Richard Dawkins: The Genius of Charles Darwin Documentary

Episode 1: The Mechanisms of Natural Selection

In the first episode, Richard Dawkins explains the basic mechanisms of natural selection and shows how Charles Darwin developed his theory. Teoria.com invites a class of 15-year-old pupils to ascertain the trend, finding that some students are reluctant to accept the theory due to their religious beliefs. Dawkins takes the class to the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, England, to search for fossils in the hope that the young people find the evidence of evolution for themselves.

Subsequently, Dawkins visits Nairobi, Kenya, where he interviews a sex worker who appears to have genetic immunity to HIV, predicting that under natural selection, that immunity will gradually prevail in the community. He also interviews Craig Venter, one of the architects of the Human Genome Project, and microbiologist Larry Gelmon.

Episode 2: Philosophical and Social Ramifications

In the second episode, Richard Dawkins presents the philosophical and social ramifications of the theory of evolution. The episode begins with an interview with paleontologist Richard Leakey. Then, Dawkins interviews the Bishop of the Pentecostal Church, Bonifas Adoyo, at the Christ is the Answer Ministries. Adoyo wants the National Museum of Kenya to stop displaying its collection of human fossils, specifically those showing the evolution from ape to human. The collection includes the Turkana Boy, discovered by Kamoya Kimeu, a member of Richard Leakey's team, in 1984.

Subsequently, Dawkins discusses the consequences of social Darwinism and eugenics, arguing that these are not "versions" of natural selection and stating that "Darwin has been demonized." Finally, Dawkins chats with evolutionary psychologist Steven Pinker on how morality can be compatible with natural selection and sexual selection, in line with his previous work outlined in The Selfish Gene. This includes an interview with several women waiting for a suitable sperm donor to investigate the role of altruism and kindness among humans.

Episode 3: Darwinism and Religious Controversy

In the final episode, Dawkins recounts some of the controversies that Darwinism has faced regarding religious concepts. He interviews popular creationists and proponents of intelligent design, as well as the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, among others. He explains how the theory of evolution is an indisputable scientific fact and how it helps people to "get rid of the crutch" of the supernatural, referring to arguments already stated in his book, The God Delusion.