on
welcome back to the David Pakman show
we're joined again by professor Lawrence Krauss he is a theoretical physicist
cosmologist professor of physics
and director of the origins project at Arizona State University
also one other co stars above the unbelievers which follows a bit
basically follows you in Richard Dawkins
is it fair to say around the whole world really essentially the whole world at
least stop three continents
thats so what is the actual released a dove the film because
on on IMDB it says December 13th but wikipedia says it premiered in
April that nobody knows what's happening it's true and and we're trying to let
the world know I'm
as soon as we know I we have a world premiere at at the
Hot Docs International Film document your compass long Toronto
in April and we've had we we we have
this film is shown in various festivals a tad
various limited are special one-off showing we just had an Australian
premiere at the Sydney Opera House last week that I was at
out we will have limited really screenings in New York and Los Angeles
I November 29 I in Los Angeles sublimely
theater ap so December 5th and December 13 to 19 to pick what cinemas in New
York
also be limited release screenings for New York and and LA
I and then arm we it will be released worldwide in 2014
I fact I was just on the phone with that with the distributor content media in
London
and up we don't have exact dates yet
because they are ideals being worked out with Netflix and
and iTunes and all that and and local
markets are it will be distributed digitally
certainly I in 2014 it may also
I have theatrical release in but I'll be country by country and
unfortunately we don't have the detail information yet because those contracts
remain to be side the minute we get them will put them on the unbelievers website
but if you're near New York or LA you can see it I'm
we will have various other festival
a Benson and those are listed on the on the website as well
and I'll periodic one of showings we just did my best to Caltech
and that those who continue as well I wish I had more information than that
but I heard that that's more that that I think that's plenty for now so
when UN in Richard Dawkins travel around any you do these different events
is there one location or one event in particular were things just got a little
bit hairy for you guys are or is it pretty much the crowd that goes
is open to the idea is you present or do things ever get a little risque
I well it depends on the events I I have to say
even the very largest crowds generally tend to be polite
although there are people arm will raise issues I remember
a vented Canberra in in Australia well
suburb which is in the film there was a young lady
up who was a I very
softball are had turned a question
and and she was really concerned actually started to cry
I with the questioning in and and and and
went off and we actually coaxed her back to the microphone and try to talk to
work
so those things happen of course there are other things are low here you'll see
in the film that now
at the at the El are globally
yes convention which happened in Melbourne Australia they were incredible
protesters outside
in and also use um the the region rally in Washington DC which
features in the film I while I was incredibly pleasant and supportive I'm
with 30,000 people there
all around the outside there were protesters up
I but I but on the whole
are when it comes to interacting with people directly
I found that maybe itself selecting or maybe the people who go
are somewhat intimidated I don't know but people tend to be relatively polite
even if they disagree and you know one of the things that's rather interesting
a
for me about the film is that we did a test screening and before three thousand
people in Phoenix and and and talk come
up a survey so people will get pasta by them
and those people who define themselves as religious remarkably
overwhelmingly said that they would recommend move your friend it that bad I
guess surprise us and i'm i'm happy about that because the
it to the movie is to create a discussion not a her yeltsin
bank people over the head with something but get people discussing these issues
yes it's in some since one of the main issues is this science
ver not not so much signs purses religion but maybe science and religion
in a way
I thought of how I think that there's the sometimes sanitized are politically
correct statement that
you can believe in both science and religion and when I think about this
I think about will from an abstract point that could be true but like sam
Harris has said
when you literally believe that there's a guy in the sky
that monitors everyone in everything you do
and evaluates based on rules we've known about
only for a few thousand years whether you go to a really good place or a
really bad place when you die
ken that actually be a view that you hold
and so-called believe in science well I think it's where I think it's very
difficult to believe that kind if you i mean there are scientists on your
religious so
I think people can hold contradictory views at the same time but I think you
hit the key point
when it comes to abstract notions a purpose in the universe we can say that
there's no purpose in interest
what we can say is that there's no evidence a purpose
and when it comes to the world's major religions and the doctrines are those
religions
we can say definitively and its it's really disingenuous to say otherwise
we we can say that those things are inconsistent with science you cannot
except the doctrines of the world's major religions and all a bit
nonsense in the scriptures I as as fuck
it disagrees with results a science and it certainly disagreed with there's also
common sense
and so I think some big belief in
into an in in purpose as I say something that science can't
really never addressed even if there's no evidence for that but
making claims on the basis of are
ancient documents written by people who didn't even know the Earth orbit the Sun
got is inconsistent and I and I think it's disingenuous bursitis is a
all there's no there's no problems because there are problems Jonah did
live inside a whale
the Sun didn't stop in the sky when someone to a trumpet at scepter sceptre
sceptre
when I propose some of these questions to to religious guests who have on this
program often
there's often a reaction that is offended and I'm curious whether you
think there's a double standard in this sense which is
when media questions the validity
religion Europe specific stories of Ben
those who are religious take very strong offense there personally insulted they
find it to be a big sign of disrespect
however when religious media American Family Association
et cetera put out material that disclaims science or makes claims that
are not based on any fact
that somehow is not considered offensive by those who want
a fact-based approach is there a double standard there were
of course there is it's called sacred I mean at the point is that we
seem in our society to think that they're certain things that are
above questioning or even ridicule and there should be no no idea should be
treated differently than other ideas and I really noticed this
when I wrote the universe from nothing in particular and I became more
sympathetic perhaps to my friend Richard Dawkins
lull because always I did not book was questioned
can't is it necessary to have a god and merely asking that question
becomes offensive and I'm something called strike for asking the question
well as people are offended
by questioning or or feel it you know somehow they have to
lash out that tells you something you don't you don't
responded that way to questioning unless your little bit insecure and I think
I think we do have a double standard our society where somehow
its its offensive to ask to to say look this idea seems ridiculous
but when it comes to sex our politics our science it's okay
and we shouldn't and and one of the things I've tried to argue in 10 things
we talk about in the movie is that no idea should be about ridicule
in our society NNN East thinking society
every idea should be subject to questioning ok unquestioning discussion
and that's what we need for healthy society and when you say oh no this idea
can't be
even discussed that's a problem last thing and I know you have to go when you
in Richard Wright dockings are driving around
what do you guys talk about like did did you debate whether British cuisine
is there is in case the are like what would your Just Cavalli hanging
everybody
you know the movie is a rocket as the director said as a rock and roll to work
Tom about signs he want to show
I what it was like for us to go around the world and so there's a lot of scenes
a bus in cars and trains and automobiles and and and and
you know and other other a an airplane's talking
and I'm of course we discussed lots of different things and it's a it's a
grueling
experience and I think I think one of the things I like about the movie
is that it gives a sense of what it's really like and that's what they
intended I think it was our
Radiohead will be the that that showed were like to be on rock tour that
sometimes the less glamorous than you think
it seems and and we YUM or switch and I talk about a lot of things and I think
you'll get a glimpse in the movie
up what it's like quote-unquote behind-the-scene had I write professor
Lawrence Krauss
we're talking a course about the unbelievers you'll definitely be able to
see it during 2014
thanks so much for being on with us again but take care
the David Pakman show and David Pakman dot com