| The Genius of Charles Darwin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Written by | Richard Dawkins |
| Directed by | Russell Barnes,Dan Hillman |
| Starring | Richard Dawkins |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producers | Russell Barnes,Dan Hillman, IWC Media |
| Editor | Matt Platts-Mills |
| Running time | 138 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Release | 4 August (2008-08-04) – 18 August 2008 (2008-08-18) |
The Genius of Charles Darwin is a three-parttelevisiondocumentary, written and presented by evolutionary biologistRichard Dawkins.
It was first shown in August 2008 onChannel 4.[1] It won Best TV Documentary Series 2008 at the British Broadcast Awards in January 2009.[2]
In the first episodeRichard Dawkins explains the basic mechanisms ofnatural selection, and tells the story of howCharles Darwin developed his theory.
He teaches a year 11 science class aboutevolution, which many of the students are reluctant to accept. He then takes them to theJurassic Coast inDorset to search forfossils, hoping that the students can see some of the evidence for themselves.[3]
Dawkins also visits the place of his birth,Nairobi, where he interviews aprostitute who seems to have agenetic immunity toHIV, and goes on to predict that genetic immunity is a trait that will become more prevalent in the community over time.[3] He also talks to scientistCraig Venter about the DNA evidence for Darwin's theory.
In the second episode Richard Dawkins deals with some of thephilosophical and social ramifications ofthe theory of evolution.[4]
Dawkins starts out inKenya, speaking withpalaeontologistRichard Leakey. He then visits Christ is the Answer Ministries, Kenya's largestPentecostal church, to interview Bishop Bonifes Adoyo. Adoyo has led the movement to press theNational Museums of Kenya to sideline its collection of hominid bones pointing to man's evolution from ape to human.[5] The collection includes theTurkana Boy discovered byKamoya Kimeu, a member of a team led byRichard Leakey in 1984.
Dawkins discussessocial Darwinism andeugenics, explaining how these are not versions ofnatural selection, and that "Darwin has been wrongly tainted".
He then meets withevolutionary psychologistSteven Pinker to discuss howmorals can be compatible withnatural selection. He goes on to explainingsexual selection, withpeafowls as an example. To find out whether sexual selection plays a role foraltruism and kindness amonghumans, he visits women who are looking for sperm donors, as well as asperm bank manager. Dawkins also explainskin selection andselfish genes.
Dawkins talks with Dutchprimatologist andethologistFrans de Waal about empathy among chimpanzees.
In the third and final episode, Dawkins explains why Darwin's theory is one of history's most controversial ideas.[6]
Dawkins uses this episode to discuss the opposition that evolution has experienced since it was first discovered. He starts by approaching various anti-evolutionists, ranging from John Mackay from Creation Research,Wendy Wright, President ofConcerned Women for America, to English school teacher Nick Cowen. In order to address concerns they bring up, he shows the evidence for evolution, including fossil and DNA evidence. He also talks to the teachers of the science students who he taught during the first episode, asking them why they aren't adequately teaching the ideas of science properly, allowing instead their students to believe that truth is personal and that science is merely a point of view. He also interviewsRowan Williams whoseChurch of England Christianity is more compatible with evolution.
Dawkins' last interview is with the philosopherDaniel Dennett. They discuss whether Darwinism deprives people of consolation or rather provides them with greater understanding, context, and therefore, meaning.
Dawkins: Our brains that are so capable of appreciating this have been produced by the very sameprocess that we are now appreciating.
Dennett: Sometimes I like to say the planet has grown a nervous system and it's us.
Dawkins also describes Darwin's personal loss of faith, based not only on the natural mechanisms he saw, but also on the cruelty in the world which seemed to deny a loving God, in particular the loss of his daughter Annie. While Dawkins does address the bleakness of the Darwinian view, he spends the last part of this episode describing how Darwin and he himself address it, ending by saying:
In the perspective of the universe, the vastness of the universe and of geological time, we are insignificant. Some people find the thought disturbing, even frightening. Like Darwin, I find the reality thrilling.
