The Blind Watchmaker

The Blind Watchmaker PDF

Author: Charles Simonyi Professor of the Public Understanding of Science Richard Dawkins

Publisher: Turtleback Books

Published: 1996-09-17

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780613913812

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Patiently and lucidly, this Los Angeles Times Book Award and Royal Society of Literature Heinemann Prize winner identifies the aspects of the theory of evolution that people find hard to believe and removes the barriers to credibility one by one. As readable and vigorous a defense of Darwinism as has been published since 1859.--The Economist.

How Blind is the Watchmaker?

How Blind is the Watchmaker? PDF

Author: Neil Broom

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019-01-15

Total Pages: 207

ISBN-13: 0429842481

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First published in 1998, this book shows that modern materialistic science - for all its ability to analyse in truly impressive detail the workings of the living world - remains powerless to explain the phenomenon of life itself. Drawing on a variety of examples from experience of the biological world as a practising scientist, the author shows that the qualities of purpose, intentionality and mind suffuse almost every aspect of the living realm, yet these same qualities remain totally unaccounted for by science itself. The author argues that the all too common humanistic dismissal of these crucial components of reality undermines the integrity of science itself and is intellectually perverse. He argues that scientific materialism, despite its enormous influence in shaping today’s high-tech world, actually presents a gross trivialization of the concept of life. Further, while unable of itself to provide ultimate answers to the mystery of life, this science uncovers facts that point beyond these to a transcendent, theistic dimension - or, in the words of the title - to a Watchmaker who, indeed, is not blind.

The Blind Watch

The Blind Watch PDF

Author: Jack E. Brush

Publisher: LIT Verlag

Published: 2021-01-10

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 3643963955

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The Blind Watch has a twofold purpose. Firstly, it aims to expose some of the salient inadequacies and fallacies of modern atheism. Secondly, and more fundamentally, it is intended to expand our thinking about nature in general and about the meaning of nature for a Christian understanding of human beings. For systematic reasons, the book focuses on Richard Dawkins' The Blind Watchmaker, which has become a classic on modern atheism. In contrast to Dawkins' work, the present book describes the watch, i.e. the atheistic scientist, not the watchmaker, as “blind”, insofar as the scientist calculates everything, but sees very little. By confronting the atheism of Dawkins with the philosophical (Heraclitus and the Stoics) and the theological (the Apostle Paul and Augustine) traditions, the book develops a fundamental understanding of nature as nature that leads to a definition of life quite different from that of the evolutionary biologists. Prof. Dr. Brush studied engineering, philosophy and theology at Vanderbilt University, the University of Zürich, and Harvard University. As Professor of Theology at the University of Zürich, he specialized in the relationship between science and theology.

Only a Theory

Only a Theory PDF

Author: Kenneth Raymond Miller

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13: 9780670018833

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Evaluates the debate between advocates for evolution and intelligent design which occured during the 2005 Dover evolution trial, dissecting the claims of the intelligent design movement and explaining why the conflict is compromising America's position a

The Selfish Gene

The Selfish Gene PDF

Author: Richard Dawkins

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2016-05-26

Total Pages: 544

ISBN-13: 0191093068

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The million copy international bestseller, critically acclaimed and translated into over 25 languages. As influential today as when it was first published, The Selfish Gene has become a classic exposition of evolutionary thought. Professor Dawkins articulates a gene's eye view of evolution - a view giving centre stage to these persistent units of information, and in which organisms can be seen as vehicles for their replication. This imaginative, powerful, and stylistically brilliant work not only brought the insights of Neo-Darwinism to a wide audience, but galvanized the biology community, generating much debate and stimulating whole new areas of research. Forty years later, its insights remain as relevant today as on the day it was published. This 40th anniversary edition includes a new epilogue from the author discussing the continuing relevance of these ideas in evolutionary biology today, as well as the original prefaces and foreword, and extracts from early reviews. Oxford Landmark Science books are 'must-read' classics of modern science writing which have crystallized big ideas, and shaped the way we think.

How Blind is the Watchmaker?

How Blind is the Watchmaker? PDF

Author: Neil Broom

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Published: 2001-01-01

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13: 9780830822966

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Neil Broom, a biomechanics scientist, boldly challenges the scientific establishment's commitment to what he labels as the flimsily crafted but persuasively packaged myth of scientific materialism.

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street PDF

Author: Natasha Pulley

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2015-07-14

Total Pages: 487

ISBN-13: 162040835X

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For readers of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, an enchanting, bestselling novel that sweeps readers into a magical Victorian London inhabited by a clockwork octopus and a mysterious watchmaker who is not at all what he first appears. 1883. Thaniel Steepleton returns home to his tiny London apartment to find a gold pocket watch on his pillow. Six months later, the mysterious timepiece saves his life, drawing him away from a blast that destroys Scotland Yard. At last, he goes in search of its maker, Keita Mori, a kind, lonely immigrant from Japan. Although Mori seems harmless, a chain of unexplainable events soon suggests he must be hiding something. When Grace Carrow, an Oxford physicist, unwittingly interferes, Thaniel is torn between opposing loyalties. The Watchmaker of Filigree Street is a sweeping, atmospheric narrative that takes the reader on an unexpected journey through Victorian London, Japan as its civil war crumbles long-standing traditions, and beyond. Blending historical events with dazzling flights of fancy, it opens doors to a strange and magical past.

Climbing Mount Improbable

Climbing Mount Improbable PDF

Author: Richard Dawkins

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Published: 1997-09-17

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 0393070522

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A brilliant book celebrating improbability as the engine that drives life, by the acclaimed author of The Selfish Gene and The Blind Watchmaker. The human eye is so complex and works so precisely that surely, one might believe, its current shape and function must be the product of design. How could such an intricate object have come about by chance? Tackling this subject—in writing that the New York Times called "a masterpiece"—Richard Dawkins builds a carefully reasoned and lovingly illustrated argument for evolutionary adaptation as the mechanism for life on earth. The metaphor of Mount Improbable represents the combination of perfection and improbability that is epitomized in the seemingly "designed" complexity of living things. Dawkins skillfully guides the reader on a breathtaking journey through the mountain's passes and up its many peaks to demonstrate that following the improbable path to perfection takes time. Evocative illustrations accompany Dawkins's eloquent descriptions of extraordinary adaptations such as the teeming populations of figs, the intricate silken world of spiders, and the evolution of wings on the bodies of flightless animals. And through it all runs the thread of DNA, the molecule of life, responsible for its own destiny on an unending pilgrimage through time. Climbing Mount Improbable is a book of great impact and skill, written by the most prominent Darwinian of our age.

Why We Believe in God(s)

Why We Believe in God(s) PDF

Author: J. Anderson Thomson

Publisher: Pitchstone Publishing (US&CA)

Published: 2014-07-01

Total Pages: 89

ISBN-13: 0984493239

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In this groundbreaking volume, J. Anderson Thomson, Jr., MD, with Clare Aukofer, offers a succinct yet comprehensive study of how and why the human mind generates religious belief. Dr. Thomson, a highly respected practicing psychiatrist with credentials in forensic psychiatry and evolutionary psychology, methodically investigates the components and causes of religious belief in the same way any scientist would investigate the movement of astronomical bodies or the evolution of life over time—that is, as a purely natural phenomenon. Providing compelling evidence from psychology, the cognitive neurosciences, and related fields, he, with Ms. Aukofer, presents an easily accessible and exceptionally convincing case that god(s) were created by man—not vice versa. With this slim volume, Dr. Thomson establishes himself as a must-read thinker and leading voice on the primacy of reason and science over superstition and religion.

How To Save Our Planet

How To Save Our Planet PDF

Author: Mark A. Maslin

Publisher: Penguin UK

Published: 2021-05-06

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 0241472539

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'Punchy and to the point. No beating around the bush. This brilliant book contains all the information we need to have in our back pocket in order to move forward' Christiana Figueres, Former Executive Secretary UN Climate Change Convention 'Amazing book' Chris Evans, Virgin Radio Breakfast Show 'Everyone should have this book' Rick Edwards, BBC Radio 5 Live 'A timely and important book, not only laying out the facts...but suggesting real solutions to the challenges facing us' Professor Alice Roberts, Anatomist, Professor of Public Engagement in Science, University of Birmingham _________________________ How can we save our planet and survive the 21st century? How can you argue with deniers? How can we create positive change in the midst of the climate crisis? Professor Mark Maslin has the key facts that we need to protect our future. Global awareness of climate change is growing rapidly. Science has proven that our planet and species are facing a massive environmental crisis. How to Save Our Planet is a call to action, guaranteed to equip everyone with the knowledge needed to make change. Be under no illusion the challenges of the twenty-first century are immense. We need to deal with: climate change, environmental destruction, global poverty and ensure everyone's security. We have the technology. We have the resources. We have the money. We have the scientists, the entrepreneurs and the innovators. We lack the politics and policies to make your vision of a better world happen. So we need a plan to save our planet... How to Save Our Planet is your handbook of how we together can save our precious planet. From the history of our planet and species, to the potential of individuals and our power to create a better future, Maslin inspires optimism in these bleak times. We stand at the precipice. The future of our planet is in our hands. It's time to face the facts and save our planet from, and for, ourselves. _________________________ 'A handbook of clearly established, authoritative facts and figures about the terrible toll we as humans have taken of our planet, plus ways in which we can lessen the impact. For laypeople like me, who can see what is happening but haven't always got the precise statistics to hand, it's hugely valuable' John Simpson CBE, BBC World Affairs Editor, Broadcaster, Author & Columnist 'Saving the world is no small thing, but picking up this book's a good start' Paris Lees, Contributing Editor at British Vogue, campaigner 'I love it. My kids love it' Chris Evans, Virgin Radio Breakfast Show 'A no-nonsense crib sheet on the state of the world and how to help it' The I Newspaper