Dawkins radio interview

Richard Dawkins' radio interview
and my notes...

• 14:10 - misconception of virginity of Mary due to bad translation from Hebrew to Greek => παρθένος

• 28:20 - (Q) If God is almighty, why isn't everything perfect?

(my A) Everything may well be perfect. The idea of good and bad is a way of looking at the world. But at a larger scale, what humans call good or bad is just a symptom of language and (moral) feeling of a species, on a planet, in a galaxy, in a universe, or a so-called multiverse. Hence, possibly quite a minor issue at universal level. If at a multiverse level, for example, diversity were the sine-qua-non practical ideal, then (moral) imperfection would be a prerequisite for such a universe to exist. In any case, if the world (or multiverse) is perfect, then the very debate between theism and atheism is part of that perfection, let alone the existence of anything and everything (even if only in human minds), including pain, evil itself and God.

• 30:25 - (Q) It seems to me that a group of people (a tribe for instance) with their shared selfish genes, with a religion, could have an advantage over another tribe with their selfish genes, with a different religion [if e.g. religion A is warfare-oriented and religion B peace-minded, it is obvious in such a case which tribe will survive...]. So you've almost got natural selection for nasty religions.

=> ecological replacement / ecological competition

• 32:33 - (Q) How do you respond to people who say that your belief in science is just as fundamentalist [...] and your worldview is just one amongst many other valid ways of looking at the world?

(A) This is a rather pernicious fallacy that you find all over the place, that everybody's opinion is equally valid and your opinion's no better than mine and vice-versa. This is nonsense [...]. You have to look at the evidence

(Me) Duh, that's precisely science's credo, in the same way that someone else would say "You have to look to the Bible". I'm afraid Mr. Dawkins might be a an Evidence fundamentalist.]

• 38:26 (Dawkins) Quantum theory is very very specific about the particular kinds of things it needs to postulate. It is very much NOT an anything-goes science.

(me) Anything may not go in quantum theory, but anything MIGHT well go in the real multiverse (or Universe if you prefer). If the "sum" of all universes in any (even potential post- or meta-) multiverse if you want, contains all the possible outcomes of all the possible premises for example, then everything can be true at the same space and time and whatever other potential dimension you may possibly imagine, in at least one of the possible outcome situations. And this "sum of all universes" theory is but ONE potential theory that could potentially lead to the same conclusion.

• 45:11 - (Dawkins)It is amazing how people can be entirely logical about [...] forming a holiday's plan and about how to drive somewhere and how to cook a meal, and yet, when it comes to religion, all logic suddenly goes out of the window. It's a startling example of the power of religion, to sap the human intellect.

(me) It is amazing how people can be entirely religious about logic and evidence and the such, and yet, when it comes to science, the very idea of religiosity suddenly goes out of the window. It's a startling example of the power of logic, to sap human faith.