Another Pale Blue Dot

Documentary about Stupidity in today's society

Documentary_-_Stupidity.avi

Paramount Newsreels On Iwo Jima

'Growing Up in the Universe' - Richard Dawkins Lectures on Science

Ep 1: Waking Up in the Universe

'Growing Up in the Universe' Ep 2: Designed and Designoid Objects

'Growing Up in the Universe' Ep 3: Climbing Mount Improbable

'Growing Up in the Universe' Ep 4: The Ultraviolet Garden

'Growing Up in the Universe' Ep 5: The Genesis of Purpose

'Growing Up in the Universe' Ep 1: Waking Up in the Universe

The Four Horsemen - Dawkins,Dennett,Harris and Hitchens

The Four Horsemen - 2 hours
58 min 4 sec - Dec 14, 2007

On the 30th of September 2007, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and ... all » Christopher Hitchens sat down for a first-of-its-kind, unmoderated 2-hour discussion, convened by RDFRS and filmed by Josh Timonen.
All four authors have recently received a large amount of media attention for their writings against religion - some positive, and some negative. In this conversation the group trades stories of the public’s reaction to their recent books, their unexpected successes, criticisms and common misrepresentations. They discuss the tough questions about religion that face to world today, and propose new strategies for going forward.
Authors’ Recommended Books: The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins Breaking the Spell by Daniel C. Dennett Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris The End of Faith by Sam Harris God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens

The Four Horsemen - Hour 1

Evolution of Climate Models

Mid 1970s
Early climate models were limited. They only included carbon dioxide, heat from the sun (radiation) and rain, but not clouds.

Mid 1980s
Clouds, land surface and ice were added into the mix in the 1980s. Different types of land behave differently; deserts and ice are more likely to reflect radiation, and forests are more likely to absorb it.

1990 - IPCC’s first report
A simple model of the oceans now joins the picture, as the first IPCC report comes out. To begin with, only the top layer of the sea was modelled.

1996 Second Assessment Report
More sophisticated models of the ocean are added. Volcanoes are also shown. Their eruptions throw particles into the atmosphere, which can block sunlight and temporarily reduce global temperatures.

2001 Third Assessment Report
By bringing the carbon cycle into the picture, the different ways C02 is stored and released into the atmosphere gives greater realism to climate models. Understanding of the oceans is deepened.

2007 Fourth Assessment Report
Chemical reactions in the atmosphere join the climate models; they are now produced using computing power 256 times more powerful than that available in the 1970s.