Episode · Lex Fridman Podcast · 2020-04-09
Books mentioned on #87 – Richard Dawkins: Evolution, Intelligence, Simulation, and Memes
Richard Dawkins is an evolutionary biologist, and author of The Selfish Gene, The Blind Watchmaker, The God Delusion, The Magic of Reality, The Greatest Show on Earth, and his latest Outgrowing God.
Lex Fridman discussed The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, and Outgrowing God by Richard Dawkins. Richard Dawkins recommended The Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin, Dark Universe by Daniel F. Galouye, The Time Sculptor by Daniel Gallo, and The Black Cloud by Fred Hoyle, and discussed Counterfeit World by Daniel F. Galouye and Contact by Carl Sagan.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Selfish Gene
The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins is a seminal science book that popularizes a gene-centric view of evolution and explores the biological origins of selfishness and altruism.
Discussed“so correct me if I'm wrong but in your book selfish Gene the the gene centered view of evolution of allows us to think of the physical organisms as just the medium through which the software of our genetics and the ideas sort of propagate”
Where to get it
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The God Delusion
The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins is a prominent polemical work that argues against the existence of a creator deity and critiques the societal impacts of religion.
Discussed“so that's a really clean idea and you've articulate that in your new book and and I'll grow God and in God Delusion is the early indoctrination”
Where to get it
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Outgrowing God
Outgrowing God by Richard Dawkins is a book designed to help young readers and inquiring minds navigate questions of religion, faith, and secularism by encouraging critical thinking and skepticism.
Discussed“so that's a really clean idea and you've articulate that in your new book and and I'll grow God and in God Delusion is the early indoctrination”
Where to get it
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Counterfeit World
Discussed“it's certainly an interesting thought experiment I first met it in a science fiction novel by Daniel galloy called um counterfeit world in which um it's all about I mean our heroes are running a gigantic computer which which simulates the world and um and something goes wrong”
Where to get it
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The Voyage of the Beagle
The Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin is the celebrated travel memoir and scientific journal chronicling Darwin's five-year survey expedition that fundamentally shaped his theories on evolution and natural selection.
Recommended“what um what books would you recommend people consider reading in their own intellectual Journey Darwin”
Where to get it
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Dark Universe
Dark Universe by Daniel F.
Recommended“well actually um I I have I suppose I could say that I've learned some some science from science fiction um I I me I mentioned Daniel galloy and that's one example but another of his novels called Dark Universe which is not terribly well known but it's a very very nice science fiction story”
Where to get it
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The Time Sculptor
The Time Sculptor by Daniel Gallo is a speculative science fiction work exploring intricate concepts of time, reality, and human existence.
Recommended“but another of his novels called Dark Universe which is not terribly well known but it's a very very nice science fiction story”
Where to get it
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The Black Cloud
The Black Cloud by Fred Hoyle is a classic 1957 hard science fiction novel by the renowned astronomer that depicts a massive, intelligent interstellar gas cloud entering our solar system and cutting off sunlight, leading to catastrophic global cooling.
Recommended“Fred hil's the black cloud oh by the way anything by Arthur C Clark I find very very wonderful too uh Fred Hall is the black cloud his first science fiction novel”
Where to get it
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Contact
Contact by Carl Sagan is a classic science fiction novel that chronicles humanity's first detected radio signal from an extraterrestrial civilization and the subsequent efforts to build a machine to meet them.
Discussed“um another of his novels the um AA Andromeda which by the way the the the theme of that is taken up by Carl Sean science fiction novel another wonderful writer carlan contact where the idea is again we we will we will not be visited from Outer Space by physical bodies”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (9) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“the following is a conversation with Richard Dawkins an evolutionary biologist and author of The Selfish Gene the blind watchmaker The God Delusion the magic of reality and the greatest show of Earth and his latest Al growing God”
“the following is a conversation with Richard Dawkins an evolutionary biologist and author of The Selfish Gene the blind watchmaker The God Delusion the magic of reality and the greatest show of Earth and his latest Al growing God”
“the following is a conversation with Richard Dawkins an evolutionary biologist and author of The Selfish Gene the blind watchmaker The God Delusion the magic of reality and the greatest show of Earth and his latest Al growing God”
“the following is a conversation with Richard Dawkins an evolutionary biologist and author of The Selfish Gene the blind watchmaker The God Delusion the magic of reality and the greatest show of Earth and his latest Al growing God”
“the following is a conversation with Richard Dawkins an evolutionary biologist and author of The Selfish Gene the blind watchmaker The God Delusion the magic of reality and the greatest show of Earth and his latest Al growing God”
“the following is a conversation with Richard Dawkins an evolutionary biologist and author of The Selfish Gene the blind watchmaker The God Delusion the magic of reality and the greatest show of Earth and his latest Al growing God”
“and you've articulate that in your new book and and I'll grow God and in God Delusion is the early indoctrination”
“and now let me leave you with some words of wisdom from Richard dokins We are going to die and that makes us the lucky ones Most people are never going to die because they're never going to be born”
“and now let me leave you with some words of wisdom from Richard dokins We are going to die and that makes us the lucky ones Most people are never going to die because they're never going to be born”