Isaac Asimov talks about superstition, religion and why he teaches rationality
Vložit
- čas přidán 31. 05. 2016
- This was recorded in 1988. He also explains why some people who think that we should abandon science are wrong and how scientific worldview is the best.
- Zábava
I grew up in NYC, and one day I was waiting for the 5th Ave. bus next to Central Park. I was a student at the Bronx HS of Science, and was a huge science fiction buff. I had read Asimov’s sci-fi books, and many of his real science books. Who should happen to come and wait at the bus stop? Doctor Asimov. I was thrilled. We began a great conversation on his books, on biology, biochemistry, and other topics. We got onto the same bus, and continued the talk till he got off, around 15 minutes later. He was down to earth, brilliant, and interested in my comments. A day I have never forgotten.
Wow, you are a very lucky person! It is thrilling to me to hear one more true life story of how kind and gentle he was with us mere ordinary people!
I heard him give a talk at Swarthmore College when I was an undergraduate. It was one of the best I heard in four years. And what I remember most was how good his jokes were!
You win! No story from my life can top that.
They say never meet your heros. You struck gold. Lucky.
Where the old wise man has gone...
Now we have this wise 20 years old jumping around and telling us what life is...
An interviewer who gave tough questions and actually listened to the answers without interrupting. BRILLIANT!!
Not, I think Isaac was too ahead of his time. His calm demeanor played a crucial role in that interview. The journalist was not prepared for this individual and had to use Issacs replies and information to get through the discussion. No research done and a bad taste on my mouth closing. All kudos to the rational person (Isaac) who needed to explain this view constantly. I love these discussions as it improves my bad English :)
@@nizaradams7391 you’re the first person in all of this commentary that I have found who actually gets it! I had already made similar comments above countering all the adulation for the interviewer who is a self-confident buffoon. Your assessment is completely accurate and I am relieved to have read your comments.
True he did his job well
@@sunset2.00 Sorry but this interviewer was way over his head and I'm sorry to say that your reaction puts you in the same boat. He arrived unprepared and self-confident that he could interview Isaac without preparation. Perhaps you have not read any of his books to know any better but the interviewer cannot feign ignorance. His decision to interview him required he be read up, but I it appears he just doesn't get how much more advanced Isaac's thinking is and thinks he did a good job. Isaac's cool did not allow the event to be ruined but the interviewer squandered a singular opportunity!
Great interview! Great to listen to this. I don't agree with everything being espoused, but I love to hear the dialogue and ideas.
Did you notice? Not once was he interrupted and no interjections throughout . Absolutely wonderful. Media people have lost this art.
Advertising has taken over
@@gwijiwamamboflani8225 $$$
An incredibly adept and intelligent interviewer. I'll be looking for more of his work.
To be fair, Asimov is an intelligent person, so there really aren't gonna be major disputes. If someone in an interview starts saying irrational things, it's the interviewers job to interject.
It's not "art", just common sense and basic decency. Media people in general have never had it, most good interviewers are laymen at heart.
Truly heartbreaking how little true progress we have made. Discussing rationality today (2021) still feels like screaming into the void.
@@thedukeofnuts optimist 😊
If rationality was the be all end all, then CZcams wouldn't need to exist. Irrationality is a human trait. In fact, your existence is a result of irrationality, because rationality would dictate a concrete constant of high-performance individuals performing at close-to-optimum levels of production and efficiency for the sake of a greater goal and discarding the unnecessary.
You are unnecessary. To keep you around would be illogical. Doesn't sound so nice, does it? In fact, I'd go a step further: those industrial villains we see in the news, in the papers, giving talks ... they're the most rational of us all. If you want rationality so much, you and I would have to commit suicide to remove ourselves from the pool, because there is nothing that we can do that someone can do better and at a more economical opportunity cost. That's your rationality right there. Rationality would eliminate the arts: music, literature, anything you can think of. Entertainment is irrational; rationality is production, the ability to self-spur into the optimization of existence. Ballast is discarded. Ballast like you, ballast like me.
So don't talk to me about rationality, because you're definitely not the one to give that lecture. Unless you're a scientist at NASA pushing the boundaries of available physics, rationality would dictate that you are a waste of space, ergo, irrelevant, unwanted and irrational. So many people want to talk about being rational, but all they really are at the end of the day are a bunch of hipsters thinking they're better than other people with nothing to show for it.
You make some good points. Though I don't agree that all art is irrational. Art is an expression or attempt of understanding. I was unaware I was lecturing anybody when leaving a short sad comment on an old video.
@@saxonkrautz Emotion is seen as the anathema to rationality, and art is usually an expression of it. You can disagree on that, but there's a reason the quote "it's soulless" exists.
@@Sizdothyx So many assumptions about someone you don't know, and generalizations about a bunch of people without data to back it up... that's quite irrational of you :) What you're saying is not rationality nor skepticism, it's cynicism, and cynicism gets nothing done, it doesn't help you nor help you nor help anyone else.
"People will go for certainty, even if it's wrong." ~Isaac Asimov
Huuuufffffff... «stares daggers at 2016 - 2020»
Golan Trevize plot
Certainty repels curiosity ☝️
Was he talking about science.?
@@questioneverything8876 Science & scientists know that their ideas are just close approximations to reality, and ever-closer every time that there is more data collected.
It is up to the public to understand that, as well.
I am 53. Asimov and Sagan among others helped shape my view on the world. This interviewer is top notch, too...
Who are the others?
This is exactly what journalism is all about. Excellent journalist
I can only say that Sagan and Asimov were good teachers of science and logic but the unknown is a lot more then the known . We need to be careful when being close minded to new things many scientist have closed themselves off to only what they can measure with their knowledge and that knowledge is limited and best ! I can understand the lack of wisdom in science has well has occult both have many theories yet also both have many things that are in sync with each other " logic is only the beginning of wisdom " .
@@moejaime2654 Isn't that a closed minded opinion in and of itself though?
I mean, when you say "most scientists" what I can only assume you mean is most which we hear from, in which case I'd rebute that we only hear from most scientists in regards to their research (opposed to their wider views on the world).
As far as Asimov goes, he's not a scientist. He's an author who's informed by science (beyond a singular domain). Sagan often speaks about social unity and life beyond our solar system, which is something which resides far from the known.
To say "knowledge is limiting at best" seems excessive. Surely knowledge is a prerequisite of logic/wisdom? We can't act with wisdom if we lack the knowledge which forms the foundation of logic.
@@AvatarOfBhaal I agree that knowledge supports wisdom. It can temper our actions. For example, Asimov was a Professor of Biochemistry at Boston U. He was actually a scientist for whom fiction was actually his side interest. Knowing this I'd assume that he went to symposia and conferences and had a pretty good grasp of other practitioners his field's assumptions. Also, and I write this respectfully, "rebute" is not a word; there's refute (a verb) and refutation (a noun) and there's rebuttal ( a noun) but there no verb to 'rebute'.
He was a very wise man! Much respect!
I spent the whole lockdown watching your channel 🤗
It's been ages since I saw something on your channel. This comment is bringing back all my memories.
He was not a wise man. Asimov was an intelligent man, who came up with some genuinely good ideas, but was devoid of common sense. He was the product of his time, and initial formation, just as most men are. Indeed he is rather mundane in that sense.
I, rapist
@@havock89could you elaborate why you think he was devoid of common sense? I don't know this man, I'm just curious
What a brilliant intellectual discourse! I wish these kind of conversations are shown in schools to teach kids on how to communicate without conflict, and respect your fellow human beings
I included this type of analytical thinking in my medical ethics classes in medical school. There is much good education out there - sadly, in line with what Isaac Asimov says here, people have the tendency to focus on some less-typical class offerings to (incorrectly) prove that a university education is not worth it. Simply put, a cop-out of weaker minds.
Such a surprise to see an interviewer who's actually smart. Good old times...
Who was the interviewer? He was PERFECT!
Smart... and listening to his host!
A lost art...
It's not that intelligent interviewers no longer exist, it's just that the odds of being interviewed by one of the bad ones have increased.
Missing from this discourse:
Insults;
Name-calling;
Interruptions;
Confirmation bias;
Ridicule;
Sarcasm;
Avoiding key questions;
Lieing;
Racial undertones;
Intolerance;
Mockery;
Insensitivity;
Weaponization;
Thanks!
lmao
@Rude Kitty I'm from the US. Just ignore the republican. They don't have sense.
You are so right...we need to speak out - respectfully , of course!
"So what you're saying is..." xD
In other words, Donald Trump is sitting in one of the chairs.
Asimov was my college graduation speaker in 1979 and a month doesn’t go by when I thank my luck stars that he was! That talk transformed me in ways I’m still pondering.
Just came across this interview in 2021. It's refreshing to hear a respectful and intelligent conversation.
I'm glad I caught it in last days of this year! I'm sure I've seen parts of this interview, my older brother was a huge Asimov fan even back in the time this was recorded. But it hits hard this year, watching my brother fight against right-wing politicians and their wacky Covid misinformation
How I wish modern talk shows still had these deep and rational conversations, where there isn't a commercial break every 5 minutes and every answer cannot be longer than 30 seconds and the interviewer doesn't constantly interrupt the interviewee...
The last one went when Charlie Rose got booted, similar interview format with a very wide range of guests not just popular celebrities plugging their latest movie, album or book. Hasn't been a replacement since.
It's called the Joe Rogan Experience, a podcast on CZcams where one on one conversations on many different topics routinely run for two or three hours. You're welcome.
I mean, this sort of interview was rare back then too. Nothing has really changed in this regard.
I'm afraid you could not do that nowadays. That would be too politicall-correct so no one would watch it.
People seem to need all the coursing, extremism and blaming others all the sudden.
@@mcgeufer couldn't do that back then, either. It was only on 2 types of shows... on PBS where there was no advertising or commercial sponsors... or on community service programs by the stations and networks that were REQUIRED broadcasts due to FCC regulations (which are no longer required bc of deregulation). Commercialization won...and so we all lose.
What a great interviewer! No interruptions, letting the guest speak... Richard D. Heffner, great class.
Very professional compared to the antagonists that we have today.
serge N - so true, which makes this interview unique and rare. Imagine a world today where every interviewer had such understanding, poise and intellect to reciprocate adequately.
Agreed. I knew Asimov was going to be a great interview, but I was struck with the quality of the interviewer. That's a lost art. " Imagine a world today where every interviewer had such understanding, poise and intellect to reciprocate adequately." Sadly, television doesn't value any of those qualities anymore. It's confrontation and provocation that sells the ads nowadays.
I always appreciate a good interviewer. This guy does a good job. You can see that he listens, pays attention, and adds thoughtful, appropriate questions at appropriate times. Charlie Rose was good at this; he had a show on PBS for may years -- a round-table discussion show -- but he was kicked out after the Me Too movement brought his sexual offenses to light. Sadly, Tavis Smiley, who also had an interview show on PBS was another great interviewer who also lost his job after sexual harassment allegations came to light. Sometimes Joe Rogan does a good job at interviewing; he is thoughtful and listens well. He will occasionally interrupt, but it is usually fairly appropriate. Can't think of others right now. It is an art, and the masters are too few.
I was just going to say this, he's asking really good questions
I wonder how he would feel looking at the state of the world right now in 2023. Such an inspiring man and it's so sad more people don't listen to his words.
Dude ppl say that every year. ‘The state of the world in [insert current year]’ holy shit what whining, do you ever think about how privileged we are? The technology we have where we can live in such comfort. Every year its this doomsday talk about how this year is the worst humanity ever has been, clearly you dont read up on your history. The world might end but humanity certainly isnt any worse than it used to be
My dear Socrates once wrote, '“The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.” It is not surprising.......
@@GuineaPigEverydayGood and wise words 😊
I imagine not as disgusted as he'd be about his son getting caught with the biggest child p**n collection in California history just 6 years after his father's death.
For those wondering, he got probation and a 200$ fine 😶😠
The prosecutor? Robert Mueller.
What a disgrace to his great father.
A brilliant good visionary man interviewer smart as a whip very respectful you can tell he wants to hear and is interested in what Dr Asimov has to say
If only Asimov could see the modern day internet. We went from people believing crazy things because they were clinging to the beliefs of their fathers, to people believing the Earth is flat because they want to feel special, or part of a community.
The psychological basics have always been the same. To a degree human society is basically still cavepeople, and what we call society or civilization is a wild jungle and a survival game.
Watching this in June 2020. What pleasure it is to hear rational ideas, discussed rationally. A reminder of how much we've lost our way.
Yes. Somehow, the requirement for *evidence* to support a person's viewpoint has disappeared and any claim seems to have the same validity as any other.
It's about time we started compiling an encyclopedia.
@@suryakumars Agreed
@@JustWasted3HoursHere I reject your truth and replace it with my own...now let's discuss how wearing a mask is a government conspiracy!
@@cookiemadison8529 Sadly, some people think it is (Trump supporters).
Imagine having a good conversation like this with a friend. People who genuinely seek to know the truth without feeling attacked or anything. it's just so good.
Join the Atheist Community of Discord :)
Yeh, you raise a really good point, hard to express yourself these days with out everyone taking offence, and then tying too "negatise" (may have made that word up?!) your viewpoint, because after all, it is just a view point, and debate is only a way to shine light on all our views, it's how we learn t be better human beings. It's a form of mass narcissism, we cant all be trauma kids!!
Wouldn't that be refreshing, instead of so many interviews or conversations being based on the premise of ginning up outrage? Hard to believe - and so, so sad - that one of the major news networks has chosen to base its business model not on information or exchanging ideas civilly, but simply to focus on deliberately creating false outrage, pushing buttons just to get an emotional response out of their viewers instead of providing real information or stimulating them to think critically about a topic. Faux isn't the only guilty party, but they're certainly the most prominent and worst offender, leaving aside outlets such as One America and similar nonsense.
@Lord Methane what does this mean?
@@tempestive1 atheists are arrogant and everyone on discord is an utter idiot, no thanks. All you get is irrationality with those condescending hypocritical retard assholes full of logical fallacy and low intellect.
A great man and a constant companion when I was a teenager (through his books). I wish there were more like him, the world needs them.
Haha
Isaac was essentially my 3rd parent when I was a kid. Starting with Lucky Starr when I was in 5th grade I loved his books. And his way of looking at the world. I grew up in a very rural & conservative part of Indiana. The last of 5 kids in a very catholic family. Religion never made sense to me. Even as a kid. Isaac made sense to me.
there's many more like him. Everyone is just as bright. But not enough.
@@johnstinchcomb8156wonderful comment
@@megavarenik8804There is no one like him. Like minded fantastic people but none can compare.
Extraordinary interview. Good, complex questions, no rivalry; this is what we need to progress together.
4 years later, CZcams randomly recommends this to me. Blessed be the Algorithm.
Praise be! :P
@@rowens7721 I spoke of Issac Asimov an hour ago while speaking to my sister, and I have already gotten the recommendation from CZcams.
Roam free@Sarah's Riding The Storm Wave.
Lolllll, Sameee
Ya dude i too got this recommendation and now I am enlightened
"They served us because we knew so little about the world. "
Gold.
Trouble is in this day and age even in the USA people are still so ignorant. WHY?
@@toni4729 true
TMPanos96 Plutarch, Lives: Pericles(c. 495-429 bc.)
...”he seems to have learned to despise those superstitious fears which the common phenomena of the heavens produce in those who, ignorant of their cause, and knowing nothing about them, refer them all to the immediate action of the gods. Knowledge of physical science, while it puts an end to superstitious terrors, replaces them by a sound basis...
If you are seeking a new and different explanation of the truth that makes sense, search for "Global Truth Project" in Google and click the 1st result, then click on "The Present" and read what it says. This is truth you can check. I recommend that you do not disregard this message.
But religions and superstitions don't really try to make sense of the physical world, they're about people and society - which we still don't understand very well.
Science has shown that there are seeds smaller than mustard seeds, so Jesus was wrong. But what does science say about whether or not to give unto Caesar? Maybe Jesus was wrong about that too, IDK, but there are no underlying rational, objective facts involved.
As an atheist, I can really appreciate a man like Asimov. I have never understood why people believe, even though I was raised in a highly religious home. I used to suspect that parents told their children about heaven and hell in order to keep them in line, but didn't really believe it, much the same way that parents tell their kids about Santa Claus. I started asking questions at a very young age, like "Where did Cain get his wife?", and "what did everyone eat after they got off the ark?". Questions like this drove my parents crazy, and they would try to assure me that after the flood food just "magically" appeared, and that more people just appeared after Adam and Eve out of nowhere.
@Saint Ratus have you heard of anybody raised atheist turned religious or superstitious? Are their perceptions poorly calibrated? Aren't all our perceptions poorly calibrated? We are all subjected to some sort of bias or slant whether one way or the other. If we are all poorly calibrated in some way or another, how can we judge who or what is calibrated correctly?
@@irvhh143 I'm sorry about that 😢which religion or church?
@@maddyv5660 good comment
Were you ever able to ascertain whether your own parents merely put forth the religious beliefs as a means to manipulate you towards good behavior, or did they truly believe their stories?
I never thought about what they ate after they got off the ark. Thanks for the thought.
Wow! What a great conversation. The interviewer was very well prepared, and Mr. Asimov was simply brilliant in his responses. I’m so glad this showed up in my CZcams feed in 2021.
Issac Asimov saved me from a life without reason . I credit him for all of my desire to live a life of being rational and to learn as much as i can .
Wow, this is a strong statement sir. How is this possible? Please tell us your story?
@@nizaradams7391 My father was a warm loving man but he believed every crazy story and anything he read no matter what the source and being in the house I read the same books he did.This all changed when I went with him to the bookstore and I got the asimov book of his essays only a trillion after that my entire belief system changed actually not long after that my friends started calling me Spock.their is no way to thank Isaac Asimov enough for how much he changed my life.
@@jedi4049 Obviously you don't know him.
Great to hear about that brother. Keep learning man!
@@johneaton8101 true reading can truly open up your eyes to virtual portals of an infinite knowledge. That's how I went from my normal childhood into a curious questioning everything adult hood. Keep reading and keep learning brother
Listen, I don't have to sell you Isaac Asimov, if you're rational enough, you already love him, if you're still not rational enough, AFTER watching this, then I'm out of all means of convincing you. BUT, what I want to sell you instead is, this interviewer, is absolutely fantastic! What a great interviewer, one of the best I've seen.
The Jayleno Fly Do look online for more by this interviewer. A public TV series called The Open Mind.
Amen, brother/sister ;)
morons
@@charleshoops2307 Why the plural? It seems you can use the singular... there's just one here.
True , the host is almost invisible as he ask just the right questions. He's probably read some of his work.
About rejection of rationality: "They'll go for the certainty even if it's wrong".
Never truer than in covid times.
I paused in shock of how true this is for 5 minutes.
It's how Hitler came to power.
So true....without any consideration of the fact that, unless it's true, it isn't certain. Which is only to say, they'll go for the illusion of certainty, even if it's wrong.
Thankfully; President Biden took the bull by the horns and the virus is being controlled l!
I love the style to of the interview. Intelligent & challenging questions, followed by plenty of time for the person to answer without being constantly interrupted. It would be good if there was more of this in 2021!
How quickly, clearly, concisely, thoroughly, and decisively he responded to every question.
The mark of a honest, well informed man: no need to dance around any topics, no need to weasel out of previous affirmations
@@MadsterV I just hope he was wrong about religion because it would be great if he might someday reincarnate.
" I may, occasionally influence someone" ... Oh yes, Issac. You did. In a bigger way than you envisioned. But we need you NOW, more than ever. Civilization & rationality are teetering on the brink ...
@Gernot Schrader I grew up with Asimov, read all his scifi and many of his scientific books. Looking back, I am sure he was one of my most important influencers, along with my brilliant self-taught father and my wonderful mother who was a pillar of our family. Both of them, back in the early 1900's and 1910's, had to quit 7th and 8th grades to go to work. Neither had much schooling, but they educated themselves and raised successful children and grandchildren, all of whom are successful, thinking, rational people. I feel so lucky to be part of that. Asimov was far from a perfect man, but his good far outweighs his faults.
@@jjbud3124 he was also one of my childhood heroes. I was so devastated that he didn't live long enough to get to talk to him. I tried to contact his wife, but she was hiding from the public. You say Asimov was not perfect (not that any of us are), but you seem to refer to specific issues. What would those be?
@@flychomperfly He was a sexist through and through.
@@jjbud3124 ah... yes. While it is an issue, at least people were warned about him -- he never hid his reputation. Also, at the time he lived, the females often encouraged or were "honored" to have men oogling them. I don't get it, but there were enough females like that, that he wouldn't have gotten the message to stop. He also lived at a time when women had fewer rights and even relegated THEMSELVES to stereotypes that were very frustrating to me. I would bet that if he had made it through to our current mindset, he would have re-thought and adjusted his actions/opinions. But, there was no logic for him to do so at the time.
@@flychomperfly Agree, it was much more acceptable at that time. He was still a hero of mine, regardless. His other qualities were strong.
I’m 40, it’s 2021, I’m watching for my first time; this should be played in all schools.
If we have to display in words our trust in it, then we should be able to handle hearing another perspective, like you’d expect to happen in SCHOOL.
His wisdom, creativity, self-deprecating humour, and prescience will rarely be equalled I believe. An incredible person.
"Who cares who's going to win when everyone's going to lose."
Says someone with that old mindset of winning and losing.
BUT THE LIBS ARE GONNA TAKE AWAY OUR GUNS!!11
@@sinki19841984 more lies - stop listening to the Fox propaganda.
@@sinki19841984 I sure as heck hope that's an attempt at sarcasm. At this point, I really can't tell anymore. I'd ridicule people who think the election was stolen, but there's just too damn many that do.
Weak people. They do care, in order to give some fake trascendence to their futile existence. Power is held purely by mentally weak people.
Those who would actually be capable of holding power in a responsible way do not care about it. The very few who would do it just because they understand that would be the only way to improve society in a wide and effective way, just get murdered by the establishment run by weaklings who fear to be dethroned. It's a very hard situation to solve. If we try to do something, we get killed. If not, nothing changes. The only solution I see is to change things without people noticing it... and it's very hard to make important changes that way. What to do?
I don't know, but to stop trying isn't an option
Incredible that, when this was recorded, he'd had a heart attack, triple bypass heart surgery, and was HIV+ as a result of a blood transfusion during the surgery 5 years earlier. A real trooper.
He was FREE
Had not realised about HIV status. Actually despite him being one of my favourite authors growing up, never thought to read about his life! Catching up now.
Trouper, not trooper :-) However he is clearly a calm and sensible person and that would reduce his medical complications from the HIV infection.
So sad that he contracted HIV at a time when we couldn't do much to treat it. If he had been able to live a little bit longer, until the better treatments came along, he might have had many more years on this Earth. He is one of my favourite authors.
That was a different era. Smoking was everywhere. A potbelly was something to be proud of. Ppl drank so much that if someone was an alcoholic, you'd hardly know the difference. Now, everyone is getting on the fitness bandwagon.
The interviewer here is mature, patient and professional. Asking difficult questions and listening without interrupting.
I worked as a Senior Scientist at McNeil Pharmacuetical in Pennsylvania and once heard him talk there after a dinner.
I remember his great humorous love of limeriks. Had read most of his major Sci-Fi books as a teenager and I asked him after his talk about why we have not had any contact from other intelligent life in our galaxy.
He replied that some people think intelligence might be self-limiting, that sufficiently advanced beings might invent something that would stop them completely. I know that he did not fear computers, robots and A.I.
and his three laws of robotics would prevent them from ever harming humans.
What a great intellect and a great human being. America and the entire world misses you Dr. Asimov.
Thank goodness I live in a time where I can turn on my tablet and listen to the rational words of the great Issac Asimov. What a pity all the politicians in the world cannot think like he does. What a gift to mankind he was and what a loss to mankind that he is no longer with us. A great thinker.
☘️🌝🌲
Keep in mind politicians do what serves them and their people. Much like Asimov or anyone else in history.
"Who cares who is going to win when everyone is going to lose?" This is gold. Thanks for uploading.
The interviewer was Richard Heffner (August 5, 1925 - December 17, 2013). He was the creator and host of a public affairs television show first broadcast in 1956. He was a University Professor of Communications and Public Policy at Rutgers University and also taught an honors seminar at New York University . (Wiki)
I cannot imagine nowadays a man like Mr. Heffner being successful on the degenerate and dumbed down mainstream media today.
@@MisterSplendy That means you're not watching the right channels. This interview was on PBS, and that media outlet is still alive and well, broadcasting all kinds of intellectually stimulating programs. CNN and MSNBC produce one-hour specials dealing with serious news events, employing all the tried and true journalistic tools of proper verification of sources and striving for factual accuracy as well as interviewing nationally renowned experts. On the other hand, channels like Fox News are propaganda outlets for the GOP and the worst kinds of right wing lies and conspiracy theories, often using as guests kooks, liars, and criminals.
But, it's obvious why you like Heffner - because he's challenging Asimov's religious skepticism. Asimov was able to refute his lame challenges better than anyone.
The weakness of Heffner's arguments is illustrated in his calling Asimov for saying "Heaven only knows..." - as if that contradicts his non-belief in "god" and is not just a figure of speech. Atheists use the word "god" all the time because it's part of the language, not because they are inadvertent believers.
While in college in the late '70's a friend and I were circling the States on Amtrak attending scifi conventions. After a weekend convention in Philadelphia (in which Asimov was a guest speaker) we boarded a train to head north. Much to our surprise a row ahead and across the aisle we spied Asimov poring over a pile of papers. Thinking he might be reading an important scientific paper we strained our necks and laughed when we found he was working on a crossword puzzle in the paper! 🤣🤣🤣
One of the greats as an intellect and humanist. What a calm, steadying influence he provided for humanity. Would give anything to had have met him. This interviewer is really talented as well.
Lucy Legtwister: Solid comment.
Cathy Whitney the exact same thing could be said of Charlie Chaplin and his movie The Dictator the speech he gave that was written 72 years ago and if you would kindly just look at the world around you you'd see a terrifying truth to his words Isaac Asimov is the absolute best I agree with your comment 100%
Cathy Whitney Houston
Nice! You have an eye for good people!
Richard D. Heffner we need more interviewers like him nowadays!
Actually as an interviewer he is an ignorant buffoon and this interview was a disaster.
@@nixl3518 care to explain yourself?
Any relation? Haha
He was way smarter in 1988 than most of the "tools" today. Too many people believe what they want to, not in any truth...
What a great man indeed.
@@robbiddlecombe8392 I guess that's what religions have done to the people over thousands of years. We want to believe rather thank know....that's the end if it then, since beliefs are not enough to get us out of this mess.
@@robbiddlecombe8392 Damn, well said. I'm going to copy and paste that one.
He was way smarter than them in 1945! Let alone 2023!
With a culture in severe decline, Asimov's wisdom shines brighter than ever.
Asimov is one of my all-time heroes: a brilliant writer, a PhD chemist and a great friend of Arthur C. Clarke (among many others), as well as a true humanist who genuinely cares about the fate of humanity and the sustainability of all life on Earth!!
Have you read or listened to Noam Chomsky ? His voice can put me to sleep, but I like his books.
What's your take, on Chomsky ?
Isaac Asimov was the most important person in my life I never met. My views on religion, science, skepticism and so on are based on reading his books and his monthly science column in Fantasy and Science Fiction. I miss you Dr. Asimov!
The interviewer was provoking him all the time and, nevertheless, he was always able to answer satisfactorily. Great thinker.
Never heard of this guy before but it''s a breath of fresh air to hear him speak so clearly about rational thinkng and avoiding superstitious BS 👍
he was a math professor and wrote some mind blowing real science, science fiction , you should look him up
Never heard of Isaac Asimov? That blows my mind.
#J Lee He was a Golden Age scifi writer (the Golden Age was between the mid 30's though the mid 50's).
Isaac Asimov was one of the biggest names in Science Fiction - he was as highly regarded as Tolkein
He wrote over 200 books, and though he is best known for science fiction and science non-fiction, he wrote books on many subjects. There is an Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare! I grew up reading his sci-fi and his non-fiction science books. Asimov on Physics was cool! Loved the Foundation Series!
"Who cares who is going to win when everyone is going to lose?" Nailed it..!
June 8th 2021 scary statement now.
Nailed what? If God is real, than everyone will not lose... well, except him and all those that follow his ideas.
@@NeilRoy There's no doubt, no question. God is a made up fiction.
chocolate squiggle Unfortunately, so is the Chocolate Squiggle. 😢
isaac asimov was a true genius/polymath, this was a really great coversation from both asimov and the interviewer
Zendium
Miss Asimov everyday.
Right there with you.
This is taken from a PBS series called "The Open Mind".The interviewer is Richard Heffner(a university professor),he created the show back in the 1950's and remained it's host until his death about 5 years ago,after which his grandson took over.It's always been a show of the highest caliber and you can find complete episodes of it on CZcams.
yes, his mind was as excellent as his sense of fashion. What did he think those clown sideburns said about him?
Dr. Asimov, of the most brilliant minds of the past 100 years.
The part about how grim and depressing children's fairytales are was so eye-opening. Those stories are absolutely horrible but as children we don't realize how dark they are and how many unfortunate but very real aspects of human life are large parts of the story.
Elders are allowed to cause a permanent trauma to minors with their made up stories, but when a biology book shows a penis, and vagina hell breaks loose.
Brilliant.
I've never heard Asimov speak before. This was a great interview.
just happened to me as well. damn, how did I wait so long?
Same here, even though I had read some of this books. This interview was pure class.
Now watch one more interview, the time has come
Good interviewer and a calm discussion..... respect for each others opinions right or wrong..... freedom of speech and thought . I hope we can evolve beyond violence, disrepect and trolls one day.
A great example of what we should be
Yes. Not one sign of wanting to 'cancel' the other; a willingness to listen and potentially disagree without screaming that the other shut up while searching for the closest 'safe space'. Truly it was a marvelous time where free thought and discussion was encouraged rather than feared.
@@veganconservative1109 LOL you're projecting, while pretending that conservatism actually HAS anything to offer worth discussing any more.
I so agree.
These 24 minutes were worth a whole documental series. My respects for both Asimov and the interviewer
As a 10 year old kid reading Caves of Steel, never thought later on I would be able to actually watch this guy speak!
Isn’t that AMAZIN’!
The interviewer is very good. Listens well, consise well-thought-out questions, very professional.
He is the great facilitator
Since man has been on earth for thousands of years we’ve never learned the fundamental law of rational thinking. Imagine a world we’re someone like Asimov would be president / prime minister. He said in this interview himself, Governments spend trillions of dollars on wars that they fear not fight.
Wonderful interview. Thanks for the opportunity.
What brilliant interview, an interviewer who asks very intelligent and thought provoking questions then shuts up and lets the interviewee (Dr Asimov) answer without interruptions with great clarity, intelligence, and wisdom. Superb interview best I’ve seen for years.
summary: There will always be stupid people, but we must do our best to rise above the morass and seek truth and seek it through the scientific method. RIP IA.
And beware of the quality of the science we are using to shape policy and beliefs. So much junk science has been done to "muddy the waters" on issues like anthropogenic climate change, exact same M.O. as tobacco/ cancer relation. Anti-science interests are using "science" against the masses, it's become so politicised.
@@Skittenmeow yes, and the day to day aspects of science itself is so political. speaking from seeing my own friends climbing the ranks of academia/large biotech etc. It's no different than any other human endeavour on the micro level. Speaking on a macro level...at least with science, over time the truth wins out....but sometimes it takes way longer than it should.
Isaac Asimov was always at the top of my list This man could give you an answer and broaden your horizons on any subject He also had this quality not to make you feel like an idiot while he was doing it
Christopher Hitchens did that. Only, he did make you feel like an idiot... and he had the ability to make you feel good about it... to make you no longer an idiot.
Back in the early 1990s, after I had read several of his foundation series books, I wrote him a letter with a question about a technical detail in his writing. He actually wrote me a very thoughtful response! I was astounded! Asimov is one of the great treasures of humanity.
thhall459 Thank you for sharing it I probably wouldn’t even know how to reach him
NET MATE if I remember correctly, in the back of the books the publisher gave an address to write him! That was long before the internet, and even before I got my first computer in 1991, which was a Dell 386 with a 100 megabyte hard drive, with 4 megabytes of RAM and a 14” VGA color monitor!
@@thhall459 I am sure you cherished that letter. If it was me that would be the most precious that i could have. What a great man he was.
What a treasure of an interview. I miss interviewers showing this amount of respect. No interruptions and good questions.
35 years later and this is still relevant. The details have changed but the message is the same.
And will remain relevant for many many years to come.
Asimov, Sagan, Bronowski, Fry, Tyson, Hawking, Feynman, Kaku...so many great minds who have helped me become an academic.
Stephen Fry and Mike Tyson? 😅
@@raminybhatti5740 Neil DeGrasse-Tyson.
@@jjbud3124 That makes more sense.
Just saw your comment for the 1st time now... do you teach or do research? And, where? I like learning from those with good logic and ethics.
Yes, a bad, really bad academic🤣... what is your field? Pseudoscience?
Isn't it great listening to an intelligent person.
Yes it is. And his use of English is impeccable. Not a word out of order! Calm and so collective.
Exactly
One of the most intelligent person who ever existed. He is very underrated
Yes, I forgot what that was like.
Except that the experience gets ruined by the unintelligent one trying to keep up and failing miserably!
The metaphor of science fiction authors as the scouts of the future is so eloquent and satisfying.
Really enjoyed watching that interview. Thank you for posting it.
There should be a prize: the Isaac Asimov prize of Reason.
That's okay, but we do have the Richard Dawkins Prize.
.
no one would win it ...
@@sidDkid87 Not in today's world anyway. I'd consider Bill Nye or Neil DeGrasse Tyson among the few, but it's a shamefully small group.
@@captainpharaoh we could submit our names for the prize ; ),
i got to speak with him in my early twenties at umass amherst he talked with myself and 2 friends for 15 - 20 minutes he was very gracious
Lucky you!!! I am just listening to him and feeling great!!!
I've read just about everything he wrote, My beloved cousin Bill Dwyer introduced me to His words of wisdom, What a wonderful American 🇺🇲♥️🇺🇲‼️
Nice to hear this discussion. It is informative, respectful, and meant to explore the issues. Now, we live in times where this conversation would instil storms of self-righteous indignation by people “being offended”, an apology by the broadcaster, the sacking of the journalist, and the application of sensitivity reads to Isaac’s novels. 😢
Listening to this conversation fills me with both joy and despair, the joy of a thoughtful, intellectual conversation and the despair that this is all but lost to America now. Given away cheaply for the false comfort of absolutism, populism, idolism and anti intellectualism.
Also Issac shares a commonality with other science fiction writers of being lightyears ahead of his time not only in his own field but in many others too.
Well said, and this was before the likes of 9/11 conspiracy theories, COVID conspiracies and the ridiculous flat Earth nonsense.
If Isaac was around now he'd be tearing his hair out at the beliefs being spouted on social media
@@reessoft9416 it really is everywhere through the very same technology science has achieved through. The issue with scientific advances is we are giving free platforms for more idiots to scream at. But at the same time internet is also abundance of knowledge and information. We truly never can make an ideal society.. there will always be a head to a tail. Is it a favourable balance ? No. But is it entirely changeable? no again.
I mean Soviet union banned religion and anti intellectual way of thinking and ideolgies and focused on science and advancement but in the modern world they are evil enemies who fell. So in a world of blind the one eyed man becomes the freak.
i actually think that elder media didn't knew the extent to which stupidity could be so sold. we would, as he did, think we are doomed if we were in the 80's or 90's and saw the kind of entertainment and information they were loving to have, but if the media understood that ideas as Qanon and flat earth would actually thrive among the population, i guess they would have had it all day on.
the cheapest entertainment usually wins society, but who would guess the cheapest information would aswell?
No just the Yanks, but the entire world. So climate change is real, covid is a dangerous disease, more blacks are killed by cops than whites, mohammendan terrorism is a threat..... sure we should debate these in a rational way, and not be closed down by cancel culture.
This only leaves to conspiracy theories and people taking up the false comforts of absolutism.
@@gustavalbericchidurocher9764 I don't think a theory like Qanon could've flourished in the 80's. There's a fear that is, kind of paradoxically, caused by the abundance of information our modern society delivers every day. Qanon and other stuff like that is an irrational answer to those fears.
Mr. Heffner is an excellent interviewer and Asimov a worthy match. Very enjoyable interview
Thank you for sharing.
The Best Interview I ever heard...just Amazing!
Doctor Zilman (Pennsylvania)
Isaac Asimov is one of the most underrated human in history
He got enough recognition and was world famous !!
A hidden gem. Very relevant in 2020. Thank you for this treasure.
one of the best interviews I've ever seen
Yes, I think that the interviewer was inspired by Asimov's optimism, realism, and rationality!
And sideburns.
Big ups for the upload!
I wish we had more content of him. This is priceless.
It's so rare. Wish there was 100 hours
THIS is what television was made for. Not the modern reality-tv garbage, mind-numbing sitcoms, and dumbed-down sensational news.
And they say we are currently living in “the Information Age”! It’s just plain depressing to know that we humans today carry all of the worlds knowledge and evidence in our pockets, yet most people would rather talk to imaginary people who live in the sky to make all their important decisions. It just seems completely ludicrous to me!
Well, that's what you get if you let market market forces decide what is favorable.
@@danie7kovacs Yes! The lowest common denominator is what TV is all about. That is the level of the population that watches TV anymore.
@@Futuresolidsnake what are you some kind of prophet ? :-)
@@nixl3518 That depends on the amount you wish to donate to the church? I might be persuaded to use my divine power if the denominations are high enough. 😉😁
This might be the most intelligent conversation I’ve ever heard.
Always the decent, clear thinking people who are NOT in charge. This is 1988! 2021 now and the same old problems facing humanity and the earth ~ I wish I found this unbeleivable. Thank you.
I only saw this man once from this video, but somehow, I salute him not because I have close similarity with all of what he said, but also the way he answers are pretty much more realistic and really answering with simple yet observable, more on proofs rather than on hopes.
Hat for this gentleman.
Scary how relevant this is today.
Spread the word of science. We must now come up with new health technologies.
Probably will always be relevant, but it does seem like rationality is having a rough time in the West right now.
“I have a foreboding of an America in my children's or grandchildren's time -- when the United States is a service and information economy; when nearly all the manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries; when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what's true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness..."
- - Carl Sagan, excerpt from his book "The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark" 1995.
Now you can be more properly scared.
Its only 32 years later. Humans have been this way for 2 million years. Everything is human psychology, and humans are still emotionally based, not logically based.
Being rational will always be relevant
What a brilliant man - and what an amazing interviewer. We need more of this in our lives, in our societies, today (2020)
You live in the age of information, get off your ass and find it. Asimov would be gobsmacked.
@@TonyGonzales - 😂😁👍🏻 - that is fair enough! You’re exactly right, and well said. He definitely would be gobsmacked at such a terrible comment lol. “I’m sorry Asimov! I’m on hunt as we speak!” - thanks man, I needed that 👍🏻
@@robertrozier2940 Glad you took my comment in the spirit intended. There's a lot of people in despair over the time we live in but I think it's a gift! My best to you.
Hard to find intelligent interviews like this anymore.
This is a gem of an interview. I read his fiction in high school but have not seen nor hear him speak until this video. I have a couple of hardbound library discards - "Words from the Myths" and "Words of Science" on my shelf and enjoy them. What a talent. Was relieved to see his pants did not match his coat.
Dear Isaac, 2021 here, feels like this was recorded today
1980: 100 million people watching the exact same show at the exact same time.
2020: 100 million people watching 100 million different videos on the internet at any given time 24/7.
That's why people back then put a lot of effort and preparation into an interview like this one.
@Rishi Jha Thank you! Am I available here? Absolutely, and I would _love_ to hear your thoughts about the phenomenon I'm trying to illustrate in my comment above :)
@Rishi J I'm sorry to tell you that I haven't seen any of your replies :( I checked my email as well, but the only notifications I have received from CZcams are about the reply you just wrote and your first one.
@@kasperchristensen8416 Hey are you still here. I am rishi. I would love to continue this discussion. Your original post was profound.
In the movie Back to the future, the professor looks at a video camera and says 'this is a tv studio in a box. Now everyone has their own tv channel.
"The grimmer you make them, the more relief there is at the happy ending. Unfortunately, people are going to realize, that the grimness is true, the happy ending is false...
Sheesh. Yeah. I think we're at that moment.
Thank you for posting this!
That was brilliant, beautiful conversation. Bellísima conversación entre dos personas con importantes asuntos que aún nov. 2021 siguen siendo de capital importancia. Thank you
Genius, genius, genius. We could really use this brilliance in 2020.
Some outward thought and rationality would go a long way.
RIP to a great man ahead of his time.
Richard Heffner is the interviewer. Never heard of him before, very impressive.
I think Isaac made him look good. He looked quite lost if you ask me!
Thank you. I think he was very good as well.
I was looking for this comment. Thanks!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Heffner
Heffner’s magazine was a groundbreaker in the 1960’s.
A wonderful interview. There is so much here to learn from and to think about. I particularly like the bit near the end about nuclear scientists.
The guy's been gone for decades and I'm STILL learning from him!
The best part was when he says, "There is only one science. The whole world
accepts that."
I never thought of that and haven't heard anyone else say it. People can have
different religions, customs, dress, etc. but when they do science, they ALL do
it the same.
I think it somewhat is the same with medicine. There an old adage that says, "When
there is one cure that really works, everyone uses that one. When there is no effective
cure, there are a thousand "cures" from a thousand different people.
True brother.
I also had never heard that one before...and like you, i felt it was the most profound. Nice comment. Thank you.
2011littleguy
Homeopathy works too...if you grit your teeth, release the grip on your VisaCard, and believe with all your might, you will flush your kidneys as if you were drinking purified water.
@@observeoutofthebox7806 Actually true, but the whole World ? Certainly DOES NOT accept scientific truth !
Asimov was an Amazing man, I had the pleasure of meeting twice. RIP Dr. A. The world is the lesser without you.
Wonderful interview! The interviewer is asking good questions, something that’s rare these days.
It is a thrill to meet famous people in different walks of life. This wonderful person is talking to little ol' me, just an ordinary human. I feel you don't have to be famous or out-of-this-world intelligent to be special. Just being kind to others and genuinely interested in what they have to say or need for you to say to make a difference for them as well as for you. Life is just a collection of moments, moments where we can give to others, as well as ourselves. Life is fleeting, don't wait for the perfect moments, "make" the moments count.
My brain grew 3 sizes simply watching this interview. What a great dialogue. Asimov was dialled in to reason, logic and understanding the vagaries of human nature.
And the interviewer posing reasonable challenges with real world examples instead of just tossing out straw men, a breath of fresh air.
The interviewer was fantastic - I could feel his intense attentiveness to every detail in what Asimov said, and some of Asimov's answers were so brilliant I have to wonder if the interview was scripted - if it's not, Asimov is a precise manifestation of the concept "thinking on your feet". Like Richard Stallman, Asimov tends to "speak in paragraphs" and I think when an interview works with that format you get a very clear picture of the ideas the interviewee wants to convey. I'm glad I came back here to watch this again today.
The obsession with logic you see in a lot of places this century is a part of what he is talking about. It is logical to believe in faeries and magic and psychics and devils and monsters and bloodletting and astrology. This is why logic lead us to believe in all these things during the medieval age. Good reason requires disbelief, a willingness not to buy anything unless it is disprovable and hasn't successfully been so even by people who have devoted their entire lives to that task.
The exquisite art of interviewing was lost in the years that followed this exchange of thought.
May it be rediscovered once again in not to distant a future.