OK, it's a feeble pun, but it's not mine.
It was actually a conference held last November, and put on the web here by The Science Network, who are here.
A whole bunch of scientists and social scientists came together to discuss the problem of religion, and what to do about it. Opinions, as you can imagine, varied. Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris said we should execrate it, others said we should learn to live with it, one or two even said we should practice it. Always depressing to hear proper grown ups saying that.
There are ten video clips. Probably the highlight is Neil deGrasse Tyson talking about the cosmos, why he became a scientist, and how he relates to the arts. It's in the tenth and last clip, and starts at 1:02:13 in. Do have a peek, it's quite moving.
Elsewhere, session nine is also very interesting. Sam Harris, author of The End of Faith, with backing from Dawkins, debates social issues around Islam with philosopher Jim Woodward and anthropologist Melvin Konner. Roughly speaking, Harris argues for the importance of theology in understanding events in the Islamic world, while Woodward and Konner argue for a more sociological approach. And you might want to watch session seven, with Mahzarin Banaji and Dawkins again.
The whole thing will take you about twenty hours, and it's time well spent.
http://themikkster.blog.co.uk
28/02/07 @ 16:39