TRIGGERnometry Richard Dawkins: God, Truth & Death
Jul 5, 2023
Richard Dawkins, a prominent British evolutionary biologist and author of 'The Selfish Gene,' discusses the role of religion versus science in human life. He delves into the ethical implications of genetics and free will, urging a balance between scientific understanding and existential comfort. Dawkins reflects on the psychological complexities of death and beliefs, and the challenges of the New Atheism movement. He also touches on the ethics of euthanasia and AI, contemplating our future in a rapidly evolving world.
01:06:53
Free Will vs. Genetics
- Free will is a philosophical question, not a genetic one.
- Genes don't determine whether we have free will; it's a broader scientific and philosophical issue.
Personalized Medicine
- Doctors will use patients' genomes for personalized medicine.
- They'll prescribe drugs based on individual genotypes instead of a one-size-fits-all approach.
Eliminating Diseases
- Dawkins believes eliminating diseases in babies through gene editing is hard to object to.
- He supports screening against hereditary diseases, not creating designer babies.
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Intro
00:00 • 2min
Journey Through Science and Evolution
02:19 • 5min
Genetics, Free Will, and Ethical Dilemmas
07:47 • 27min
The Intersection of Science and Belief
34:21 • 12min
The Comfort of Belief: Exploring the Role of Religion in Difficult Times
46:41 • 3min
Death, Beliefs, and the New Atheism
49:53 • 5min
Euthanasia and AI: Ethical Dilemmas Ahead
55:20 • 12min
Sapiens
A Brief History of Humankind
Yuval Noah Harari
This book surveys the history of humankind from the Stone Age to the 21st century, focusing on Homo sapiens.
It divides human history into four major parts: the Cognitive Revolution, the Agricultural Revolution, the Unification of Humankind, and the Scientific Revolution.
Harari argues that Homo sapiens dominate the world due to their unique ability to cooperate in large numbers through beliefs in imagined realities such as gods, nations, money, and human rights.
The book also examines the impact of human activities on the global ecosystem and speculates on the future of humanity, including the potential for genetic engineering and non-organic life.
The selfish gene
Lalla Ward Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins
In 'The Selfish Gene', Richard Dawkins presents a gene-centred view of evolution, arguing that genes are the primary units of selection and that they behave selfishly to ensure their own replication.
The book explains concepts such as kin selection, inclusive fitness, and the evolutionarily stable strategy, highlighting how these mechanisms can lead to altruistic behaviors in organisms.
Dawkins emphasizes that the 'selfishness' of genes is a metaphorical concept, describing their evolutionary consequences rather than any intentional behavior.
The book has been influential in shaping modern evolutionary thought and remains relevant today.
Brave New World
Aldous Huxley
Written in 1931 and published in 1932, 'Brave New World' is a dystopian novel set in a futuristic World State where humans are bred in vitro and predestined into a rigid social hierarchy.
The novel explores themes of technological advancement, social conditioning, and the loss of individuality and freedom.
The story revolves around characters such as Bernard Marx, an Alpha who questions the society, Mustapha Mond, the World Controller, and John, a 'Savage' from a reservation who introduces elements of emotion and individuality into the highly controlled World State.
The novel critiques the optimism of technological progress and its potential to create a society that values stability and happiness over humanity and freedom.
Contact
Carl Sagan
In 'Contact', Carl Sagan explores the theme of extraterrestrial contact through the story of Dr. Eleanor 'Ellie' Arroway, an astronomer who detects a signal from the star Vega.
The signal, a series of prime numbers, leads to the discovery of a complex message containing a blueprint for an advanced space-traveling machine.
The novel delves into the scientific, philosophical, and societal implications of this discovery, including the intersection of science and faith, international cooperation, and the human condition.
The story follows Ellie and a multinational team as they navigate the construction and activation of the machine, leading to a profound encounter with extraterrestrial life.
The God Delusion
Richard Dawkins
In 'The God Delusion', Richard Dawkins argues that the belief in a supernatural creator, God, is almost certainly false and qualifies as a delusion.
He examines God in various forms, from the Old Testament to the Celestial Watchmaker, and critiques the major arguments for religion.
Dawkins discusses how religion fuels war, fosters bigotry, and abuses children, and he advocates for atheism as a morally and intellectually fulfilling worldview.
The book also explores the relationship between religion and morality, suggesting that morality can exist independently of religion, and argues against the teaching of religion in schools as a form of indoctrination.
A for Andromeda
Fred Hoyle
In 'A for Andromeda', scientists detect a complex signal from the Andromeda galaxy that contains instructions for building a powerful computer.
As they follow these instructions, they create not only the computer but also a humanoid life form.
The story explores themes of technological advancement, artificial intelligence, and the potential risks of following alien instructions without understanding their true intentions.
The novel was originally a BBC television series before being novelized by Fred Hoyle and John Elliot.
Richard Dawkins is a British evolutionary biologist and author. His 1976 book The Selfish Gene popularised the gene-centred view of evolution, as well as coining the term meme. Dawkins is a vocal atheist and is often referred to as one of the four horsemen of the New Atheism movement which began to grain traction in the mid-2000s, catalysed in large part by Dawkin's 2006 book, The God Delusion.
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About TRIGGERnometry:
Stand-up comedians Konstantin Kisin (@konstantinkisin) and Francis Foster (@francisjfoster) make sense of politics, economics, free speech, AI, drug policy and WW3 with the help of presidential advisors, renowned economists, award-winning journalists, controversial writers, leading scientists and notorious comedians.
00:00 Intro
01:04 Sponsor Message: GiveSendGo
03:02 Richard Dawkins’ Background
04:54 The Selfish Gene
05:50 Crucial Recent Discoveries for Human Development
07:15 How Much Does Biology Dominate Our Lives?
08:25 What Innovation & Discoveries are Happening at the Moment?
11:34 Downsides to Medical Advancements
13:15 Is Genetically Modifying Babies Playing God?
15:44 What is Life & Can it be Discarded?
20:49 The People Who Move Our Species Forward
23:59 The Current State of Science
25:44 The Tyranny of the Discontinuous Mind
27:55 Eroding the Concept of Truth
31:52 Is the Claim that you can Change your Sex Supernatural?
33:48 Do Humans Need Religion?
34:50 Did Richard’s Criticism of God go Too Far?
37:08 Could the Universe Have Been Planned?
46:09 Sponsor Message: easyDNS
47:12 The Comfort of Religion
50:42 How Richard Would Face Death
53:06 Richard’s Aim to Defeat Religion
54:47 Euthanasia
56:38 The Development of AI
1:01:40 Are We Alone in the Universe?
1:06:08 What is The One Thing We’re Not Talking About?
SPONSORED BY: GiveSendGo - Go to https://www.GiveSendGo.com/ to check out a better alternative to crowdfunding. Support the people who support freedom!
SPONSORED BY: EasyDNS - domain name registrar provider and web host. Use special code: TRIGGERED for 50% off when you visit https://easydns.com/triggered/
Join our exclusive TRIGGERnometry community on Locals! https://triggernometry.locals.com/
OR Support TRIGGERnometry Here:
Bitcoin: bc1qm6vvhduc6s3rvy8u76sllmrfpynfv94qw8p8d5
Music by: Music by: Xentric | info@xentricapc.com | https://www.xentricapc.com/ YouTube: @xentricapc
Buy Merch Here:
https://www.triggerpod.co.uk/shop/
Advertise on TRIGGERnometry:
marketing@triggerpod.co.uk
Join the Mailing List:
https://www.triggerpod.co.uk/sign-up/
Find TRIGGERnometry on Social Media:
https://twitter.com/triggerpod
https://www.facebook.com/triggerpod/
https://www.instagram.com/triggerpod/
About TRIGGERnometry:
Stand-up comedians Konstantin Kisin (@konstantinkisin) and Francis Foster (@francisjfoster) make sense of politics, economics, free speech, AI, drug policy and WW3 with the help of presidential advisors, renowned economists, award-winning journalists, controversial writers, leading scientists and notorious comedians.
00:00 Intro
01:04 Sponsor Message: GiveSendGo
03:02 Richard Dawkins’ Background
04:54 The Selfish Gene
05:50 Crucial Recent Discoveries for Human Development
07:15 How Much Does Biology Dominate Our Lives?
08:25 What Innovation & Discoveries are Happening at the Moment?
11:34 Downsides to Medical Advancements
13:15 Is Genetically Modifying Babies Playing God?
15:44 What is Life & Can it be Discarded?
20:49 The People Who Move Our Species Forward
23:59 The Current State of Science
25:44 The Tyranny of the Discontinuous Mind
27:55 Eroding the Concept of Truth
31:52 Is the Claim that you can Change your Sex Supernatural?
33:48 Do Humans Need Religion?
34:50 Did Richard’s Criticism of God go Too Far?
37:08 Could the Universe Have Been Planned?
46:09 Sponsor Message: easyDNS
47:12 The Comfort of Religion
50:42 How Richard Would Face Death
53:06 Richard’s Aim to Defeat Religion
54:47 Euthanasia
56:38 The Development of AI
1:01:40 Are We Alone in the Universe?
1:06:08 What is The One Thing We’re Not Talking About?
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