A great video lecture by Sean Carroll, an author and theoretical physicist, at 2013 American Humanist Association Conference.  Richard Dawkins is in the Audience. Concluding last ten minutes of lecture and Q & A period is wonderful. The speaker is a great teacher, engaging and keeps you focused during the long 77 minutes. It is one of those lectures you enjoy listening, regardless one’s personal view points. Worth watching both by theists and atheists. ( F. Sheikh )

Sean Carroll’s Summary;The idea of a “purpose” or “reason why” has a strong hold on the human imagination, and has a special resonance when we think about the universe itself. However, modern science has gradually eroded the role of purpose in our best understanding of nature. This represents an important step forward in human understanding, as we can see how apparently purposeful features of reality arise through undirected laws of nature. But it represents a challenge for questions of morality and meaning. I will argue that purposes can be created or emergent even when they are not fundamental, and that this perspective has important consequences for how we live our lives. Click link below to watch video;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jar-Wzy1gsI

Posted By F. Sheikh