The Poetry of Reality with Richard Dawkins A good-humored conversation between Michael Shermer and Richard Dawkins
Dec 19, 2023
Michael Shermer, science writer and executive director of The Skeptics Society, discusses religious loyalty, defining a true religion, and polygamy. They also explore excommunication, belief in God, patterns in pi, and the correlation between periodical cicadas and prime numbers. The podcast touches on ayahuasca, induced spiritual experiences, shifting moral values, the fear of eternity, evolution without interspecies reproduction, tribalism, global culture, and the concept of illusion in consciousness.
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Nature Can Produce 'Mathematical' Patterns
- Prime-number life cycles in cicadas show complex natural patterns can mimic signals we might call 'intelligent.'
- Nature can produce patterns (like 13- and 17-year cycles) without any mathematician or designer.
Shift Morality Through Many Channels
- Advance in moral attitudes arises from many cultural channels, not a single cause, so promote conversation and institutions.
- Use books, law, media and daily dialogue to nudge the shifting moral zeitgeist forward.
Language Changes From The Ground Up
- Language and social customs change bottom-up via countless conversations rather than top-down mandates.
- Small shifts (pronouns, word choice) spread through social adoption, not legislation.