The Genius Of Charles Darwin, Channel 4
Can't Read, Can't Write, Channel 4RICHARD Dawkins could (and possibly does) parachute into anywhere in the world and within minutes become embroiled in a heated theological discussion. T
he most unremittingly secular man on the planet, Dawkins is never happier than when he's trying to convince people of the non-existence of God. It's something he does very well. The only snag is that most of those who read his books and watch his programmes are presumably already convinced of his arguments.
I can't imagine a devout Christian, say, coming away from a series like The Genius Of Charles Darwin – in which the good professor promulgates the theories of evolution to prove that the Bible is fallacious – and saying: "Jeez, what was I thinking?"
So who was this programme actually aimed at? Surely most people are aware of the basic tenets of Darwin's theories as laid out in On The Origin Of Species? I strongly suspect that this time Dawkins was reaching out to an audience of children, which would explain why he book-ended his lecture by visiting some sceptical high school pupils.
Introduced via an inadvertently hilarious shot of him peering through their classroom window like a malevolent psychopath, Dawkins patiently and politely explained Darwin's findings to them, but was alarmed to discover that half of them preferred to believe the Bible over proven scientific evidence (his favourite word). Critics often accuse Dawkins of being arrogant and didactic, whereas I'm always impressed by how calm he remains in the face of such irrational indoctrination.
The programme was at its best when revealing biographical information about Darwin himself. Understandably wary of the controversy his revolutionary findings would incur, he sat on them for 20 years. Labouring under a fluctuating crisis of confidence, he eventually sent manuscripts to other learned men, with apologetic notes attached that basically said, "this is probably rubbish, but I thought you might like to have a look". Only when he received news of another scientist groping towards similar conclusions did he release his masterpiece, revealing, in Dawkins' words, "a theory of life on earth far more wonderful and more moving than any religious story of creation".
After an afternoon spent hunting fossils with Dawkins, the kids seemed intrigued by their newfound knowledge, although it was hardly surprising that none of them were in a hurry to denounce their Lord. Sounding slightly defeated, Dawkins bowed out with the hope that at the very least they might start asking questions about their faith.
There were even more tears than usual in the last episode of Can't Read, Can't Write, in which the class of previously illiterate adults took their exams. Linda had spent almost the entire series shedding tears of frustration and despair. Her teacher Phil Beadle hardly helped matters when he lied and told her she was sitting a GCSE paper, when in fact it was the government-approved adult literacy test which she had expressly asked not to sit. Linda felt that the system had let her down, and that she didn't want to become just a government statistic.
When she found out, she quit the course and descended into a fug of depression. This wasn't Beadle's intention, but he should have considered the outcome of his actions, however well-meaning.
Thankfully, Linda later enrolled on a GCSE college course, with a closing caption announcing that she plans to teach English in China. Remarkable.
The full article contains 584 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
