You'll have to forgive my little bit of hero worship. I went to the previously mentioned ASU Origins talk with Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss. My seat was great (despite the iffy photo I took with my phone).
Something from Nothing was mostly as an informal talk about each of their current books: Dawkins' children's book The Magic of Reality and Krauss' Something from Nothing. The talk was unmoderated and bounced around quite a bit from evolutionary biology to cosmology to religion and politics. It was erudite and humorous and as has happened with the previous talks I've went to, I had a great time. Taking place in a packed Gammage Auditorium (the last public commission of Frank Lloyd Wright) on the campus of Arizona State University, it was gratifying to see so many smart people (young and old) who were willing to pay money to hear other smart people talk. I was lucky enough to speak to many of them before after the show. Getting to have a real conversation with rational people was an experience I don't often get. There may yet be hope for my generation and beyond.
During the last talk I attended, I was able to meet, talk with and get an autograph from Lawrence Krauss. This time, I made sure to stick around and speak to Mr. Dawkins. I had him sign the Magic of Reality book that I had bought for my son Alex for Christmas.
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Update: You can view this talk online here: Something from Nothing
3 comments:
Cool!
Fantastic. I would have loved to be there.
I was just reading an article forwarded to me by a friend about the isolation atheists typically face in American life, especially if you don't live on the coasts (where religiosity is lower and education levels are higher). So I quite understand the nourishment and uplift that comes from hobnobbing with other like-minded folks at a gathering like this. What a refreshing change of pace.
I've been meaning to put a sample or two of Krauss's works onto my iPad and see what I think of him.
Wunelle said, " ... understand the nourishment and uplift that comes from hobnobbing with other like-minded folks at a gathering like this" -- Yeah, usually the only nourishment I get is from talking to you guys. I quite welcome it when it spills into the face to face world. That made Laura's (of Sarchasm) visit out here to AZ a few weeks ago all the better because it was the first time my blog/twitter world has transitioned. I look forward to the time when life will eventually allow me to meet you two as well ... and knock back a pint or three.
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