Richard Dawkins | Club Random with Bill Maher
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Why does eating ruin the fun for Bill and Richard?
I can't tell ya what a great Pleasure it always is to talk to you. setting because like You know, we've we've had dinner, I mean, we've been out, we've done shows. But I've I will if I really want to talk to somebody I want to talk to them right here. Smoking pot, drinking. breaking down whatever barriers. So I'm gonna try to get you Very fucked up. I know you I know you taught at Berkeley in the sixties. So you must have I never did. Weird? No, never. Even in the Berkeley in the sixties? I was never even offered it actually. Well w you know what? There's no time like the present. No, I'm not gonna I'm gonna d not on not
in in public, not in I see. Well You won't mind if I do. Of course not. Okay. And what
about a drink?
No thanks. I got I got I got water now.
You don't drink
either? I do drink but but only
with food. Oh. But doesn't that I see, I'm the opposite because food is a buzzkill.
Okay.
You know what I mean? Yeah. Food kinda like absorbs the high. Or kills or kills it. Yes, okay. I mean, whenever I eat, it's always like when the fun is over. Sex. drinking drugs, that's like that has to cuse once you eat then all you wanna do is like something passive or mi me. I mien I'm like a uh a wolf or some Some animal that must be in your books about Like why did why did we develop that way where we eat and then sleep?
Yes.
I think many animals do that. I know, but why? It must be part of evolution. Yeah. Didn't you ever come across that? I've never thought about it. Really? Oh. Does it help? Help us uh survive? It doesn't seem like napping is like the greatest. tool to like help people survive. But we do it. I mean, like all I mean, lions, you see them they they sleep much of the time. Right. But I guess they I guess when you're an animal you sleep with one eye open all the time, right?
Since night is a very different environment from day. And no animal can be perfectly adapted to live in either of those things. If you're good at living by n night or bad by day and vice versa. And so sleeping Is a good way of keeping out of mischief during the off period.
And you say it works the opposite way for a nocturnal animal.
Yes.
They're not really that comfortable in the day. Must be hard to be That I mean when you're asleep you're like the most vulnerable, right?
Yes, but you you're going to be vulnerable anyway, so it's better it's better to be passive and not moving around.
Right. Um But it's also gotta be kind of a detriment to be at your most vulnerable asleep when it's bright out. Because that people can see you sleeping.
But there but there is a living to be made at night. And so and so it um Yes. I mean it's true and most A very large number of mammals are nocturnal.
I see a possum. Around here. Yes. Sometimes like he he and he's very uh chill. He does not he crawls outside the living room. I can watch him. He sometimes he looks up and sees me, it does not freak him out at all. He's not scared, he doesn't move faster. He just sniffs around and then goes back up wherever. Just by day or or night. Night. Night, yes. Night. Always at night. And we started, by the way. What? Have we started? Oh yes. Yeah. Okay, fine. Sorry. I know I I should explain this is a different kind of Yeah. Yeah. I mean, and that's the whole point. It's like, have we? What universe are we really in? Yeah. But um No, we've started and uh hopefully we're go on for quite a long time. I uh I know you have a new book. What is it called?
The flights of fancy. Yeah, I mean It seemed like something that It's not right in your what I mean, I have so many books of yours about evolutionary biology. But this is really not that. Well, it is sort of. Um it figured it was,
it's partly about how animals fly, but also how humans do as well. So it's partly the physics of flight. And it's partly um the the evolution of flight. So Tru true flight has evolved four times in birds, bats, pterosaurs and insects.
Really?
Um You mean got
better? Like better flying capabilities?
Yes. I mean they they they fly properly in the sense that they stay up indefinitely. There are plenty of other animals that glide. So they they just sort of fall but in a controlled way.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Why does eating ruin the fun for Bill and Richard?
0:01–8:13
2
What explains why most mammals are nocturnal?
8:13–19:24
3
Why can’t the New Zealand kakapo fly anymore?
19:24–30:04
4
How do Bill and Richard view COVID‑19 vaccines and their development?
30:04–39:29
5
What’s the argument against homeopathic remedies?
39:29–48:56
6
Why do they think the current political system is broken?
48:56–55:58
7
Should Richard go on a book tour for his new title?
55:58–59:35
8
How will the new ‘Flights of Fancy’ book engage kids and tweens?
59:35–1:00:20