#105 John Lennox - Why Science Needs God

The book tells the story of both Galileo Galilei and his intelligent and devout daughter, Suor Maria Celeste. It uses the 124 surviving letters from Maria to her father to provide a new perspective on Galileo's life, particularly his trial before the Inquisition for advocating the Copernican system. The narrative delves into the social and psychological forces at play during Galileo's trial, including the political pressures of the Thirty Years' War and the impact of the plague on Italy. It also vividly portrays the harsh life of the 'Poor Clares' in the convent where Maria lived, highlighting her significant role in supporting her father despite her own challenging circumstances.

In *The Blind Watchmaker*, Richard Dawkins presents a comprehensive explanation of the theory of evolution through natural selection. He argues against the creationist metaphor of the skilled watchmaker by introducing the concept of a 'blind watchmaker,' where natural selection acts without foresight or purpose. Dawkins uses examples such as the evolution of the eye and computer simulations to illustrate how complexity can arise from simple organisms through cumulative selection. The book also addresses common criticisms of evolution and argues against the existence of a divine creator, emphasizing that the Darwinian world-view is the only known theory that could explain the mystery of our existence[1][2][4].