James Pringle

I decided to start making a series of entries of my favorite or new-found videos that I think people should watch. Ironically, the few people who actually might visit this site have probably already seen them, but I decided to do it anyway.

For my first entry I decided on a fantastic series presented by a personal hero of mine, Richard Dawkins. This is his 5-part series from 1991 entitled “Growing Up in the Universe”.

Here’s a better description than what I could write:

Oxford professor Richard Dawkins presents a series of lectures on life, the universe, and our place in it. With brilliance and clarity, Dawkins unravels an educational gem that will mesmerize young and old alike. Illuminating demonstrations, wildlife, virtual reality, and special guests (including Douglas Adams) all combine to make this collection a timeless classic. The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures for Children were founded by Michael Faraday in 1825, with himself as the inaugural lecturer. The 1991 lecturer was Richard Dawkins whose five one-hour lectures, originally televised by the BBC, are now available free online, courtesy of The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science.

All links lead to the appropriate YouTube page, the first of which goes to the YouTube Playlist page for this series. I decided against embedding all the videos (at least for this entry) for the sake of loading time and the unlikely prospect that anyone would actually sit here and watch all 5 videos, which by the way, are an hour a piece.

Enjoy!

1. All Episodes
2. Episode 1: Waking Up in the Universe
3. Episode 2: Designed and Designoid Objects
4. Episode 3: Climbing Mount Improbable
5. Episode 4: The Ultraviolet Garden
6. Episode 5: The Genesis of Purpose