Dawkins: Sex, Death and the Meaning of Life (New Series)

MagicMarker

Really looking forward to this, starts Monday @ 10pm on More4. 3 episodes I think.

More and more of us realise there is no God. And yet religion still has a hold over us. Ideas of saints and sinners, heaven and hell still shape our thinking.

In this series, the evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins faces up to the big questions of life in a world moving on and leaving religion behind. He explores what reason and science might offer in the place of religion to inspire and guide our lives. How can an atheist find meaning in life? How can we face death without the comfort of the afterlife? How should we think about right and wrong?

In a journey that takes him through visually stunning locations, from the tornado devastation of Joplin Missouri to the funeral pyres of Varanasi in India, from the red light districts of Paris and London to the Buddhist monasteries of the Himalayas, Richard Dawkins builds a powerful argument for facing up to the scientific truth about life and death, however bracing that may be. The series explores the latest science. Richard Dawkins investigates deep emotions like disgust and empathy, the science of ageing and why humans find it so hard to understand chance. The series is also a television first because Richard Dawkins has his genome sequenced and analysed – the first named Briton to have this done and only the tenth worldwide. It’s often a deeply personal journey, featuring sequences with Richard Dawkins’ mother, his dog, his 1960s stamping ground of Berkeley, California and the Dawkins family vault in Chipping Norton. Richard Dawkins develops his ideas through interviews with, amongst others, the geneticist who co-discovered the structure of DNA James Watson, the controversial comedian Ricky Gervais, a 105-year-old New York stock broker who still goes to work every day and scientists including Steven Pinker and Leonard Mlodinow. Richard Dawkins concludes: “We are made by the laws of physics working through four billion years of evolution. We have a brief window of life through which to see the universe and understand how we came to be in it. That truth may not be comforting but it has a majesty of its own”.

Dades

Meant to put a note up about this here. Have my reminder set.

Can't imagine this being much different than any of Dawkins' previous fare, though.

Dave!

Standard talking head stuff I suppose Always worth watching though

Threadkillers

Maybe its worth watching but is it worth listening to ?

Just check out this clip for sheer humility...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZgIIeGnEXI

NIMAN

I take Dawkins with a pinch of salt.

Read his last book on holiday and from what I remember he claims there is no God but there might be parallel universes where an alternative version of me has a green moustache.

Yeah, thats more believeable than a God.

ro95

darwin: most knowledgeable person of his time

Pride Fighter

Cheers for the thread, it has reminded me to put this on series link. Dawkins always does interesting documentaries. This should be the same and will be a must watch for me.

TheChizler

Pride Fighter wrote: »

Cheers for the thread, it has reminded me to put this on series link. Dawkins always does interesting documentaries. This should be the same and will be a must watch for me.

And that just reminded me that I can sky+ it from my bed! Thank you!

Pride Fighter

Anyone else think his dog is deadly in the show?

Morgase

So, was the programme any good in the end?

Obliq

Morgase wrote: »

So, was the programme any good in the end?

I enjoyed it anyway:-) A bit too much of Dawkins perhaps.....y'know, the usual. But interesting - the science of disgust was a good bit

shizz

Just about to watch this and found it on youtube;

Dades

Watched the show there. Mildly entertaining. The stats about masturbation were amusing!

It's no Downton Abbey - but I'll probably tune in next week.

Morgase

Pride Fighter wrote: »

Anyone else think his dog is deadly in the show?

Best part of the show! I want to run away with the lovely ball of fluff.

J0hnick

Watching it now on Youtube

shizz

Is the next episode on tonight?

Ickle Magoo

Yep, more4 @10 - what science can tell us about death...

MagicMarker

Bloody hell, I wasn't expecting these pictures at the start of this episode!

Lapin

Wonder if Hitch will get a mention ?

MagicMarker

That genome mapping was awesome, really great end to the episode speaking about how his ancestors passed on their genes to him.

Sarky

He covered genomics? Ooh, I'll have to give it a look then, I love that stuff.

Pride Fighter

Preferred the first episode, but was still and interesting watch.

Obliq

Gave up 1/4 way through and watched some rubbish comedy. Dawkins' patronising was getting to me. Turned off after he said "They think they have found comfort in their belief...." (or very similar). No Dawkins - they have found comfort in their belief. Grrr.

Tar.Aldarion

Dades wrote: »

Watched the show there. Mildly entertaining. The stats about masturbation were amusing!

It's no Downton Abbey - but I'll probably tune in next week.

'My child will be Catholic, just like his father.' *splatters tea and monocles everywhere *

Thanks for the thread OP, I'll have a look, although I fear it may be a masturbatory affair.

Tedious Bore

episode 2 available online anywhere.....?

ooPabsoo

There we go...

Nodin

Tedious Bore wrote: »

episode 2 available online anywhere.....?

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/sex-death-and-the-meaning-of-life/4od

recedite

Obliq wrote: »

Dawkins' patronising was getting to me. Turned off after he said.............

Blasphemy!!

Tedious Bore

Obliq wrote: »

Gave up 1/4 way through and watched some rubbish comedy. Dawkins' patronising was getting to me. Turned off after he said "They think they have found comfort in their belief...." (or very similar). No Dawkins - they have found comfort in their belief. Grrr.

think it was reassurance not comfort he said. Agree it was a clumsy choice of words and reassurance can be used to mean comfort, but I took it to mean assurance along the lines of guarantees, - the promises made by religions.

personally I thought he seemed genuinely sympathetic to the couple, but then also felt uncomfortable that they truely believe they are guaranteed to see their dead child again .....and all because of the peddled promises of a religion.

at the very least, I don't think it could be seen as any more patronising then the pity some religious folk feel for all the non-believers going to hell.

thought the programme was alright. bit disjointed but bits were interesting.

thanks for the link

Andrewf20

Enjoyed the program although I too prefered the 1st episode. I just wish he wouldnt say - "more and more us realise there is no God". Sounds very dogmatic.

ShooterSF

Found it fascinating. I'd love to get my genome mapped at some point in my life. That would feel really cool for some sentimental reason. Like getting to know yourself in a new way. I was also interested in the idea of non-religious people having wishes for their dead carcass. I flip flop on this sooo much. I know it's irrational to care but I like to try and convince myself telling people what I would like done gives them the chance to gain more closure by meeting my wishes and it's not just selfish egotism.