The Purpose of Purpose – Richard Dawkins
During Richard Dawkins’ American tour in March 2009, he gave a talk titled “The Purpose of Purpose”. I travelled with Richard to these cities and filmed the talks, which I’ve edited together here. The content of the talk remains intact, while the editing moves between the different locations and Richard’s Keynote presentation. There were Q&A sessions after each talk, which I plan on uploading soon. – Josh Timonen richarddawkins.net See more about Richard Dawkins’ upcoming book “The Greatest Show on Earth” here: richarddawkins.net This talk was given in Michigan, Minneapolis, Oklahoma and Nebraska. Filmed at: University of Minnesota – Minneapolis, Minnesota University of Oklahoma – Norman, Oklahoma Holland Performing Arts Center – Omaha, Nebraska Introductions by: PZ Myers – Minneapolis, Minnesota Barry Weaver – Norman, Oklahoma Richard Holland – Omaha, Nebraska Filmed and Edited by Josh Timonen Shot on Red One #4809
March 10th, 2010 at 2:07 pm
What about England, France, the Middle Easter and the Arab Gulf? I disagree that America is in the “Dark Ages” man. Our corporations and scientist do a lot to improve he human condition. We develop advance surgery, incredibly powerful drugs, computer technology from the University of California at Berkeley area, and much more. We also publish more scientific journals the any other country. Corporations looking for profit is what America has going for it. Thanks god (pun intended) for greed.
March 10th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
Yes – extinction of creationist ignorance is certainly something I would approve of.
March 10th, 2010 at 3:07 pm
ignorance breeding ignorance doesn’t lead to enlightenment. Like evolution dictates, those that can’t adapt to a changing environment will eventually become extinct.
March 10th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
Has anyone ever shown evidence that the “72 virgins” meme plays a real part in recruiting people to terrorism? It’s seductively plausible, but has there ever been a psychological study identifying this as a major motivating factor?
March 10th, 2010 at 3:38 pm
Much of America is in an intellectual dark age at the moment. Never mind – let them be chimps – they will one day turn into a more intelligent and enlightened species – thanks to Darwinian Evolution!
March 10th, 2010 at 4:14 pm
@ytv122. . . I know Christians and evolution are fucked up when İslam’s
prophet Jesus fight to devil and devil’s man Deccal
March 10th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
They also serve who only hand out the player rosters and explain the game.
March 10th, 2010 at 5:14 pm
Without a lab I can work in, the bit part I play is broaching the subject often and loudly and presenting as much supportive info to any dissenting voices as I can.
March 10th, 2010 at 6:09 pm
I meant, I’m just noT sure when the critical mass wiill hit. But it will.
This is a one-way idea. You don’t un-convert, any more than you unconvert from a spherical earth.
Aging is a solvable problem, and it is slowly and relentlessly being solved in labs all over the world.
Once solved the natural healthy mortality rate from accidental death and disease in a young individual is on the order of 2,000 years (10,000 years for a 10 year old), giving most of us time to solve the rest.
March 10th, 2010 at 7:02 pm
Only a tiny percent of the population understands this right now. But it’s about 20 times as many people as understood it 40 years ago.
This is much like an understanding of evolution, the kind of understanding that once you get it, you are a different person.
More people are getting it all the time. I’m just now sure when the critical mass will hit.
Thing is, this is the fulcrum point. Solve this problem and all others become relatively easy by comparison.
March 10th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
@TonyParamatti You know Islam is fucked up when they view science as the devil.
March 10th, 2010 at 8:58 pm
6:53, sounds like a woman
March 10th, 2010 at 9:13 pm
Ah thank you. If Islam is anti-science then all the more reason to show people how wrong it is. Just another nail in the coffin my friend. It’s a stupid, misogynist, anti-life, anti-human foulness upon the earth. I will search this DECCAL you mention. Hopefully he can help rid the world of the Islamic destruction.
Hey I bet your poor English really mangles this post. Looking forward to lots of hate from you.
March 10th, 2010 at 9:32 pm
I feel that if we acknowledged this reality and eliminated the death penalty explicitly on the grounds that it is evil to take 1000’s of years from someone FOR ANY REASON that it would send a message that would change the world.
We tend to view this life as very brief and fairly disposable. Would we send our young ones off to die in wars? Would we Be so rude to the stranger we pass on the street? Would we tell ourselves there just wasn’t enough TIME to learn every language or ___ course of study
March 10th, 2010 at 9:35 pm
You’ve got a kindred spirit here. I’ve been thinking about aging reversal for over 4 decades, and am finally seeing the pieces finally falling into place.
If people only realized the stakes, that 1,000, 10,000 year energetic life-spans will be the natural birthright of people in just a few short decades, then they’d be treating their health, and this whole discourse way differently than they do now.
March 10th, 2010 at 9:57 pm
DECCAL is the devil who explained by İSLAM. .
He wii be a scientist. . He will be most powerful.
He will come in the future. . Not yet. . And JESUS will figt to DECCAL
( My English is bad. . I am sorry. . I started to learn 2 months ago. . )
March 10th, 2010 at 10:51 pm
What?
March 10th, 2010 at 10:53 pm
@frissonknives – Haha, thanks! Yes, I’ve heard it lots of times but the title never stuck in my mind.
March 10th, 2010 at 11:08 pm
George Thorogood. The song is ‘Bad to the bone’. I assume you are 10 years old right? Not an insult. Just that this song is almost cultural MUSAK of the 20th and 21st century.
March 10th, 2010 at 11:29 pm
DAWKİNS. . . . DECCAL will be like you and He will come in future. . .
March 10th, 2010 at 11:47 pm
Which song is the music at 06:09 from?
March 11th, 2010 at 12:45 am
They will be healthier and more vibrant and more capable at 130 than they were at 60. And who knows the limit? Should we gnash our teeth? I definitely think so. Every day 100,000 people die of the stupid mechanical failures we label under the umbrella of “old age”. Our trillion dollar “war on terror” to revenge 4,000 deaths ignores 25 times that per day. Each day sooner these therapies come on line is 100,000 more lives saved each day. Nothing should be more important to us.
March 11th, 2010 at 1:19 am
I sense a kindred spirit. My calling is to inspire as many as possible to be gnashing their teeth for this.
Note: even presently, given accelerating advances in every technology (including medical), many people if they are able to live through the next 20-30 years will partake of many kinds of actual rejuvenation extending their life expectancy out to 150 or more. The sweet thing here is that living 50 years longer means they will be able to partake of even MORE ADVANCED rejuvenation.
March 11th, 2010 at 1:27 am
Unfortunately, the Dallas Morning News today is attempting to link atheism with church fires in rural Texas.
March 11th, 2010 at 1:57 am
longer life means more today than ever before. Tomorrows science will allow you to inhabit fabricated bodies of any type, store your mind in dozens of format’s, bifurcate into a dozen you each sending their experiences to the other, our social relationships will change accordingly. Edetic memory is better than any photograph. And viewing others recorded experiences will be just as easy.