The Fifth Ape (1/5) - Richard Dawkins

First (of five) part of the 2008 Channel-4 documentary 'The Fifth Ape'. The documentary is part of the series 'The Genius of Darwin'. In this episode Richard Dawkins deals with some of the philosophical and social ramifications of the theory of evolution.

Dawkins starts out in Kenya, speaking with palaeontologist Richard Leakey. He then visits Christ is the Answer Ministries, Kenya's largest Pentecostal church, to interview Bishop Bonifes Adoyo. Adoyo has led the movement to press Kenya's national museum to sideline its collection of hominid bones pointing to man's evolution from ape to human. The collection includes the Turkana Boy discovered by Kamoya Kimeu, a member of a team led by Richard Leakey in 1984.

Dawkins discusses social darwinism and eugenics, explaining how these are not versions of natural selection, and that "Darwin has been wrongly tainted".

He then meets with evolutionary psychologist Steven Pinker to discuss how morals can be compatible with natural selection. He goes on to explaining sexual selection, with peafowls as an example. To find out whether sexual selection plays a role for altruism and kindness among humans, he visits women who are looking for sperm donors, as well as a sperm bank manager. Dawkins also explains kin selection and selfish genes.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Darwin
• Darwinism
• Evolution
• Nature
• Science
• Biology
• Christianity
• Animals
• Apes
• Primates
• Humans
• America
• Kenya
• Africa
• Chimps
• Chimpanzees
• Gibbons
• Victoria
• Paleontology
• Sapiens
• Zoo
• London
• Archeology
• Musea
• Fossils
• Skulls
• Gorilla
• Leaky
• Species
• Mammals

[qh876]

The new movie coming out "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" should really be called "Rise of the Planet of th OTHER Apes".

[Ashiman12]

Considering the fossil and genetic evidence, evolution is the only explanation that even makes sense, scientifically. If a better theory comes along someday, I'd be the first to look into it. But for now, the only thing open to debate - again, scientifically - is certain particulars (wheres, whens, etc.) That evolution occurs is really beyond question. And even if you challenge it, the idea that the Biblical account is accurate flies in the face of EVERYTHING that science now knows. Period.

[TrueMetis]

@MrBoomSonic If you manage to get a gorilla to beat you to death you did something to seriously provoke it. Gorilla's are 90% vegetarian and very docile.

[SeedsOfHatred]

@nukehand101 Yes. That is why when someone asks "If we came from monkeys, then why are there still monkeys?", you know that they know nothing about the evolutionary process.

[nukehand101]

Doesn't evolution state that we come from same organism as monkeys and not actually monkeys??? Correct me If I'm wrong!!

[mike112769]

@ah93704 Stalin did. The results were not pretty.

[ToadsMGodes]

I'm not an ape, I'm MAAATTT DAAMMMON

[AutoBahnForever]

Richard Dawkins is an excellent narrator,.........the subject matter is beyond interesting.

Answers the biggest question.

[o0thisismyusername0o]

i find this much cooler than the biblical version of creation. it's so.... simple

[frilansspion]

@JonLambert89 like dawkins suggests if you think of an atheist-theist scale of 0-1 and say "pure" agnosticism would be 0.5, with that definition you are perhaps already an agnostic atheist? or "practically atheist"? not that it matters =)

[Julai55]

6:55 Wow, says everybody, are you ... (banging a monkey!!??)?

Yes I am.

[OrthodoxDarwinist]

DAWKINS IS GOD!!!!