What Do Our Genes Reveal About Our Past? w/ Richard Dawkins

What do our genes reveal about our past?

Richard Dawkins, one of the world’s most influential and thought-provoking scientists, explored the most profound principles of evolutionary history in his new book, The Genetic Book of the Dead.

Dawkins is a renowned evolutionary biologist, zoologist, and author. He is also a prominent figure in New Atheism alongside Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitchens and is well known for his criticisms of creationism and intelligent design.

I had the extraordinary privilege of discussing his new book in our two-part interview. In addition to judging his book, we explored the evolution of sex drive and aesthetic appreciation, genetics, the intersection of theoretical and experimental science, the potential of artificial intelligence, and more.

Tune in to learn about genes from one of the most prominent evolutionary biologists of our time!

Key Takeaways:

00:00 Intro
01:41 Judging a book by its cover
06:12 Do genes die?
08:04 Can genes predict the future?
11:37 The extended phenotype
25:02 The hypothetical scientist of the future
31:12 A colony of symbiotic vertical viruses
35:11 Final exit to the future
38:30 What evolutionary purpose does music serve?
45:47 The palimpsest
51:59 AI, pain, and evolutionary processes
59:32 Outro

Additional resources:

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[DrBrianKeating]

Thanks for being a member of my community 😊😊😊

[isatousarr]

Our genes are like biological archives, holding clues to our evolutionary history and the journeys of our ancestors. Through genetic analysis, we can trace human migration patterns, discover ancient connections between populations, and uncover shared genetic traits that have helped us adapt to different environments. They also reveal the influence of natural selection, showing how diseases, climate changes, and diets have shaped us over millennia. Ultimately, our genes provide a powerful window into our collective past, offering insights into where we come from and how we’ve evolved into the diverse species we are today.

[sdrc]

In 2017, scientists encoded a primitive movie into DNA in living cells and were able to play it back

[helicalactual]

another amazing discussion. thank you dr. Keating.

[spookydook]

Masterfull delivery and raising complex thought.. love it 💕

[emmetbrown]

he might be right but he seems to be driven more by ideology than by truth

[stockinvestor]

Richard Dawkins :D will be a great watch!

[BB-cfgx]

Great subject matter. Excellent guest.

[professorwolverinebeardsan]

Why does Brian whisper in his advertisements?

[louisehaley]

Goodbye Mr Chippy* - is this your Final Bow ?
😢😢😢😢😢😢

*a wordplay on that wonderful 1939 movie “Goodbye Mr Chips” and “Chippy” the affectionate name for Chipping Norton, the Professor’s ancestral home in Oxfordshire.

[louisehaley]

58:22- yes pain may be useful in teaching the organism not to engage in a particular activity which may cause it harm, (ie touching a hot stove), but why should something like menstruation and childbirth be so agonizing if they’re just normal bodily functions ?

[sulljoh]

The extended phenotype is such a cool idea. This sort of thing is a lot more interesting IMO than the arguments about God

[darialaskowska]

Fantastic! Tickets to 27th Oct London booked! See you Prof Dawkins!

[barryinsabah]

The weather control also sounds like Lovelocks Ghia hypothesis tested for the aglal production of DMS gasas on clouds and the earth's albedo

[LanceHall]

If God had to design animals with protection from predators then why did he make the predators??

[DrDeuteron]

bats do Fourier analysis on sounds, we do not. I mean some people have perfect pitch, but NO ONE has perfect phase.

[alexsuited]

Do you start all of your interviews at Noon? Just wondering. Peace ✌️ 😎.

[craigswanson]

11:29. Perhaps Albert felt guilty about not giving credit to his wife for her critical contributions?

[nunomaroco]

Hi, just amazing, incredible talk, all the best....

[alexbarnett]

Seriously great podcast, how don’t more people know about it!?