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Richard Dawkins – Break the Science Barrier

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“Break the Science Barrier” is another documentary from ethnologist and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, and this is about looking into science and the scientific process as not only a useful tool to learning, it’s also a very exciting and stimulating world.

Dawkins interview familiar and famous people in the world of Science and he also profiles some of Science greatests personalities.

The documentary also shows Dawkins meeting people who have experienced and embraced the wonders of science first-hand. We meet the astronomer who first discovered pulsars, the geneticist who invented DNA fingerprinting, a scientist who discovered a protein that causes cancer, and others.

Many of the people presented here are also subjects of other documentaries that Dawkins has produced for television, and mostly also discusses their work and contribution to the world of science and learning in general.

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Published on April 20, 2010 · Filed under: Anthropology, Biology, Environment, Cosmology, Physics, Science, Technology

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george

incredible that western europe and the western world as a whole, would still have difficulty in accepting a scientific view of the cosmos. however, for a long time in history knoledge
was an exclusive privilege to an exclusive social class.
Indeed, our world doesn’t have the resources to tolerate ignorance, stupidity and greed for any longer and therefore, all of humanity should come toghether at last.
Science is knoledge and knoledge is wisdom. It is hard work finding answers to fundamental questions but is even harder to accept that ”WE” are here for a reason.
Why do we feel the need for an eternal life? Because WE are pathetic and very afraid, period.
Science is dificult and requires extensive studying but it is HONEST and therefore ethical and beautiful. It’s time perhaps ”WE” truly understand the meaning of beauty.
jack

well said,
but i think an appriciation and understanding of religious dogmatism, as what sam harris defines as a social disorder, is key to combating this issue. while i dont take the ‘softly softly’ approach of dennet to religion, i think understanding takes precedent over the hard hand of pure reason. the understanding and subsequent correction of this ‘social disorder’ is, i feel, the only way forward. as some1 who has come face to face with the conversation stopping faith argument, i suggest that we (the minority) must engage the other side from a position that elucidates the utility of reason over faith, rather than battering faith with the hammer of truth.
Robbyou

I am Glad we have the south. It gives a place for all the bible beating followers to live peacefully in their ignorance. It is not as good as putting them all on a happy island away from logic, but at least they are mostly contained.
I was embarassed for our country when at around 5:50 the Governor of Alabama does a pantomime of evolution in an official meeting. The important thing to remember on this is that he is only a Governor, he has no real power in the long run. He makes his point well though… for both sides of the argument. For the sheep who would believe the unsubstanciated rubbish being played out in satrical form; as well as the rest of the world who looks at this and realizes that they need not argue reason to his followers, they can not possibly understand it. If you have to make your point by dragging your knuckles on the ground like a monkey, then you have lost the argument already.
You cant have it both ways, Either man was made of clay in God’s image exactly as it states in the bible, or it is a metaphor open to interpretation.
If it is word for word true, then you can not argue later on that other passages in the book are metaphors, not to be taken literally.
If it is a book open to interpretation, then who is man to interpret it? And if man is qualified to decrypt the real meanings of the teachings, then how does man become qualified? if just reading the book over and over in an attempt to gain a better understanding is certification enough, then how can one man argue to another that his opinion on what it means is correct.
This would have been better if God could clarify the meaning. Possibly in a global email, if it was not just spam
Robbyou

I am Glad we have the south. It gives a place for all the bible beating followers to live peacefully in their ignorance. It is not as good as putting them all on a happy island away from logic, but at least they are mostly contained.
I was embarassed for our country when at around 5:50 the Governor of Alabama does a pantomime of evolution in an official meeting. The important thing to remember on this is that he is only a Governor, he has no real power in the long run. He makes his point well though… for both sides of the argument. For the sheep who would believe the unsubstanciated rubbish being played out in satrical form; as well as the rest of the world who looks at this and realizes that they need not argue reason to his followers, they can not possibly understand it. If you have to make your point by dragging your knuckles on the ground like a monkey, then you have lost the argument already.
You cant have it both ways, Either man was made of clay in God’s image exactly as it states in the bible, or it is a metaphor open to interpretation.
If it is word for word true, then you can not argue later on that other passages in the book are metaphors, not to be taken literally.
If it is a book open to interpretation, then who is man to interpret it? And if man is qualified to decrypt the real meanings of the teachings, then how does man become qualified? if just reading the book over and over in an attempt to gain a better understanding is certification enough, then how can one man argue to another that his opinion on what it means is correct.
This would have been better if God could clarify the meaning. Possibly in a global email, if it was not just spam

Linda

Please don’t generalize all Southerns as bible beaters. I’m a southern and I don’t beat a bible or drag my knuckles to prove my point. However, you are correct about the bible being open to interpretation and should not be taken literally.

CBat

Indeed we aren’t all ignorant. Just most.

Unfortunately I moved back to the south from California after having been gone for most of my life, and so am prone to taking the outsider perspective. A vast numbers southerners celebrate their ignorance as a form of cultural inheritance, and I feel deeply ashamed of the whole business.

On the bright side, the Bible Belt made a quick atheist of me!
Robbyou

Just to clarify, and it may be a small distinction; I said I was glad we had the south because it gives a place for ignorance to live, not that everyone in the south is a bible beater.

CBat

Heh, I wish we could just outsource the ignorance entierly.
Linda

Ignorance can be found anywhere and to generalize one region of the country to be ignorant is not logical. I have lived in many places including California, Germany, Texas, and North Carolina. In these places I have lived I found that there were many people that were well informed as well as others who stuck with the status quo.

Robbyou

There is NO doubt that the south is the end all and be all of exactly what my point has been all along> i do not demonize nor blame it, i just say that they have a waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay different view of reality than i do. I can only hope to point out a little hole of enlightenment in their blanket of ignorance. look at a map of the states, there should be three colors. red, blue, and those who live in the never changing, believe what my mammy taught me, good enough to wash my dishes, but not good enough to teach my child… SOUTH. Sometimes I feel like i live here to say” Your welcome, I just cancelled your vote!”

Jeremy

A superb Analysis sir. I tip my virtual hat to you. Keep it up.

Cee

Of course, the successful scientist must control paradigm in as encompassing a way as possible. Whithout the establishment of paradigm science is impotent. People, like Dawkins, who prop up the idea that science is going to continually have all the answers for society are, however, masking some of the deeper problems with science. Post war, petro-chemical, industrial expansion is just one example of how the public has been duped by science under the guise of offering a better life without fear of any , for years apparent, destructive results that science, industry and greed have caused. Point taken, we should remember all great laws upon which science has been founded over the centuries and we may find it helpful to integrate these scientific truths into our daily lives, in beneficial ways. The problem with letting science rule over society should be obvious by now. Sometimes, scientist act like “high priests” lording over the cringing, ignorant masses. My sense is that Dawkins, and those like him view science in a way similar to how Milton Friedman viewed economics. Taking aim at the evolutionist, christian sects is rediculously simple. The adage, “shooting fish in a barrel,” comes to mind. As Dawkins sumates, science answers the how and the why for him. Let’s not forget that science and scientist have proven to be a lot more dangerous than the odd paleontologist digging up a few fossils. Often, science has shown very little reason behind (as little reason as say, a southern evolutionist) sinister outcomes of dire consequence. Often, the only apparent reason behind science is profit, greed and power. ‘White-washing’ the subject of science, the way this documentary has, is not helping and may be viewed as trite and incomplete.
Will C. Soon

Of course, the successful scientist must control paradigm in as encompassing a way as possible. Whithout the establishment of paradigm science is impotent. People, like Dawkins, who prop up the idea that science is going to continually have all the answers for society are, however, masking some of the deeper problems with science. Post war, petro-chemical, industrial expansion is just one example of how the public has been duped by science under the guise of offering a better life without fear of any , for years apparent, destructive results that science, industry and greed have caused. Point taken, we should remember all great laws upon which science has been founded over the centuries and we may find it helpful to integrate these scientific truths into our daily lives, in beneficial ways. The problem with letting science rule over society should be obvious by now. Sometimes, scientist act like “high priests” lording over the cringing, ignorant masses. My sense is that Dawkins, and those like him view science in a way similar to how Milton Friedman viewed economics. Taking aim at the evolutionist, christian sects is rediculously simple. The adage, “shooting fish in a barrel,” comes to mind. As Dawkins sumates, science answers the how and the why for him. Let’s not forget that science and scientist have proven to be a lot more dangerous than the odd paleontologist digging up a few fossils. Often, science has shown very little reason behind (as little reason as say, a southern evolutionist) sinister outcomes of dire consequence. Often, the only apparent reason behind science is profit, greed and power. ‘White-washing’ the subject of science, the way this documentary has, is not helping and may be viewed as trite and incomplete.

Robbyou

so what is the alternative?

Prithvi

Depends on whom you’re asking. As for me, the teapot orbiting the sun seems like a good choice.

Tiago C.

The problem you presented is not related to science specifically. I do think science is the way to go. The problem here is about “knowledge”.

People are to willing to accept what is often “fed” to them. And this happens because they don’t fully understand what is being suggested to them (If you think about it a little you’ll see what I mean). That has always been the problem with religion and is still the problem with sciences.

If you look at how religion evolved, especially in the midlle ages, you will see, that the clerk was the scientific knowledge center back then. And…who controlled knowledge, controlled the masses.
This has been happening since man was still living in caves and this theory serves as an example of what I’m saying, because it has been happening forever, and most people don’t see it even while it’s all around them.

On a side note: did you know that the word “idiot” was invented in Greece to describe “The People”. Because they were…well, idiots, and by idiots I don’t mean they were unable to learn, I mean they were kept in the dark.
People that controlled knowledge worked hard to keep it under control.

This is still happening today, even if on a smaller scale (thank god for the internet, and for some people that along the way had the decency, and sometimes the guts, to share their knowledge with the public).
And if you think I’m wrong, just look at he sheet that the American government tried to pull over everyone’s eyes with the Iraq matter. Trying to conceal true information and releasing false one, or in the industry business, where technologies are kept in secret because of fear of the competition, or even at work, where an emplyee is many times kept in the dark about his bosse’s reasons or methods so he won’t someday overthrow him.
If you think about it, you can find many examples of what I’m saying, pretty much everywhere you look – literally.

People are kept in the dark to an extent, and are often led to accept ideas and ideals, simply because they don’t have a sufficiently clear understanding of the subject at hand.

So do you really wanna know what’s the alternative here?
Well, If you still need me to suggest it…Make up your own damn mind! Learn the subject and decide for yourself! Ponder your decisions. QUESTION!

Science might not explain everything, but it gives us a basis that can be used by everyone to understand the world the same way. As long as people are able and especially, willing to learn.

Like a wiseman said: “Give him a fish and feed him for a day, teach him to fish and feed hi for a lifetime”

Tiago C.

And when I mean “willing to learn” I mean “learn for themselves”.

TheMysteriousStranger

Dear Mr Dawkins,

What you present is very similar to the things you are argue against. Lets take religion as an example:

Religions are also trying to persuade me, they are also trying to illuminate me, they also offer answers, they are also trying to scare me, they also say that their particular way of understanding the world will help me, they also claim to be exciting, they also claim “truth”… and funny enough one thing seems to be above all: everyone wants to sell books!

It makes me feel a bit “intellectually insulted” because the tricks of arguing seem to be the same as everywhere else. Scare tactics etc etc. The standards never seem to rise.

Instead of trying to astound me with “experiencing god” science try to astound me with “mind-boggling facts” (and fancy visual special effects in documentaries). And yeah, in one way I do find it more interesting with the gravity of a black hole than some fairy tale about a god entering my conscioussness. It’s just too bad that the only way of testing these mind-boggling facts is by using the tools presented by science in the first place. So it’s like religion asking me to test their beliefs by using the bible…

I do have a positive view of the potential of science though (as an instrument of helping those in need).

My point of view is that a thought, as it emerges from the brain, is a divorce of understanding (since everything born from the brain will always be limited only within the reach of the brain itself – that includes maths, physics, arts, religions, instruments constructed by brain-thought, philosophy – everything!). That means that a map can never be the same as the actual landscape. So to me there is no science, no religion, no philosophy, no enlightenment/illumination, no mysticism, no political ideaology, no nothing that can ever answer anything. (So basically it is the same with this answer I am writing right now hehe… :P)

It’s all “sunshine stories”, offering something in return for my mind and my wallet. Just the same as everything else. I do however, like I said, believe that science has the greatest potential (currently compared to what is out there) as an instrument of helping those in need. I mean, if I break a bone I’d be happy if someone knew how to fix it (too bad about that atomic bomb though).

I might be crazy though (who knows, wouldnt surprise me) but I still think that it’s just because Im not all overly enthusiastic about being a connoiseour of anything that I might come off as a bit… eccentric ;)
Nikk

I think Dawkins is a smart guy. I love to watch him destroy creationists but at the same time I always agree with the person above who said it best. It really IS shooting fish in a barrel. However, the problem is not with science or religion but the involvement of political power. The Christian Evangelical right wing of this country, the most militarily powerful country in the world, has MASSIVE power. Thus the power they wield is not only over their neighbor communities who aren’t evangelical right wing christians but also over parts of the world that America exerts its influence over. This forces, I believe, the debate to degenerate into these mock scientists that the evangelical right wing puts forth and atheist scientists who are infinitely more intelligent. The problem though is that this debate really pulls the wool over ideas and concepts that SHOULD be discussed.

It may seem that I’m tooting Mr. Dawkins’ horn here but what I’m getting at is that the theory of evolution DOES have holes in it. As do all theories of evolution. Science CAN’T explain or disprove/prove everything. Or maybe it can? But THAT argument gets trounced by the much more entertaining argument between scientists like Richard Dawkins and people who ask all these Sophist questions so that when scientists say “yes, the scientific community has no answer to that at this time.” They can then jump in and say “AHA! Then OF COURSE God did it!”. Which is a cop out and a bogus argument.

I got handed a 12 dvd series by “Doctor” Kent Hovind who is a creationist evangelical teacher pseudo-scientist and I couldn’t even get through the first hour and a half. This guy said that Charles Darwin didn’t come up with the theory of evolution; Satan did, the south will rise again, death and disease were products of man’s sin, to claim that the earth is millions of years old is blasphemy because it means you’re saying that death came before sin, and that because the laws of THERMODYNAMICS are not necessarily observed by all life or the theory of evolution’s dogma that they can’t be true…because thermodynamics apparently doesn’t ONLY APPLY TO THERMODYNAMIC SYSTEMS but also to all of life on earth because we, as humans, operate on the same laws that create combustion engines and shit like that. furthermore, this guy is the LEADING voice in the evangelical christian creationist movement.

sophist dribble of THAT nature should be decried and run out of any civilized town. but serious scientific debate and freedom of thought should be encouraged. and i really seriously implore creationists to come to the table but NOT with “the bible is the absolute word of god” which gives them the “right” to quote the writings of 5000 b.c middle eastern mad men as scientific fact.
Lendyll Naicker

Dear Friends

I’m the acquisitions co-ordinator of an independent television station that
broadcasts through the Western Cape. We are based in Cape Town, South Africa
and are registered under the name Cape Town TV. We are a non-profit, free-to-air community TV station and anyone with a TV set and aerial can tune into Cape Town TV (CTV). The station is committed to broadcasting content that showcases local talent, strengthens communities, promotes freedom of expression as well as access to information. CTV aims to empower people with both knowledge and the ability to tell their own stories. I think that you could prove valuable in ensuring that we attain this goal in the sense that you’re content fits our programme mandate. We currently reach an estimated 1.3 million people. Could you make any content available for broadcast please do let me know. As a start-up non-profit, we cannot afford licensing fees currently. We do however broadcast non-exclusively, meaning that you could still sell this footage or have it broadcast on other stations concurrently. For more information you could refer to our website (www.capetowntv.org). I look forward to hearing from you shortly.

Send your DVD’s, as well as a signed
Letter of Consent, allowing Cape Town TV permission to broadcast the
content, non-exclusively, and for a period of 24months to:

Lendyll Naicker
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