Dawkins talks genes and the meaning of life in new stage show
Richard Dawkins will explore of the science of genetics and the story of evolution when he takes to the stage in Nottingham in June.
The creator of the word ‘meme’ and of the hugely influential ‘selfish gene’ model of evolution, scientist’s ideas have proven extraordinarily influential both within his own discipline and far beyond.
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Selfish Gene, Dawkins will discuss the world-famous ideas that made his name at the age 35 and changed the life sciences forever. And drawing on new research, he will share a new approach to the evolution of all life, revealing how “every living creature is an archive of the worlds of its ancestors”, something he calls a “unique genetic book of the dead”.
Dawkins will talk of fascinating examples of the power of Darwinian natural selection to build perfection. He will reveal what he believes the ‘gene’s eye view’ can tell about what it means to be human. And, to end on a provocative note, he will ask if there is a sense in which all our ‘own’ genes can be seen as a gigantic colony of cooperating viruses.
Dawkins said: “My eyes are constantly wide open to the extraordinary fact of existence. That's never far from my thoughts, that sense of amazement.”
Richard Dawkins – Genes and the Meaning of Life comes to the Royal Concert Hall on Sunday June 14. Visit www.trch.co.uk or call 0115 989 5555 to book.