Richard Dawkins at 85: Genes, God, and conversations with Claude
From Q+A with Jack Tame by Q+A with Jack Tame
May 23, 2026 · 20 min
About this episode
Richard Dawkins reflects on science and artificial intelligence as he embarks on a speaking tour for the 50th anniversary of his book, The Selfish Gene.
World-renowned biologist and writer Richard Dawkins is embarking on a speaking tour to mark the 50th anniversary of his first book, The Selfish Gene, a seminal text on the nature of genetics. He joins Jack Tame from his home in Oxford to reflect on how science has progressed, and shares his impressions on whether artificial intelligence technology can be considered 'conscious'. Richard Dawkins will be speaking at Auckland's Kiri te Kanawa Theatre on Friday 20 November and Wellington's Michael Fowler Centre Monday 23 November. Tickets are on sale now. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.
People in this episode
Host: Jack Tame
Guest: Richard Dawkins
Topics covered
- genetics
- artificial intelligence
- science
- biography
- speaking tour
Keywords
- Richard Dawkins
- The Selfish Gene
- artificial intelligence
- genetics
- speaking tour
- science
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: NZ on Air
Books & works: The Selfish Gene
Places: Oxford, Auckland, Wellington, Kiri te Kanawa Theatre, Michael Fowler Centre
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