ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming richard dockens. [applause] >> okay. are we all can you hear me? that sounds preagdz. not bad. okay. so we have a lot of heavy duty question and things to pond oar tonight so i thought maybe we would start with something a little -- lighter and personal an essay towards end of the book science and the soul. i have a bound gally which -- gives me complete license to write all over these pages which you don't want to do with your copy was book but it shall >> like to o read when you written. some of it is fascinating so i wonder you have this wonderful essay about influenced by charles and dr. idaho doo little how many of you have written dr. doolittle or seen the film with recollection harrison so you know and you pretty much know that's pretty good. >> i do there's similarity between dr. doolittle and at least the young darwin roughly contemporary. and he was the great naturalist like charles darwin and both loved animals and i think i was genuinely influenced by dr. doolittle and never seen anymore of the film thank goo

commonwealth club of silicon valley my name is mary ellen, it is my pleasure to introduce doctor richard dockens evolution mare biologist pounder of the foundation for reason and science. and author most recently of science in the soul selected writings of a passionate rationalist. doctor was voted property magazine number one world sinker, and was on daily telegraphs 100 greatest living