Richard Dawkins gave an excellent lecture at the Kansas University's Hall Center for the Humanities on October 1 2006, discussing "The God Delusion". The full video can be watched at this link/ Since Dawkins is such an excellent communicator, I intend to provide some highlights of his talk on PandasThumb.
Dawkins explains how creationists seem to be fond on gaps and take any opportunity to point to scientists admitting to such gaps. However, as Dawkins explained elsewhere as well, creationists seem to be fond of quote mining as well, even if it requires removing much of the argument.
I once introduced a chapter on the so-called Cambrian Explosion with the words: "It is as though the fossils were planted there without any evolutionary history." Again, this was a rhetorical overture, intended to whet the reader's appetite for the explanation. Inevitably, my remark was gleefully quoted out of context. Creationists adore "gaps" in the fossil record.
Even Richard Dawkins admits, "It is as though they [Cambrian explosion fossils] were just planted there, without any evolutionary history." (Dawkins, The Blind Watchmaker).
"Eldredge and Gould certainly would agree that some very important gaps really are due to imperfections in the fossil record. Very big gaps, too. For example the Cambrian strata of rocks, vintage about 600 million years, are the oldest ones in which we find most of the major invertebrate groups. And we find many of them already in an advanced state of evolution, the very first time they appear. It is as though they were just planted there, without any evolutionary history. Needless to say, this appearance of sudden planting has delighted creationists." (Dawkins, Richard [zoologist and Professor for the Public Understanding of Science, Oxford University], "The Blind Watchmaker," [1986], Penguin: London, 1991, reprint, p.229). [top]
Dr. Richard Dawkins regarding the "Cambrian Explosion": "It is as though they were just planted there, without any evolutionary history. Needless to say this appearance of sudden planting has delighted creationists." The Blind Watchmaker, 1987, p. 229.
PvM: Updated to change the venue to KU
PvM: Moved to Youtube to relieve Server Bandwith
