Human Mind: Into The Unknown with Richard Dawkins (S3 Ep.13)
Apr 30, 2022
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Evolutionary biologist and emeritus fellow at Oxford University, Richard Dawkins, discusses topics such as technological progress, the validity of race, consciousness, religion's relationship to happiness, and the concept of memes in this episode of Conversations With Coleman.
Richard Dawkins' latest book, 'Flights of Fancy', explores the phenomenon of flight in animals and human technology and is highly recommended by the host.
Humans have achieved remarkable scientific advancements beyond the constraints of our evolutionary history, but our future progress may be limited by political will and societal factors.
Deep dives
Richard Dawkins' Latest Book 'Flights of Fancy'
Richard Dawkins has recently published a book called Flights of Fancy, which explores the phenomenon of flight in animals and human technology. The book discusses the evolution of flight in different animal groups and the technical challenges faced by creatures that fly. Although the podcast episode did not delve into this book in detail, it was highly recommended by the host. Dawkins' latest book offers insights into the fascinating world of flight and is worth checking out.
The Limitations and Potential of Technological Progress
The podcast episode touched upon the question of how much progress humans can make in the future, given our evolutionary psychology and limited understanding of the universe. Dawkins highlighted that while humans were originally designed by natural selection to survive in a certain environment, we have managed to achieve remarkable scientific advancements beyond what our evolutionary history would suggest. However, the speaker also acknowledged that our progress might be limited by political will and other societal factors. The potential lies in the hands of scientifically savvy individuals and technological innovations funded by billionaires who can push the boundaries of what is possible.
The Mystery of Consciousness
The episode briefly touched upon the mystery of consciousness and whether humans can truly understand it. Dawkins stated that while consciousness could have evolved as a survival advantage, the exact reasons for its existence remain unclear. The speaker mentioned that robots or AI, despite their intelligent capabilities, are not currently conscious. The limitations of human understanding and the fundamental nature of consciousness make it a challenging topic to fully comprehend. Dawkins alluded to the idea that consciousness may be beyond human comprehension, similar to how some animals cannot grasp certain concepts.
The Validity of Race as a Biological Concept
The episode delved into the debate surrounding the concept of race, questioning whether it is a social construct or a biological reality. Dawkins acknowledged that geographically separated populations of humans do exhibit certain characteristics, such as skin color, which are correlated with each other. While the genetic variation within races is greater than the variation between races, Dawkins argued that race is a real biological phenomenon. However, he emphasized the importance of not basing any decisions or policies on race and the potential harm that can arise from treating individuals differently based on their race. The focus should be on promoting equity and fairness, rather than reinforcing stereotypes or discriminatory attitudes.
In this episode, we discuss technological progress, whether race is a social construct or biological reality, the mystery of consciousness, the concept of a meme (which Richard invented), religion and its relationship to a happy life, whether wokeness plays the role of a religion in people's lives, and finally, Richard gives his advice to up and coming scientists. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did.
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