Richard Dawkins is my least favourite professor of the popularisation of science, possibly of all time. Even though he’s the only one that’s ever existed. He’s an atheist, which I’m fine with, and an almost evangelical Darwinist, which is fine, and he’s not afraid to offend people with book titles like ‘The God Delusion’, which I approve of; he just makes my skin crawl. Mainly because he’s so pompous, but also because he abuses everyone’s God-given (oh, sorry Richard) right to be an arrogant fucker. He crosses the line between “I think…” and “you’re a complete tosser if you don’t think…” Because his is the only way. He leaves no room for anyone else’s ideas nor beliefs, if they aren’t 100% congruent with his own.

And he says sentences like: “Its rather pernicious to inculcate into a child a view of the world which includes supernaturalism”. Those words alone go against the very theme of his existence; popularisation of science. It makes the populus think all scientists are pretentious fuckers and stuffy losers who would rather speak in ‘Chaucer’ than the common tongue.

Dawkins thinks we shouldn’t tell fairy tales to our children. They may grow up believing in dragons and princesses and white knights and Walt Disney and Harrods Christmas Hampers at 984 quid including 2 bottles of Moet. The Professor feels that we’d be better off debunking these sad old tales and instead paint them ideas of the world from a scientific viewpoint. Teach them to be skeptical of the highly improbable. If you think a frog turning into Prince Charles ‘improbable’. Maybe witches and wizards simply ‘evolved’ over the millennia. That’d be a cruel irony.

Let kids enjoy their fantasies. The grim scientific realities come along soon enough to sterilise their world view. Let them have fun while it can last.

The World Cup will be fun. Apparently in the 30 degree temperatures England with face in Manaus, along with the excessive Rainforesty humidity, can result in losing up to 2kg of bodyweight during a match. At which point, the effects of dehydration cause reduced perception, increased errors, poor judgment and mental impairment. Its like being a UKIP voter. But this is serious stuff as not just players but referees will be suffering in the same way, affecting both their mood and judgment. Which then makes you wonder what will happen at the 40+ degrees they expect in Qatar in 2022 (if it goes ahead). But mainly, it will be quite interesting to see groups of hallucinating footballers wandering aimlessly around the pitch bumping into each other kicking at mirages. And stumbling may occur, which may look a bit like ‘diving’. Therefore the danger signs may be more difficult to notice with the Luis Suarez types and the entire Spanish, French and Italian teams who spend most of every game hurling themselves floorwards in regular temperatures.

And they all lived happily ever after.

A xxxx