American theoretical physicist and cosmologist Lawrence Krauss, left, and British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, both staunch critics of religion’s role in society and public education and policy, thrilled a crowd of about 400 humanists at the Exectutive Inn in Richmond during a speaking event last Saturday.
Local community activist and past federal NDP candidate Dale Jackaman, who helped organize the BC Humanist Association event, said there are more non-religious people than what is reported in population data. According to the 2011 National Household Survey, 48 per cent of Richmondites have no religious affiliation.
Dawkins drew chuckles from the audience when speaking to evidence-based reasoning and the dangers of faith:
"We don't really have faith that our spouse loves us. It's more based on evidence; on language, on actions ...of course we can be wrong!"
The two talked at length about other life forms in the universe and the future of life.
"I wish chemists and biologists asked this question more. Does it have to be carbon based? ...I would chip in and say it would have to be Darwinian," said Dawkins, author of The God Delusion.
"You could imagine a time when the dominant life form is not carbon-based and not symetric," said Krauss, author of A Universe from Nothing.
They also bantered about the origin of life.
"I suspect it (our understanding) will likely come from a model that will be so neat and brilliant," theorized Dawkins.
Krauss said science education is of paramount of importance.
"The idea is to reach out to the people who are more or less of good will but haven't thought about in detail about the issues in general," said Krauss, who challeneged elementary school teachers to get involved in science education. He said education should start with the basics of chemistry and physics and then biology.
But, "there's no reason we can't teach evolution to six year olds. Take the example of the dog," added Dawkins.
Krauss and Dawkins also, unsurprisingly, spoke to the need to have open dialogue on religion and the need to question everything.
Nevertheless Dawkins noted that our present uderstanding of science is in direct contradiction to religious beliefs. He called present-day Islam particularly worrisome.
Photo by Graeme Wood/Richmond News
