In Our Time Science's Revelations
7 snips
Oct 29, 1998 
Richard Dawkins, an evolutionary biologist known for his advocacy of science, and Ian McEwan, celebrated novelist and Booker Prize winner, engage in a thought-provoking discussion. They explore how scientific knowledge impacts our appreciation of the world's beauty and how poetry can enrich scientific understanding. The conversation delves into the interconnections between imagination and science, questioning the purpose of existence while addressing human awareness in an indifferent universe. Their insights challenge listeners to reconsider the harmony of science and art.
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Science Enriches Poetic Wonder
- Science enriches the poetic mind instead of destroying poetry, as argued by Richard Dawkins opposing Keats' complaint about Newton.
- Scientific understanding provides a beautiful and coherent picture of the world that poets should embrace.
Beyond the Visible Rainbow
- The rainbow is a tiny visible segment of a vast electromagnetic spectrum that humans have only recently begun to perceive.
- Science expands our vision far beyond natural human limits, showing more of reality than our senses alone allow.
Game Theory in Fiction
- Ian McEwan uses game theory from biology to describe altruism and selfishness among men hanging on a balloon rope.
- This scientific metaphor shapes the drama and tension in his novel Enduring Love.