at 12:03 pm
38. Comment #296304 by Stafford Gordon on December 3, 2008 at 12:19 pm
This must be commissioned by the BBC for world wide distribution; now!39. Comment #296345 by watcher_of_the_skies on December 3, 2008 at 1:15 pm
40. Comment #296354 by the great teapot on December 3, 2008 at 1:23 pm
"ofcourse not consciously."41. Comment #296367 by retrospy on December 3, 2008 at 1:36 pm
42. Comment #296408 by Wosret on December 3, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Yeah, the whole fear of death thing I can relate to, especially the "that's what we're afraid of" I said that exact thing around here sometime ago when talking about it. I have other places too. 43. Comment #296415 by the great teapot on December 3, 2008 at 2:13 pm
retropsy44. Comment #296417 by 0.05 on December 3, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Brilliant! His textbook was an eye opener when I read it at uni in 1990 and it was great to see the man behind it.45. Comment #296484 by Gregg Townsend on December 3, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Josh and Richard, thank you very much indeed. 46. Comment #296522 by Friend Giskard on December 3, 2008 at 7:10 pm
47. Comment #296809 by Hellene on December 4, 2008 at 4:42 am
I downloaded the QuickTime versions. Beautifully light, shot, and edited. Kudos to the "Crew".48. Comment #296831 by flying goose on December 4, 2008 at 5:03 am
49. Comment #296860 by flying goose on December 4, 2008 at 5:54 am
50. Comment #296980 by nofaithalways on December 4, 2008 at 8:09 am
Very nice discussion
1. Comment #295642 by Matt H. on December 2, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Anyway, that aside, hopefully more episodes will be made now Richard has retired. These really are fascinating. Good work.
Other Comments by Matt H.