Barack Obama takes over as US President with a promise to dramatically change America and make it a fairer place. He is inheriting the worst economic crisis in almost a century, and a country so unequal that 23,000 people die every year because they cannot afford basic healthcare. To close the gap between rich and poor Obama will have to take on the might of the corporate world, which wields enormous influence in Washington. Can he change the world's most powerful country, and should he?
RATM Live in Mexico
In this final episode Dawkins examines why Darwin's theory remains one of the most controversial ideas in history. As Darwin set out on the voyage on the Beagle he still believed that god created the world and everything in it. But the evidence he discovered - fossils, patterns of anatomical resemblance, startling similarities of embryos and domestic breeding - demonstrated the truth: that all life forms vary and that some are more likely to reproduce, passing variations on. His wife Emma, however, was deeply religious and Darwin never criticised religion in public but he believed that "science would bring about a gradual illumination of minds".
In the second programme Prof. Dawkins explains that Darwin's Theory of Evolution presented a disturbing truth: that humans are animals – the fifth ape. This forces us to question whether our morals and manners are just a veneer. He confronts an issue that even Darwin skirted around – the evolution of human beings – and asks 'what does it mean to be evolved'? And in world where religions attack Darwinism for excusing selfish or even barbaric behaviour, Dawkins is forced to enter Darwinism's heart of darkness. Although natural selection is the driving force of our evolution Dawkins clarifies that this does not mean that society should be run on Darwinian lines. "As a scientist I'm thrilled by natural selection, but as a human being I abhor it as a principle for organising society."
The historical documentary series continues with this fascinating investigation into the origins of the world-famous crystal skulls. Since the 19th century, a number of lifelike quartz skulls have been discovered and displayed in museums. These relics, allegedly dating from Aztec and Mayan civilisations, are believed to have psychic powers. Now, for the first time ever, scientists are given access to the most famous skull of all, the so-called ‘Skull of Doom’. The crystal skulls are one of the most beguiling mysteries of 20th-century archaeology. Countless legends have swirled around these incredibly detailed quartz sculptures and they have formed the basis for numerous stories – including the latest ‘Indiana Jones’ movie. The skulls have been attributed with mysterious powers and it has even been claimed they are artefacts from Atlantis or an extra-terrestrial civilisation. But is there any truth to these tales?
The Little Ice Age talks about the period between about 1300 and 1850 AD during which things got downright chilly. The program discusses possible causes, but generally focuses on its effects. Because of the Little Ice Age, the Vikings may have found Greenland a lot greener than today, but increasingly icy conditions drove the fish south and made it impossible for resupply ships from Iceland to get through, eventually defeating a people who prided themselves as the toughest of the tough. The dates jibe, although I've always been fond of the popular idea that it was a real estate scam ("You've seen Iceland, well, this is Greenland. Come on over!") Because of the Little Ice Age, conditions for the Spanish Armada as they circled around England resulted in decimation. The British fleet didn't really hurt them that bad, but, designed as they were, the Spanish ships could not reverse course and had to circle the British Isles to regroup for another attack. Storms along the way tore them to pieces.
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