Episodes

  • Why The Selfish Gene Haunts Some Readers | A Conversation with John McWhorter

    Why The Selfish Gene Haunts Some Readers | A Conversation with John McWhorter
    Jun 6 2025
    In this episode of The Poetry of Reality, Richard Dawkins joins John McWhorter for a compelling conversation about Richard's latest book, The Genetic Book of the Dead along with a wide array of topics including evolution, genetics, science, and the broader cultural forces that shape our understanding of truth. John McWhorter is a linguist, author, and professor at Columbia University, best known for his work in creole studies, sociolinguistics, and for his commentary on race, language, and politics in American society.
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    1 hr and 20 mins
  • Some 'Intellectuals' Make It Sound Deep | A Conversation with Peter Boghossian

    Some 'Intellectuals' Make It Sound Deep | A Conversation with Peter Boghossian
    May 23 2025
    In this episode of The Poetry of Reality, Richard Dawkins joins Peter Boghossian for a compelling conversation about Richard's latest book, The Genetic Book of the Dead along with a wide array of topics including evolution, genetics, science, and the broader cultural forces that shape our understanding of truth. This episode was filmed as part of Richard Dawkins' tour. Peter Boghossian is an American philosopher, author, and educator best known for his work on critical thinking, atheism, and free speech.
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    1 hr and 29 mins
  • ChatGPT Passed the Turing test, but… | A Conversation with Brian Keating

    ChatGPT Passed the Turing test, but… | A Conversation with Brian Keating
    May 8 2025
    In this episode of The Poetry of Reality, Richard Dawkins joins Brian Keating for an insightful conversation touching on evolution, genetics, science, and culture. They explore Richard's latest book, The Genetic Book of the Dead along with a wide array of topics including AI, the extended phenotype, evolution, the possibility of alien life followed by audience questions. This episode was filmed as part of Richard Dawkins' tour. Brian Keating is an American cosmologist, professor of physics at the University of California, San Diego, and a bestselling author. He is renowned for his research on the early universe, cosmic microwave background radiation, and inflationary cosmology.
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    1 hr and 32 mins
  • I Sympathize with Trans People, but... | Richard Dawkins in Conversation with Colin Wright

    I Sympathize with Trans People, but... | Richard Dawkins in Conversation with Colin Wright
    Apr 26 2025
    In this episode of The Poetry of Reality, Richard Dawkins joins Colin Wright for an insightful conversation touching on evolution, gender, science, and culture. They explore Richard's latest book, The Genetic Book of the Dead along with a wide array of topics including the nature of truth, the reliability of science, evolution, and the controversies surrounding sex and gender. This episode was filmed as part of Richard Dawkins' tour. Colin Wright is an evolutionary biologist and science writer whose work spans research on animal behavior, particularly social insects, and public advocacy for evidence-based discussions on sex and gender. Join Substack: https://richarddawkins.substack.com/ Subscribe to Poetry of Reality Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmwfdgHA_R9fzr1L0_hxdVw Follow: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richard_dawkins/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RichardDawkins Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RichardDawkinsBooks Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ThePoetryofReality
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    1 hr and 33 mins
  • A Conversation with Nick Gillespie in Milwaukee | Richard Dawkins' Final Tour

    A Conversation with Nick Gillespie in Milwaukee | Richard Dawkins' Final Tour
    Apr 18 2025
    In this episode of The Poetry of Reality, Richard Dawkins joins Nick Gillespie, editor-at-large at Reason magazine, for an insightful conversation touching on evolution, genetics, science, and culture. They explore Richard's latest book, The Genetic Book of the Dead, along with his previous works such as The Selfish Gene. The discussion expands into science’s ongoing tensions with ideology, religion, and postmodern thought, followed by a spirited audience Q&A session. This episode was filmed at Pabst Theatre, on the September 20th 2024, as part of Richard Dawkins' tour. Nick Gillespie is editor-at-large at Reason magazine, a prominent journalist, and commentator known for insightful coverage of politics, culture, and free speech.
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    1 hr and 33 mins
  • The Most Misunderstood Thing about Dawkins | A Conversation with Alex O Connor

    The Most Misunderstood Thing about Dawkins | A Conversation with Alex O Connor
    Apr 11 2025
    1 hr and 23 mins
  • Richard Dawkins in Conversation with Patrick House | Richard Dawkins’ Final Tour in Warwick

    Richard Dawkins in Conversation with Patrick House | Richard Dawkins’ Final Tour in Warwick
    Apr 3 2025
    In this episode of The Poetry of Reality, Richard Dawkins engages with neuroscientist and author Patrick House in a wide-ranging conversation covering the differences between physics and biology, the role of elegance in science, and surprising insights into camouflage, animal behavior, and artificial selection. They also explore topics like the extended phenotype, parasites and parasitic ideas followed by an audience Q&A session. This episode was filmed at the Warwick Arts Centre, on the 23rd of Oct 2024, as part of Richard Dawkins' tour. ​Patrick House is a neuroscientist and writer whose work explores the complexities of the human brain, particularly focusing on consciousness and the influence of mind-controlling parasites. He earned his Ph.D. in neuroscience from Stanford University and currently serves as the writer-in-residence at Stanford's Center for the Explanation of Consciousness.
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    1 hr and 24 mins
  • Space meets Earth, Porco and Dawkins in Glasgow

    Space meets Earth, Porco and Dawkins in Glasgow
    Mar 27 2025
    In this episode of The Poetry of Reality, Richard Dawkins engages in an insightful conversation with Carolyn Porco about gene immortality, ancestral traits, the extended phenotype, extraterrestrial life, criticisms of religion and atheism, followed by audience questions. This episode was filmed at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on the Oct 31st 2024, as part of Richard Dawkins' tour. Carolyn Porco is a renowned planetary scientist and science communicator best known for leading the imaging science team on NASA’s Cassini mission to Saturn, where she played a pivotal role in major discoveries such as the geysers on Enceladus and the potential for extraterrestrial habitability.
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    1 hr and 22 mins
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