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March 26, 1941

 

Richard Dawkins, the science popularizer and outspoken atheist, was born on March 26, 1941. His recent documentary, entitled "Enemies of Reason," included some filming of a visit he made to a psychic. Here is a description I excerpted from a blurb about the show:

"[The documentary]...opens with a visit to a new-age
festival, where Dawkins visits a psychic medium.

It's hilarious, the guy's just groping blindly for anything and he
finally says he sees someone dead whose name starts with an E sound.
Dawkins says his grandmother's name started with E. Psychic medium:
She had a lot of cats. Dawkins: She never had a cat. She hated cats."

This anecdote can be savored on several levels.

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