

The Poetry of Reality with Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins
The Poetry of Reality is hosted by world renowned truth-teller, evolutionary biologist and best-selling author, Professor Richard Dawkins. He has been celebrated globally for his honest critique of religion and tradition and his push for critical thinking. His books include The Ancestor’s Tale, The Selfish Gene, The Blind Watchmaker, Climbing Mount Improbable, Unweaving the Rainbow, A Devil’s Chaplain, The God Delusion, The Greatest Show on Earth, The Magic of Reality, his two-part autobiography An Appetite for Wonder and A Brief Candle in the Dark, and Outgrowing God: A Beginner’s Guide. Dawkins has long been known for his uncompromising passion for science, calling out for the pressing need in modern societies for scientific literacy and rational thinking, especially in the education of young minds. His relentless pursuit of truth, and his recognition of the beauty of life on earth, will feature in this podcast, as he charts his way through scientific and existential inquiries like ‘What are we doing here?’ and ‘When did life begin?’
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 3, 2023 • 50min
Two Biologists On Conflict & Fascism
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.

Oct 25, 2023 • 35min
Science Beyond Safe Spaces with Lawrence Krauss
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.

7 snips
Oct 10, 2023 • 7min
Does Woke Count As A Religion?
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.

25 snips
Oct 8, 2023 • 45min
Life On Earth & Elsewhere
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.

Sep 29, 2023 • 44min
Break the Science Barrier: Why science matters
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

Sep 25, 2023 • 1h 15min
Life As We Know It: Inevitable Or Accidental?
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

Sep 13, 2023 • 10min
The Flight To Freedom: Rana Ahmad’s Escape From Religion
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

Sep 8, 2023 • 7min
Violence & Alienation: The Truth About Islamophobia
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

Aug 26, 2023 • 1h 14min
A moral philosopher and an evolutionary biologist in conversation
In this episode of The Poetry Of Reality, we sit in on an engrossing conversation between Richard Dawkins and Peter Singer on stage in Melbourne, Australia.Peter Singer is a moral philosopher, known for his work in bioethics and being one of the intellectual founders of the modern animal rights movement.He and Dawkins discuss everything from nature and evolution, to god and ethics, through the lens of their work as prolific authors and discoverers of truth. Tune in to listen to two great thinkers explore rich questions, around the survival of genes and human altruism, the suffering native to nature, reason and its application to morality, the role of design in the universe, and the meaning behind pain and consciousness.________________________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#ThePoetryOfReality #PeterSinger #MoralPhilosophy #Religion #Science #TheSelfishGene

Aug 19, 2023 • 1h 13min
Why Are We Here? Exploring The Mystery Of Existence
The origin of our universe is one of the greatest mysteries we face. Why is there something rather than nothing? How did we come to exist in a world with such precise laws of nature?How we answer these questions determines everything, from the meaning of our lives to the secrets of our futures.This episode of The Poetry Of Reality features Jack Symes in conversation with Richard Dawkins, joined by Jessica Frazier speaking on Hinduism, Silvia Jonas speaking on Jewish philosophy, and Richard Swinburne defending Christianity.________________________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