Royal Institution Christmas Lectures - Season 26 / Year 1991

Royal Institution Christmas Lectures - Season 26 / Year 1991

Season 26 / Year 1991

Network
DatesDec 27, 1991 - Dec 31, 1991
Previous SeasonNext Season

Episodes

Growing Up in the Universe: Waking Up in the Universe
Year 1991Episode 160 min

Growing Up in the Universe: Waking Up in the Universe

Dawkins discusses the amazing capabilities of the human body and contrasts these with the limited capabilities of computers and other man-made machines. He uses a small totem pole (which is used in ancestor worship) to illustrate the importance of studying our ancestors to understand how we've evolved.
Dec 27, 1991
Growing Up in the Universe: Designed and Designoid Objects
Year 1991Episode 260 min

Growing Up in the Universe: Designed and Designoid Objects

Dawkins' second lecture of the series examines the problem of design. He presents the audience with a number of simple objects, such as rocks and crystals, and notes that these objects have been formed by simple laws of physics and are therefore not designed. He then examines some designed objects - including a microscope, an electronic calculator, a pocket watch, and a clay pot - and notes that none of these objects could have possibly come about by sheer luck.
Dec 28, 1991
Growing Up in the Universe: Climbing Mount Improbable
Year 1991Episode 360 min

Growing Up in the Universe: Climbing Mount Improbable

Dawkins starts the lecture coming in with a stick insect on his hand. He describes with how much details such a being imitates its environment, its almost like a key that fits a lock. He then shows another insect, namely a Leaf Insect, which basically looks exactly like a dead leaf.
Dec 29, 1991
Growing Up in the Universe: The Ultraviolet Garden
Year 1991Episode 460 min

Growing Up in the Universe: The Ultraviolet Garden

Dawkins begins by relating the story of asking a little girl "what she thought flowers were 'for'." Her response is anthropocentric, that flowers are there for our benefit. Dawkins points out that many people throughout history have thought that the natural world existed for our benefit, with examples from Genesis and other literature.
Dec 30, 1991
Growing Up in the Universe: The Genesis of Purpose
Year 1991Episode 560 min

Growing Up in the Universe: The Genesis of Purpose

Dawkins opens by talking how organisms “grow up” to understand the universe around them, which requires certain apparatus, such as a brain. But before brains can become large enough to model the universe they must develop from intermediate forms.
Dec 31, 1991

Recently Updated Shows

Recently updated shows that might be of your interest.
True Detective
Running

True Detective

Touch darkness and darkness touches you back. True Detective centers on troubled cops and the investigations that drive them to the edge. Each season features a new cast and a new case.

True Detective is an American anthology crime drama television series created and written by Nic Pizzolatto. 

S.W.A.T.
Running

S.W.A.T.

Shemar Moore stars as a locally born and raised S.W.A.T. sergeant newly tasked to run a specialized tactical unit that is the last stop in law enforcement in Los Angeles. Torn between loyalty to where he was raised and allegiance to his brothers in blue, former Marine Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson has everything it takes to be an excellent leader and bridge the divide between his two worlds.

The Equalizer
Running

The Equalizer

A reimagining of the classic series, The Equalizer centers on enigmatic woman with a mysterious background who uses her extensive skills to help those with nowhere else to turn.

Shōgun
Running

Shōgun

Shōgun, set in feudal Japan, charts the collision of two ambitious men from different worlds and a mysterious female samurai: John Blackthorne, a risk-taking English sailor who ends up shipwrecked in Japan, a land whose unfamiliar culture will ultimately redefine him; Lord Toranaga, a shrewd, powerful daimyo, at odds with his own dangerous, political rivals; and Lady Mariko, a woman with invaluable skills but dishonorable family ties, who must prove her value and allegiance.

The Boys
Running

The Boys

In a world where superheroes embrace the darker side of their massive celebrity and fame, The Boys centres on a group of vigilantes known informally as "The Boys," who set out to take down corrupt superheroes with no more than blue collar grit and a willingness to fight dirty.