Richard Dawkins, página 2 de 4

Charles Darwin's masterpiece, On the Origin of Species, shook society to its core on publication in 1859. Darwin was only too aware of the storm his theory of evolution would provoke but he would surely have raised an incredulous eyebrow at the controversy still raging a century and a half later. Evolution is accepted as scientific fact by all reputable scientists and indeed theologians, yet millions of people continue to question its veracity. In The Greatest Show on Earth Richard Dawkins takes on creationists, including followers of 'Intelligent Design' and all those who question the fact of evolution through natural selection. Like a detective arriving on the scene of a crime, he sifts through fascinating layers of scientific facts and disciplines to build a cast-iron case: from the living examples of natural selection in birds and insects; the 'time clocks' of trees and radioactive dating that calibrate a timescale for evolution; the fossil record and the traces of our earliest ancestors; to confirmation from molecular biology and genetics. All of this, and much more, bears witness to the truth of evolution. The Greatest Show on Earth comes at a critical time: systematic opposition to the fact of evolution is now flourishing as never before, especially in America. In Britain and elsewhere in the world, teachers witness insidious attempts to undermine the status of science in their classrooms. Richard Dawkins provides unequivocal evidence that boldly and comprehensively rebuts such nonsense. At the same time he shares with us his palpable love of the natural world and the essential role that science plays in its interpretation. Written with elegance, wit and passion, it is hard-hitting, absorbing and totally convincing.

¿Cómo y dónde empezó el mundo, incluso lo que llamamos vida? Richard Dawkings, uno de los mayores maestros de la divulgación científica, se adentra en una explicación sobre la evolución con audacia y habilidad, consiguiendo que el lector comprenda a partir de numerosas metaforas los aspectos mas complejos de la evolucion.

In uno stile semplice e chiaro uno degli scienziati del nostro tempo spiega come funziona la perfetta macchina del nostro corpo, tesa a preservare quelle molecole "egoiste" chiamate geni.

The God Delusion caused a sensation when it was published in 2006. Within weeks it became the most hotly debated topic, with Dawkins himself branded as either saint or sinner for presenting his hard-hitting, impassioned rebuttal of religion of all types.His argument could hardly be more topical. While Europe is becoming increasingly secularized, the rise of religious fundamentalism, whether in the Middle East or Middle America, is dramatically and dangerously dividing opinion around the world. In America, and elsewhere, a vigorous dispute between 'intelligent design' and Darwinism is seriously undermining and restricting the teaching of science. In many countries religious dogma from medieval times still serves to abuse basic human rights such as women's and gay rights. And all from a belief in a God whose existence lacks evidence of any kind.Dawkins attacks God in all his forms. He eviscerates the major arguments for religion and demonstrates the supreme improbability of a supreme being. He shows how religion fuels war, foments bigotry and abuses children.The God Delusion is a brilliantly argued, fascinating polemic that will be required reading for anyone interested in this most emotional and important subject.

A fully updated edition of one of the most original accounts of evolution ever written, featuring new fractal diagrams, six new 'tales' and the latest scientific developments.THE ANCESTOR'S TALE is a dazzling, four-billion-year pilgrimage to the origins of life: Richard Dawkins and Yan Wong take us on an exhilarating reverse journey through evolution, from present-day humans back to the microbial beginnings of life. It is a journey happily interrupted by meetings of fellow modern animals (as well as plants, fungi and bacteria) similarly tracing their evolutionary path back through history. As each evolutionary pilgrim tells their tale, Dawkins and Wong shed light on topics such as speciation, sexual selection and extinction.Written with unparalleled wit, clarity and intelligence; taking in new scientific discoveries of the past decade; and including new 'tales', illustrations and fractal diagrams, THE ANCESTOR'S TALE shows us how remarkable we are, how astonishing our history, and how intimate our relationship with the rest of the living world.

A partir de preguntas muy sencillas e interesantes (¿Quién fue el primer hombre? ¿Qué es el Sol? ¿Por qué hay día y noche? ¿Qué es el arco iris? ¿Estamos solos? ¿Por qué ocurren cosas malas? ¿Cómo y cuándo empezó todo?...) Richard Dawkins nos explica qué son el ADN, el efecto Doppler, el átomo, el big bang, los neutrones o la luz.«Una historia de la ciencia fascinante y sin prejuicios». (Sunday Times).

¿Es la ciencia un modo de entender el mundo que lo priva de cualquier sentido poético? ¿Se esfuma todo atisbo de magia en cuanto el científico desentraña el funcionamiento de la naturaleza? Cuando Newton, con un simple prisma, descompuso la luz blanca en el espectro de colores que se oculta tras ella, ¿despojo de lirismo al arco iris, como le recrimino Keats en un celebre poema? Desde la astronomia y la genetica hasta el lenguaje y la realidad virtual, Richard Dawkins nos demuestra -y nos convence con ejemplos irreprochables- que la ciencia tambien entraña belleza; y que el descubrimiento de los mecanismos que rigen los fenomenos naturales no solo no destruye su poesia sino que la ensalza, revelandonos aspectos sorprendentes que de ninguna otra manera podriamos apreciar o imaginar. Con un enorme caudal de citas poeticas, Destejiendo el arco iris sugiere que puede aprenderse mucho de los poetas, que la ciencia deberia saber recurrir a imagenes y metaforas inspiradoras que facilitarian una comprension profunda y una investigacion fertil. Pero ademas de un manifiesto a favor de la poesia de la ciencia, Destejiendo el arco iris es tambien un alegato contundente contra los abusos de las seudociencias y un ataque contra los astrologos, cartomantes y espiritistas que manipulan deshonestamente la credulidad y el ansia de sorpresa innatas en el ser humano. Una critica, en definitiva, contra la mala poesia de algunas teorias, que en el texto se desmontan con pormenor.