The Greatest Show on Earth
Posted on | September 8, 2009 | Comments Off
On Friday the postman brought me my copy of Richard Dawkins’ new book The Greatest Show on Earth.
I was not going to start it until we go on holiday later this month, but I couldn’t resist.
Today, in the early 21st century, 150 years after Darwin published ‘The Origin of Species’ it seems daft that an eminent scientist such as Dawkins should have to waste precious time on writing a book to present the evidence for evolution, which is a scientific fact. But staggeringly, 40% of Americans don’t ‘believe’ in evolution. Such is the virulence of creationists, religious dogma and what Dawkins calls ‘history deniers’: people who despite incontrovertible evidence still deny that certain things happened, the Holocaust for example, or evolution, this book is so very necessary.
I’m less that a quarter of the way through, but already he has clarified the misunderstanding of people who deliberately say evolution is ‘only a theory’. The word theory can mean a number of things including an idea or hypothesis, or in the sense Darwin meant it: a series of ideas and general principles which seek to explain some aspect of the world.
I’ve read many thousands of pages about the natural world and biogeography, I’ve seen a lot of natural history and documentaries and I always learn something new and astonishing about life on earth, as I have in this book. He tells us about dog breeding, ‘missing links’, predators and prey, the evolutionary ‘arms race’, symbiosis, plate tectonics and how it has affected the distribution of living things. It’s fascinating stuff. Dawkins addresses this book at those who find evolution difficult, but sadly they are not likely to read it.
I love Dawkins’ sexy scientific brain, his wisdom and wit, his logic and reason, his use of crystal clear English, and his wonder at the biodiversity of the world. If you love the natural world and want to understand more about why it is the way it is, you’ll love this joyful book: ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’.
There’s a nice review of it here.
Dawkins and Lennox: Has science buried God?
Posted on | October 22, 2008 | Comments Off
Cleo and I went to the Oxford University Museum of Natural History last night to hear a discussion entitled Has science buried God?
The venue for this important discussion was chosen because 150 years ago a famous debate took place here between Bishop of Oxford Samuel Wilberforce and the biologist and friend of Charles Darwin Thomas Henry Huxley. They famously clashed over Darwin’s recently published theory of evolution by natural selection.
Last night’s speakers were Professors John Lennox and Richard Dawkins.
We were very excited to have got two of the very few sought-after tickets (I bought ours back in June) and as we queued to get in it was clear there were plenty of people who had travelled a long way to be there. It felt like an historic occasion. With limited seating we went to watch the debate from the balcony from where we witnessed the grandeur of the main exhibit hall, its breathtaking roof and cabinets of precious exhibits. I think this is the most beautiful building in Oxford. The media were there in force and I spotted at least three film crews. I stood directly behind the BBC camera and got talking to the woman operating it. She was filming for a programme due to be screened during the Darwin season next February (marking his bicentenary).
The speakers sat beneath the skeleton of tyrannosaurus rex and the debate began.
I’m not even going to attempt to précis the discussion, but you can imagine what these two eminent professors – one Christian, one atheist – covered: the origins of life, natural selection, the ‘pettiness’ of Jesus (Dawkins’ word), the lack of scientific evidence to prove the existence of a god, the overwhelming evidence for natural selection… all the things you’d expect. I was especially staggered at the blinkeredness of Lennox to accept that the faithless (like me if you hadn’t guessed) can have morals. I find that attitude quite offensive and naïve. I couldn’t understand why Lennox and others like him can’t see that because atheists have to work it out for themselves – really think about stuff rather than get it from some ancient dogma – that our moral codes are just as relevant, if not even more so because they are grounded in today’s experience with today’s knowledge. Anyway I feel a rant coming on so I’ll stop there!
The answer to the question ‘has science buried God?’ is obviously ‘unfortunately no, not yet’. But scientists have only just started to answer the big important questions. Give ‘em a couple of hundred years. But even then some people will be reluctant to accept the facts in favour of something more ‘woooo’.
And who ‘won’ the debate? Richard Dawkins, by miles. But then that’s what happens when you apply logic and reason.
Creationism is not science
Posted on | September 12, 2008 | Comments Off
Professor Michael Reiss of the Royal Society should hang his head in shame saying asinine things like this.
What people believe is nothing to do with science. Science is about provable facts and knowledge, not belief based on faith. There is no place for teaching fairy stories in science classrooms. People have a right to believe whatever they want, but unsubstantiated theories shouldn’t be taught as fact. Creationism should be consigned to the religion and philosophy classrooms, and thereafter to the Dustbin of Stupidity and Ignorance.
Oh for a secular education system!
Another thing to love about France
Posted on | September 8, 2008 | Comments Off
As a Briton, I know it’s not cricket to wax lyric about things French. 
But I like to buck trends. There are many wonderful things I love about France – the culture, the art galleries, the history, the prehistory, their secularity, their social conscience, the railways, their landscape. Here’s another profoundly good reason. The Church of Scientology in France will be tried in court for “organised fraud” . C’est fantastique!
The Genius of Charles Darwin
Posted on | August 3, 2008 | Comments Off
It won’t surprise you to hear that I can’t wait until 8pm tomorrow night when I’ll be glued to Channel 4, watching Professor Richard Dawkins present the first programme in a new series about his great hero (and mine): ‘The Genius of Charles Darwin’. Oh yes! Here’s a little clip on the Channel 4 website to whet our appetites.
This will be the first in a plethora of programmes about Darwin, 2008 being the 150th anniversary of the publication of his world-changing book ‘On the Origin of Species’, and 2009 being the 200th anniversary of the Great Man’s birth. The BBC are also making some progs to celebrate these events, including one with Sir David Attenborough. Can’t bloody wait!
Shopping with Jesus
Posted on | March 14, 2008 | No Comments
I have long been an opponent of ‘disposable’ plastic bags. I rarely if ever use them. I take my own shopping bags, one of which has served me well for 25 years and is still going strong. So I welcomed the Chancellor’s moves to tax plastic bags in this year’s Budget.
Anyway, earlier this year I was amused by this story where a bunch of over-sensitive, humourless christians in Singapore had been offended by a range of rather jolly products featuring Jesus. This is how they send out the Good News of their product range:
They sounded like exactly my sort of products! I was particularly enamoured with the Jesus Tote Bag, which I thought would add a certain frisson to tedious trips to the supermarket.
As the company who market the products do not sell them or ship them to the UK, I asked my Canadian friend David if he’d help this miserable sinner pander to her whim to own some of these sacred treasures. He was amused, too and very kindly he bought and posted them over to me. God bless you, David!
So here I am, out shopping with the King of Kings for my daily bread, saving plastic bags with the Saviour. One of the first things I put in it were a dozen hot-cross buns:
New improved Deadly Sins!
Posted on | March 10, 2008 | No Comments
That doddering old out-of-touch fool, the pope has declared some new additions to his list of deadly sins. Here they are:
 Pope Benedict: the face of Evil |
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On the surface you may think, ‘ooh, some of that’s quite cool, the old boy’s gone green and socially responsible!’ But scratch the surface and the stench of hypocracy is overpowering. For example, how can he begin to preach about excessive wealth when the pope’s little pad looks like this?
On social injustice, we should remember the catholic church’s part in the holocaust and their 2,000-year-old hatred of the jews. And we shouldn’t forget how the catholic church CAUSES poverty by preventing family planning, forcing families to have children they cannot feed, clothe, house and educate.
On genetic experimentation, can someone explain to me how a one-day old embryo has more right to life than the millions of people suffering right now from hideous diseases which may be cured if we encouraged scientists to do research on stem-cells and embryos?
Finally, my friend Paul asks bitterly: “Does ‘Tampering With The Order Of Nature’ include abusing choir boys? … Now kiss my ring.”
Common law of blasphemy abolished
Posted on | March 7, 2008 | Comments Off
 She can keep Jesus! But Jesus loses his privilege. |
I’m delighted to see that Parliament has finally abolished ancient and unworkable blasphemy laws in England and Wales.
It’s a small step in the right direction. Can we hope for further reforms in a secular direction I wonder? Let’s hope so. |
What a fool believes
Posted on | February 9, 2008 | Comments Off
 Rowan Williams is not a fluffy benign cleric, he is naive, foolish and dangerous |
I have long thought that the archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, is a fool. His recent comments about a partial introduction of Islamic ‘Sharia’ law to Britain are beyond belief and proves beyong reasonable doubt that he is ignorant, misguided, naive and dangerous. This man, who is meant to be a pillar of society (pillock of society, more like) should resign immediately.Anyone who thought that the Church of England was a benign and harmless boys’ club should now be able to see how so-called ‘moderate’ faiths are as dangerous as fundamentalist ones when they spout this kind of poppycock. |
Social cohesion, human rights and equality can only be made to happen if a nation is secular -one law for all, based on shared humanity and the common good, irrespective of race, gender, sexuality and faith (or lack of it in my case). In a secular society people are free to practice their faiths, whatever they may be, and are protected by the law- equally.
Don’t thank god, thank the pilot
Posted on | January 17, 2008 | Comments Off
Cor blimey! Did you hear about the aircraft which crash landed at Heathrow?
One report I heard on BBC News 24 said “it was a miracle†that no one was badly injured. Rubbish! Don’t thank some imaginary supernatural being, thank the pilot. It is testament to the professionalism of the pilot and the flight crew, isn’t it?, to say nothing of Heathrow’s emergency services…
20 January 2008 – Edit: Here we go with the god-hugger nonsense. One eyewitness says the crashed plane was “touched by God”. Would that be a malevolent god who caused the engines to fail in the first place? Idiot. The skills of co-pilot John Coward are what saved the flight from catastrophe.
shopping basket
