Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Dawkins Lecture

Richard Dawkins giving a lecture based on his ...Image via Wikipedia

As many of you know I went to see Richard Dawkins speak at the Wharton Center on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing yesterday. The title of his lecture was "The Purpose of Purpose". When we arrived we were greeted just outside the door by fundies passing out fliers which basically just had a bunch of the same worn out crap that they think proves their invisible man is real. I might share some of this in a later post; some of the wording is good for a few laughs. Anyway, after that we made our way into the building and up to the center of the second to last row in the huge auditorium and waited for Dawkins to start.

His lecture began with how natural selection isn't bullshit and how even though some think Intelligent Design is correct, they are most certainly wrong. To elaborate on this point, he played the following video by Ray Comfort.



After the laughter died down, he then went into how animals in the wild are survival machines and basically everything they do is so that they survive and pass on their genes. He then pointed out how humans are different and we do things that actually hurt our chances of passing on our DNA, such as adopting other peoples' kids or using contraception. We have goals beyond just surviving and passing on our genes. He then explained that this is due to the fact that our brains have evolved to be flexible, and therefore we are able to change our goals away from just survival mode. He also showed that we weren't the only ones to change our minds about our goals. Sheep dogs have done the same thing, which is evident when you see that the way that they herd sheep and the way that wolves hunt their prey are identical.

He then gave examples of ways that we have subverted our goals in the areas of hunger, sex, parental roles and a few other areas. After that there was a short question and answer period. There really weren't any really hard questions or questions that I felt were particularly insightful.

Overall I felt that this was a great lecture and was very happy that I had the chance to go. The only thing that I have to complain about was the fact that the audio wasn't delayed properly so we heard a major echo effect that, coupled with Dawkins' thick accent, made it difficult to hear parts of the lecture.

I hope that those of you that have yet to see Dawkins live will get the chance to do so when he is in your neck of the woods.
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Comments (11)

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Good to hear that the archbishop delivered another rousing sermon! ;-) I love RD and hearing him live at Stanford last year was a real thrill.
I'll be listening to RD and his "Purpose of Purpose" lecture here in Minneapolis tonight. Thanks for the preview! Let's hope the audio is better here. :)
1 reply · active 850 weeks ago
Have fun tonight!
Aw I'm so jealous! Sounds like fun
I too enjoyed RD at MSU except for the poor sound. Immediately, following RD's lecture, my question was the first to be answered, i.e., RD was age nine when he had his first doubts about his religion. At age 13, when I first doubted my religion, I cried like a baby. Has anyone else had a similar experience?
1 reply · active 850 weeks ago
I think that is a very common reaction. When I had my first serious doubts I was in my mid teens and I was so scared I cried and spent many nights praying for God to take away my doubts and help me through them. Even now I get quite sad when I think about death, but I am slowly working my way through that.
Losing my religion has been one of the most painful and disconcerting experiences of my life in some ways...as an adult...and someone who spent thirteen years is an Evangelical minister and many more years peddling delusion.... But I certainly wouldn't wish to go back for any reason...depsite the pain (which goes away), there emerges a clarity of mind and vision that I have never had the like of...and freedom, true freedom in the heart and mind. It's like a fresh bracing breeze against the face of the heart. Sorry, I talk like a poet and not a scientist, because I am a poet.... But I admire Dawkin's brilliance and coherence.

And I am happy to report that the acoustics were quite good this evening at the University of Minnesota's Northrup Auditorium, and I enjoyed the lecture very much. :)
1 reply · active 850 weeks ago
Thanks for sharing your story. I bet it was very hard for you to tell people that you no longer believed. I agree with you when you talk about feeling free and I don't think that I could ever have put it so beautifully. Don't apologize for talking like a poet I love to read poetry and really wish that I could write like that.

Also, I am glad that the acoustics were better for you guys in Minnesota, I am sure the problem that I experienced was the fault of the sound techs at the Wharton Center.
I really want to attend Richard Dawkins' lectures! The banana clip was hilarious. I really hope that I get the chance to attend a lecture by him in the near future.
I was there too in the second last row near the right side. It was an awesome experience even with the sound. I heard most of the debate issues before from all the stuff in his books and on the web but it was still great. The Q&A was new and I got a short clip on my Youtube channel of the Q&A (almost 7 minutes). A friend recorded the audio for the entire lecture too but RD asked it to be taken down because the lecture was going to be professionally recorded and repeated many more times.....

Just found your blog - there are so many now that it is hard to keep up.

Going to see PZ Myers tonight in Grand Rapids Michigan.

Halohms (youtube channel)
I'm sorry, but this IS my atheist worst nightmare. I can't handle this kind of stupidity.

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