This episode is the first of a series released in 1991 that pays homage to the scientist Michael Faraday who started the Christmas Lectures, making the wonders of science and the universe accessible to young people. The universe as we know it is 140 million centuries old, and our present century is a tiny spotlight in the ruler of time. We are lucky to be alive. I introduced an auditorium full of inquisitive young minds to this realization and more, on evolution, the purpose of human existence, and the breathtakingly magnificent creatures found in our world. With anecdotes, simple demonstrations, humor and role-play, we awakened our shared wonder about the natural world.

The podcast discusses the redefining of language, labeling satirical tweets as hate incidents, and exploring freedom of speech in the context of trans ideology.

Jerry Coyne, American biologist, discusses controversial topics including religious conflict in Gaza, struggles with freedom of speech, demands of the Maori people, affirmative action, the debate about race, and the rise of support for Palestine. Topics also include the motivations behind the conflict in Israel, the use of human shields by Hamas, Nobel prizes and Jewish heritage, exemption and privileges of certain groups in Israel, reforming science education in New Zealand, and the atmosphere of censorship in American universities.

Lawrence Krauss, distinguished physicist and founder of the Origins Project Foundation, joins the podcast to discuss the transformative power of science. Topics include interpreting quantum mechanics, the politicization of science, the cowardice of institutional leaders, and the dangers of fundamentalist wokeism.

Explore the similarities between woke ideology and religion, including heresy hunting and the concept of hereditary guilt. Discover the parallels between belief in institutional racism and transubstantiation, and the dangers of promoting irrational dogma in the woke movement.

Richard Dawkins talks with author and speaker Paula Kirby about the origins of life on Earth, the possibility of extraterrestrial life, the connection between mathematics and the universe, creating a sense of community among secularists, and the evolution of religion and clash of secularism.

Break the Science Barrier is a TV documentary that I presented on Channel 4 in 1996. It argues for the importance, for society, of scientific ways of thinking. In it, I interviewed David Attenborough, Alec Jeffreys, who discovered DNA fingerprinting, and Douglas Adams, who gave a wonderful impromptu eulogy for science. I also interviewed a man who was wrongly convicted of murder because none of the lawyers, on either side, knew anything about science. The program ends on a more positive note – what I later came to call Science in the Soul.________________________Join Substack:https://richarddawkins.substack.com/Subscribe to Poetry of Reality Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmwfdgHA_R9fzr1L0_hxdVwFollow: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.poetry.of.reality/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RichardDawkinsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/RichardDawkinsBooksReddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ThePoetryofReality#science #documentary #ThePoetryOfReality #truth #belief #scientific #richarddawkins #darwinism #dawkins #goddelusion #selfishgene

In February of this year, I toured Australia and New Zealand, being interviewed on stage by a different interviewer in each of six cities. One memorable stop was Perth, where I was interviewed by Tom Nash. I was touched that he began by asking me about my relationship with my beloved mentor, John Michael Cullen before Michael moved from Oxford to Australia.During the interview with Tom, we discussed a great variety of topics including dogs, peacocks, memes, extraterrestrial life, and what is a woman?________________________Join Substack:https://richarddawkins.substack.com/Subscribe to Poetry of Reality Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmwfdgHA_R9fzr1L0_hxdVwFollow:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.poetry.of.reality/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RichardDawkinsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/RichardDawkinsBooksReddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ThePoetryofReality

In this episode I go beyond the abstract to the appalling treatment of Rana Ahmad, a brave young woman from Saudi Arabia. A student of physics, she became an atheist and had to flee from her family. She found refuge in Germany and published a book, Women Aren’t Allowed to Dream, which became a Spiegel bestseller. She bravely speaks out about the dangers in the Muslim world faced by those accused of apostasy. In this episode I interview her and am deeply moved by her courage.________________________Join Substack:https://richarddawkins.substack.com/Subscribe to Poetry of Reality Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmwfdgHA_R9fzr1L0_hxdVwFollow:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.poetry.of.reality/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RichardDawkinsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/RichardDawkinsBooksReddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ThePoetryofReality#richarddawkins #thepoetryofreality #apple #spotify #science #religion #atheism #truth #substack #muslims #islam #islamophobia #women #humanrights #freedom #ranaahmad

I’ve long been wrongly accused of Islamophobia. This episode explains what I’m really phobic about.To know more about CSICon 2023 visit: https://csiconference.org/________________________You can access the exact transcript of the video essay and more exclusive content from Richard Dawkins at: https://richarddawkins.substack.comSubscribe to Poetry of Reality Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmwfdgHA_R9fzr1L0_hxdVwFollow: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.poetry.of.reality/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RichardDawkinsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/RichardDawkinsBooksReddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ThePoetryofReality#richarddawkins #thepoetryofreality #apple #spotify #science #religion #atheism #truth #substack #muslims #islam #islamophobia #homophobia #women #freedomofexpression #humanrights