Religion

Video Blog Post: The Blind Architect

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Rebecca Watson

Rebecca is a writer, speaker, YouTube personality, and unrepentant science nerd. In addition to founding and continuing to run Skepchick, she hosts Quiz-o-Tron, a monthly science-themed quiz show and podcast that pits comedians against nerds. There is an asteroid named in her honor. Twitter @rebeccawatson Mastodon mstdn.social/@rebeccawatson Instagram @actuallyrebeccawatson TikTok @actuallyrebeccawatson YouTube @rebeccawatson BlueSky @rebeccawatson.bsky.social

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30 Comments

  1. Thank you, again, for this video. I particularly like your calm demeanor in the face of eternal damnation. Transformer porn – I agree that it is quite the disturbing image.

    Y_S_G

  2. I’m very surprised that they managed to find you on the internet, but never found the blind watchmaker argument? You gave a very thoughtful and civilized response.

  3. You went from hippie, to sophisticated. Both are good looks for you.
    Too many people suffer from God-gaps. If they cannot explain it then it must be “god” (singular, multiple, sex, sexless, whatever). Leaving things to “god” allows one to forget about thinking or explaining, and just enjoy the myth. God-forbid one should wonder where God came from. Does that mean there was another God that created God? Or perhaps there is a higher natural selection where God’s evolved (no, there must be an intelligent design here somewhere).
    It is nice to have a system where you can pin something on a greater power that you cannot question — although it is a far more beautiful universe to continue the discovery from waves to galaxies.

  4. Containscaffeine: Not only did he not know about the blind watchmaker argument, it sounds like believes he came up with the architect/watchmaker argument first.

    Great work Rebecca.

  5. Great video, very calm response to these kind of angry screaming messages.
    Other than transformer porn, there is of course the example of the use of genetic algorithms in architecture. Things like designing a roof with certain structural properties or a ceiling with nice acoustic properties using mutation+selection.

  6. You overcomplicated things! He wanted god to have made the planet, all you needed was to tell him about gravity. Oh, okay, he would have gone on to mention life, and the video is great and everything, that still does not excuse you from not being perfect.
    I’ll be praying at my shrine to you for you to help me repress these thoughts of your imperfection.

  7. The “wise in her own heart” thing is probably a mangling of Proverbs 3:7 (“Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil”). It’s essentially a warning to believe what you’re told to believe and not to think for yourself.

  8. Very nice. I’m now more afraid of Transformer porn than eternal damnation. Or maybe that’s what hell is…

  9. Great vid Rebecca. As someone new to skepticism I really appreciate the rebuttal of the watchmaker argument. It will help me next time someone “rebunks” it within my hearing.

  10. Transformer porn? lol, does it involve mechanical tentacles?

    seriously though this was a great rebut to a tired argument, I doubt it would work on such a true believer but who knows it may bring a fence sitter over to the side of reason.

  11. I don’t think you should have apologized, you seemed polite throughout. It was he who should have apologized.
    As for transformer porn… *shudder*

  12. I love how you worked japanese porn in to a conversation about god. I thought I was the first one to come up with that.

  13. Transformer porn is ho-hum. The sex is too mechanical.

    P.S. Rebecca, isn’t it great the way true skeptics zero in on the really important points in your video?

  14. Don’t you see? Every instance of order requires design! You may think that this results in an infinite regression of cause, but he has a solution for that:

    An instance of extremely complex order that requires no design. Ingenious. :P

    Well met, as usual.

    JT

  15. @skepotter
    Well, at least think of all the positions they could be in, considering that they have bendable parts everywhere. ^_^

  16. Is it just me, or is it hyper-ironic that creationists haven’t had a new argument for…oh… 150 years or so. They change the nomenclature-“Creationisim” to “Creation Science” to “Intellegent Design” but their base logic is the same as it was ever since Darwin. (Mad props to S.J. Gould) Their arguments have not changed, even their examples are hackneyed. At least this dude used the “building” metaphor instead of the “watch”, but in the same incorrect logic. It’s like we could come up with a simple playbook. Someone make a creationist argument flow chart. I’d do it but I’m lazy and could not resist putting the word “Doucherocket” in there somewhere…

  17. I have a (female) friend who occasionally draws Transformers porn. Not so much lately as her inspiration for Pokemon porn has been endless.

    Nice video. I kind of miss the wind and the hair.

  18. Nice video Rebecca. I think you did a great job. I really like the calm rational response to lunacy. Keep it up. I also like the sophisticated skeptic look. (I like the earrings)

  19. As a blind person, I find Richard Dawkins’ metaphor of the blind watchmaker, describing the mindless process of evolution, to be quite insensitive. I know I should be criticizing Dawkins rather than you, but could you please do me and other blind people a favor and let that metaphor die? Thanks, and keep up the good work.

  20. I really enjoyed this. You aren’t going to change THAT guy’s mind but that’s not the point of the exercise of course.

    However, I am moved to point out that you coughed AT LEAST TWICE during recording, which is evidence that the pox I cursed pon you in the comments of the last vid has taken hold.

  21. I was in Lincoln cathedral a couple of days ago. There’s an enormous stainefd-glass window there dedicated to William Paley. The people at the information desk in the cathedral had no idea who Paley was or that he features so hugely.

    Can’t help feel they’re missing a marketing opprtunity

  22. Hi! I’m new here :wave:

    Great video! Interesting that this person thinks he is original. This is the first argument that comes up in my experience of talking with theists.

  23. Transformer porn, eh? Makes me think that I’m missing something in the somewhat-sexily, somewhat-dirtily named “Shockwave”.

    Sort of makes me think the Decepticons will eventually win if they can use three fingers like that….

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