http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/F/famelab/index.html

Richard Dawkins has just broadcast the first part of his new documentary on Charles Darwin on Channel 4 in the UK. As someone who has studied Darwinian theory quite deeply, it wasn't really telling me anything I didn't already know, but it did clear up the common mistakes laymen make about evolution.

Of course a Dawkins documentary wouldn't be a Dawkins documentary if he didn't bring religion into the picture. The first episode is based around him taking a group of 15-16 year old school-kids on a feild trip fossil hunting. Most of these kids have had a religious upbringing and have been brought up fearful of evolutionary theory. His point here is rather black and white: Creationism = Religion vs. Darwinism = Atheism, which while it is a fair comparison to make dismisses the ambiguous belief in both God and evolution that most Britons have. Alongside this feild trip he tells the story of how Darwin came to realise that all species came from a common ancestor. This I found to be quite informative because although I am very familiar with the theory I didn't really know much about Darwin or how he'd come up with it. It's very easy to see things as a product of evolution when you know the beautifully simple theory, but to actually arrive at such a theory from scratch with no education is something that I admit I would not have been able to do myself.

Dawkins' narrative is very important at a time when many people are again doubting science, when evolution is barely taught in schools besides in passing. I remember my science lessons in high school, while they didn't deny evolution and actually mentioned things evolving didn't ever tell us why or how, or ever try to explain the theory of natural selection. This documentary isn't supposed to preach-to-the-converted but to address those who are unsure, who've never really thought about it, or who perhaps misunderstood it. At the end of the program the kids were asked to sum up their beliefs after the day of fossil hunting and education. It had obviously made them all think, but hadn't actually converted any properly away from religion. The most startling response was actually from the kid who was most adament about his religion at the start, saying that he was now fascinated by evolution and that even though he didn't want to leave his faith, he wanted to know more about evolution. This for me is a success for Dawkins' approach, that if we can make people think about and understand the theory of evolution by natural selection, then we can forward the progress of science and the search for truth and leave behind the days of superstition and make believe.

Dawkins has been criticised in the past for being a loudmouth, shouting from a soapbox about how bad religion is. While The GD and his last two documentary series' have been fairly brazen about his views on religion and superstition they were still very accessible to the reader/ viewer. It is the tradition of accessibility here that has carried on and Dawkins has focussed much more on educating people in this latest venture. He may well be criticised for being over-simplistic at times, but the point here is to make these ideas accessible and educate ordinary people at a level they will understand. I say bravo Mr Dawkins!