Last night (October 4, 2024) I not only had the distinct pleasure of sitting and listening to renowned genetic biologist, Professor Richard Dawkins, answer interview questions, but I also got to meet him, get a signed copy of his latest book, “The Genetic Book of the Dead,” and have a photo taken with him. Yes, I felt like a bit of a “fanboy,” but I didn’t care. I AM a huge fan. And I enjoyed it!
Dawkins is currently doing a book tour to promote his latest book, which includes sitting in front of paid audiences to answer sundry questions about his life, genetics, evolution, science, and of course, his atheism. He is, after all, the most world-famous atheist known today, now that Christopher Hitchens is gone. This is, by the way, acording to Dawkins himself, the last US tour he will ever do. He is 83 years old.
When I read that he was coming to Portland, I splurged and purchased a VIP ticket for the event. This included receiving a copy of his new book, attending a meet-and-greet after the event where he signed his book, and a photo of us sitting at the signing table. I also got to ask him one question during the Q&A session at the end of the event. I spent a lot of time coming up with one question, believe me. There is so much I would have loved to talk to him about.
The event was held at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in downtown Portland. I’ve been living in Portland for 26 years and that is the first time I’d been to the Hall. It’s a beautiful venue!
The event was scheduled for 7pm, but they said to arrive one hour early, so I did, about 5:45pm. I’ve been thinking so much about Dawkins’ scientific work lately, I’d forgotten about his reputation as an unapologetic atheist. Apparently, some local Christians hadn’t forgotten. Those of us waiting to get into the Hall had congregated on the sidewalk outside and were forced to listen to some asshole and his fellow congregants using a very loud megaphone to urge us all to follow Jesus and be saved. They were met not with counter-shouting, but simply with silence and looks of disgust. I couldn’t help but think what the reaction would be if a group of atheists blasted Sunday church-goers with a megaphone, spouting anti-faith propaganda.
Interestingly, the sidewalk raucous was counter-balanced by a young man quietly handing out a paper ad to the crowd, advertising a free screening at a local pub of the new documentary called, “Bad Faith,” about “Christian Nationalism’s Unholy War on Democracy.” I’d go, but I know the film is available on Amazon Prime and I plan to watch it. It’s a pleasant surprise to see the anti-faith movement alive and well in Portland!
Upon entering the Hall I got my wristband, a drink ($17 for a can of whiskey and ginger ale, WTF?) and found my seat. I’m a rube when it comes to figuring out the best place to sit for such events. Having never been to the Hall before, I didn’t really know how it was arranged, so picking a good seat using their seating charts was a bit sketchy. Fortunately, I got a terrific seat, 3 rows back from the front, which was good, as I’d left my hearing aids at home. Doh!
The emcee for this event, Thomas Sheedy, soon appeared on stage. He is president of Atheists for Liberty, a national organization of atheists. He spoke for about 15 minutes, talking about his respect and admiration for Dawkins, and then introduced the host, Dr. Colin Wright, the guy who would interview Dawkins for the next 90 minutes. Wright, like Dawkins, is also an evolutionary biologist and credits Dawkins with strongly influencing his career choice. He did a decent job, I think.
It was amazing how fast 90 minutes flew by. I was focused on listening, not recording everything that was discussed, but here’s a sample of the topics that he asked Dawkins about:
- Evolution.
This topic, understandably, came up again and again. Dawkins was asked about evolution-deniers and those that decry evolution as “just a theory.” Dawkins said that he wished people would stop describing it as “evolutionary theory.” He said, “It’s misleading. Evolution is not a theory. It is a scientific fact!”
- Science vs Faith.
This topic also popped up periodically through the questions and his responses, as well as from audience questions during the Q&A. He amusingly got somewhat animated discussing those who say they believe that evolution works the way it does because God designed it that way. This, he concluded, was ”bullshit.” What he meant, of course, was that these are people who want to have their cake and eat it, too. The audience loved this and applauded loudly. In the end, science and faith are mutually exclusive.
- His book, “The Genetic Book of the Dead.”
I am really looking forward to reading Richard’s new book! Having a signed copy is especially nice, and this will be something I hand down to my grandson, Markus. It is beautifully illustrated and is considered his most visual book ever. I think this is appropriate given the book is all about, according to Yale University Press, “…a whole new way of looking at living organisms: reading them as documents describing ancient worlds.”
They describe it further: “An exquisitely camouflaged lizard has a desiccated landscape of sand and stones “painted” on its back. Its skin can be read as a description of an ancient desert, a world in which its ancestors survived. Such descriptions are more than skin deep, however. They penetrate the very warp and woof of the entire animal…”
“In this groundbreaking exploration of the power of Darwinian evolution and what it can reveal about the past, Richard Dawkins shows how the body, behavior, and genes of every living creature can be read as a book—an archive of the worlds of its ancestors. In the future, a zoologist presented with a hitherto unknown animal will be able to decode its ancestral history, to read its unique “book of the dead.” Such readings are already uncovering the remarkable ways animals overcome obstacles, adapt to their environments, and, again and again, develop remarkably similar ways of solving life’s problems.”
Like I said, I’m anxious to read this book!
- Genetics and sexual identity.
If you are unfamiliar with the work of Richard Dawkins, you may not realize that he has received some backlash for his views on sexual identity, especially his views on transgender issues. Perhaps due to the current wave of “woke-ism” washing over the US, Dawkins’ major offense to his detractors is his steadfast resolve in relying on biological science to support his arguments; for example, his statements that biologically, there are only two sexes. Period. He later discussed that he found it very troubling that people who are male, with male musculature and male hormones running through their blood, are worming their way into sports venues for women. He felt this was unfair. He got a lot of applause for this. Especially from me!
In 2021, Dawkins lost his Humanist of the Year award because he compared people who say they are transgender to Rachel Dolezal, a woman who is white, but identifies as black. Dawkins tired to explain that he was making an purely academic argument, but given the woke times we live in, no one was interested in hearing that.
- Q & A.
The Hall last night looked sold out to me, but I’m not sure. I do know that the VIP option was completely sold out. And a lot of people had questions for Richard Dawkins, myself included! I viewed this as a kind of once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I spent some time crafting my question.
I felt bad for one South Asian man who had also spent time thinking about his question for Richard. Sadly, his question was about philosophy, a topic Dawkins is always quick to point out is better discussed with philosophers than himself. Worse, it had to do with Kant and Hume and was completely off-topic. When he continued trying to press his question, Dawkins asked him to sit down and get onto the next question. LOL.
Another guy, this one coincidentally also South Asian, but with a thick accent, asked him about how quantum physics has a lot in common with Eastern mysticism. His question was more pedantic, and when coupled with the heavy accent, hard to follow. Dawkins responded with (paraphrasing), “Quantum physics is mysterious. Eastern mysticism is mysterious. That doesn’t mean they have anything to do with each other.” LOL. Next!
Other questions asked were more on point and a few were very good. I think everyone, like me, wished we had more of Dawkins’ time to discuss our questions. I wanted to ask a question of Richard that reflected his interest in genetics and memes and somehow connect this with my interest in the physics of information, the philosophy of mind, and artificial intelligence. Easy-peasy, right?
So, I came up with the following question:
“Professor Dawkins, you’ve described genes and memes as fundamental drivers of both biological and cultural evolution, the pinnacles of which are arguably human intelligence and modern society respectively. Given the critical role that information plays within these contexts, do you see consciousness as an emergent phenomenon born of evolving information systems, analogous to genes and memes? And if so, do you think evolving information systems may give rise to conscious man-made entities someday?”
Dawkins kindly answered the best he could, given the short amount of time at hand. I wanted to hear more about his view of the criticality of information found in our genes, but that is a subject that would require much more time to answer. So, he stepped around that and instead responded that he believes consciousness is the ultimate mystery that science has to solve. He added that yes, he believes that one day we humans may create a conscious machine, although we are not at that point…yet. He finished with the thought that one day, when we humans are no longer here, our AI progeny may be all that’s left to carry on. That was kind of a somber note that I found unexpected, but not unwelcomed.
My question got some applause and various compliments were thrown at me on my way back to my seat and afterward, which was surprising.
I am very grateful for the opportunity to listen and meet Professor Dawkins. As a memory, it’s a keeper!
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