Produced in 2008 for the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of On the Origin of Species, this British series is a “master class on Darwinian theories”
Times(UK). Author, scientist, and former Oxford professor Richard Dawkins explains who Darwin was, how he developed his theory (what Dawkins calls “the most powerful idea ever to have occurred to a human mind”), and why it matters. “Provocative, absorbing…totally convincing”
Observer(UK). SDH subtitles; 139 min. on 2 DVDs plus viewer guide. From Athena. EXCLUSIVE
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Disc 1Episode 1:
Life, Darwin & EverythingWho was Charles Darwin, and how did he conceive his revolutionary idea? How does evolution work? Most important, why does it matter? Darwin’s treatise,
On the Origin of Species, represented the culmination of years of research and thought. And the evidence confirming natural selection has continued to mount.
Episode 2:
The Fifth ApeAs a product of natural selection, the human species has nevertheless managed to transcend the evolutionary process by developing altruism. Dawkins explores the social and political implications of evolutionand how some proponents have misused science to promote genocide, eugenics, and ethnic cleansing.
Episode 3:
God Strikes BackDespite overwhelming evidence, many religious fundamentalists around the world refuse to accept evolution. Face to face, Dawkins takes on those who would deny or attack Darwin’s idea. Finally, Dawkins explains how people might find consolation in the idea of a world ruled by brutal natural forces rather than a benign Creator.
Disc 2BONUS INTERVIEWS
- Daniel Dennet, philosopher (50 minutes)
- Randy Nesse, doctor and author (46 minutes)
- Wendy Wright, Concerned Women for America (67 minutes)
- Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury (29 minutes)
- John Mackay, creationist (19 minutes)
- Science teachers (29 minutes)
Packaging:Thinpak
Run Time:139 minutes, plus 266 minutes of bonus programming
Format:Widescreen
Number of discs:2
Language:English
Subtitles:N/A
Color or B&W:Color
CC:No
SDH:Yes, main program only
Region Code:1
Aspect Ratio:16:9
Rating:N/A
"Provocative, absorbing…totally convincing"Observer(UK)
Richard Dawkins, host of this program, is a British evolutionary biologist, popular science author, and fellow at Oxford University until his recent retirement. Oxford has named the Dawkins Prize for ecology after him.