What Do Our Genes Reveal About Our Past? w/ Richard Dawkins [Ep. 458]

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! P.S. Don’t forget to check out part one of our interview: https://youtu.be/BdiOFaMUASU

Key Takeaways:

00:00 Intro

01:30 Judging a book by its cover

06:01 Do genes die?

07:53 Can genes predict the future?

11:26 The extended phenotype

22:42 The hypothetical scientist of the future

28:53 A colony of symbiotic vertical viruses

32:51 Final exit to the future

36:10 What evolutionary purpose does music serve?

43:25 The palimpsest

49:38 AI, pain, and evolutionary processes

56:25 Outro

Additional resources:

➡️ Learn more about Richard Dawkins: ✖️ Twitter: https://x.com/RichardDawkins/ 💻 Website: https://richarddawkinstour.com/

➡️ Join Richard Dawkins and me in Canada on October 6, 2014 https://admitone.com/events/richard-dawkins-vancouver-9488912

➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms: ✖️ Twitter: https://x.com/DrBrianKeating 🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1 📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/list ✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/cosmic-musings/ 🎙️ Follow my podcast: https://briankeating.com/podcast ✨ Member's only playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=UUMOmXH_moPhfkqCk6S3b9RWuw

Into the Impossible with Brian Keating is a podcast dedicated to all those who want to explore the universe within and beyond the known.

Make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices