Posted on 10/28/2008 10:19:39 AM PDT by NYer
The prominent atheist is stepping down from his post at Oxford University to write a book aimed at youngsters in which he will warn them against believing in "anti-scientific" fairytales.
Prof Hawkins said: "The book I write next year will be a children's book on how to think about the world, science thinking contrasted with mythical thinking.
"I haven't read Harry Potter, I have read Pullman who is the other leading children's author that one might mention and I love his books. I don't know what to think about magic and fairy tales."
Prof Dawkins said he wanted to look at the effects of "bringing children up to believe in spells and wizards".
"I think it is anti-scientific – whether that has a pernicious effect, I don't know," he told More4 News.
"I think looking back to my own childhood, the fact that so many of the stories I read allowed the possibility of frogs turning into princes, whether that has a sort of insidious affect on rationality, I'm not sure. Perhaps it's something for research."
But Prof Dawkins, the bestselling author of The God Delusion who this week agreed to fund a series of atheist adverts on London buses, added that his new book will also set out to demolish the "Judeo-Christian myth".
He went on: "I plan to look at mythical accounts of various things and also the scientific account of the same thing. And the mythical account that I look at will be several different myths, of which the Judeo-Christian one will just be one of many.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Well, that's for sure. When I was a kid, it was the ozone burning up and running out of coal, etc, and we see how the ozone is repairing itself and there's plenty of coal, cleaner burning.
To be so young, and have such a threat hanging over your head is just sad, and the fact that it’s false makes it that much worse.
That crowd seem to suck all the joy out of living, and seem to enjoy 'educating' even the youngest children, sapping all the simple joys of childhood (littlest kids wouldn't need to know, even if the tiniest part were true). Sapping out all the joy and fun, while claiming to do the opposite. Sad to watch.
Thanks to grellis for heads up!
HP Ping!
Harry Potter books ARE based in Science. Just recently, we’ve seen news articles on microchip based invisibility devices for vehicles, aircraft and personnel. The entire Pharmaceutical industry is based upon concocting potions from various animal and plant products that will treat human and animal diseases.
Many automobiles have Global Positioning Satellite systems that guide them like the “Point Me” spell Harry used in “Goblet of Fire.” It’s only a matter of time before antigravity generators are perfected making flying by brooms possible.
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic - Arther C Clarke
I have a .+. squirrel "helping" me type...
So true, nully.
Thank you for the Potterping, retrokitten!
SL! I was just thinking that I hadn’t seen you around in while. Hope everything is going OK!
Check your FR mail.
Actually, something along these lines already exists called "Junior Skeptic".
http://www.skeptic.com/junior_skeptic
Somehow I suspect Dawkins didn’t have many friends as a child.
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