简介：TheGeniusofCharlesDarwinisathree-parttelevisiondocumentary,writtenandpresentedbyevolutionarybiologistRichardDawkins. InthefirstepisodeRichardDawkinsexplainsthebasicmechanismsofnaturalselection,andtellsthestoryofhowCharlesDarwindevelopedhistheory.Heteachesayear11scienceclassaboutevolution,whichmanyofthestudentsarereluctanttoaccept.HethentakesthemtotheJurassicCoastinDorsettosearchforfossils,hopingthatthestudentscanseesomeoftheevidenceforthemselves.DawkinsalsovisitsNairobi,whereheinterviewsaprostitutewhoseemstohaveageneticimmunitytoHIV,andtalkstomicrobiologistLarryGelmon.Hegoesontopredictthatgeneticimmunityisatraitthatwillbecomemoreprevalentinthecommunityovertime. InthesecondepisodeRichardDawkinsdealswithsomeofthephilosophicalandsocialramificationsofthetheoryofevolution.DawkinsstartsoutinKenya,speakingwithpalaeontologistRichardLeakey.HethenvisitsChrististheAnswerMinistries,Kenya’slargestPentecostalchurch,tointerviewBishopBonifesAdoyo.AdoyohasledthemovementtopresstheNationalMuseumsofKenyatosidelineitscollectionofhominidbonespointingtoman’sevolutionfromapetohuman.ThecollectionincludestheTurkanaBoydiscoveredbyKamoyaKimeu,amemberofateamledbyRichardLeakeyin1984. DawkinsdiscussessocialDarwinismandeugenics,explaininghowthesearenotversionsofnaturalselection,andthat“Darwinhasbeenwronglytainted”.HethenmeetswithevolutionarypsychologistStevenPinkertodiscusshowmoralscanbecompatiblewithnaturalselection.Hegoesontoexplainingsexualselection,withpeafowlsasanexample.Tofindoutwhethersexualselectionplaysaroleforaltruismandkindnessamonghumans,hevisitswomenwhoarelookingforspermdonors,aswellasaspermbankmanager.Dawkinsalsoexplainskinselectionandselfishgenes. Inthethirdandfinalepisode,DawkinsexplainswhyDarwin’stheoryisoneofhistory’smostcontroversialideas.Dawkinsusesthisepisodetodiscusstheoppositionthatevolutionhasexperiencedsinceitwasfirstdiscovered.Hestartsbyapproachingvariousanti-evolutionists,rangingfromJohnMackayfromCreationResearch,WendyWright,PresidentofConcernedWomenforAmerica,toEnglishschoolteacherNickCowen.Inordertoaddressconcernstheybringup,heshowstheevidenceforevolution,includingfossilandDNAevidence.Healsotalkstothesciencestudentsoftheschoolhetaughtinduringthefirstepisode,askingthemwhytheyaren’tadequatelyteachingtheideasofscienceproperly,insteadallowingtheirstudentstobelievethattruthispersonalandthatscienceismerelyapointofview. DawkinsalsodescribesDarwin’spersonaljourneyfromChristianitytoatheism,basednotonlyonthenaturalmechanismshesaw,butalsoonthecrueltyintheworldwhichseemedtodenyalovingGod,inparticularthelossofhisdaughterAnnie.WhileDawkinsdoesaddressthebleaknessoftheDarwinianview,hespendsthelastpartofthisepisodedescribinghowDarwinandhehimselfaddressit,endingbysaying:“Intheperspectiveoftheuniverse,thevastnessoftheuniverseandofgeologicaltime,weareinsignificant.Somepeoplefindthethoughtdisturbing,evenfrightening.LikeDarwin,Ifindtherealitythrilling.”…