What did you think?

I'm glad to see a debate about superstition on mainstream TV; it's been a while since this was discussed. I know some people think he can be a bit harsh, but I think he's a good counterweight to some of the cranks that get more airtime.

I like Richard Dawkins; it was a nice programme to watch. However I felt like he was keeping a lot to himself (or the episode was heavily edited to cut certain things out). But then again, he has to keep it easy in order to appeal to variety of people, including brain-washed believers.

Yes, the Guardian preview noted that he was a lot calmer in this programme than in his previous broadcasts. But I think that's the best way: from my own experience certain (not all)cranks love to think that they can wind scientists up. best to stay calm and zap them with your flawless logic! Not that they give two hoots for logic, mind you.

Yup you can argue with the truly deluded ones - having said that... haven't you experience weird things that we can't explain (yet?) and put it down to 'intuition' or something similarly intangible? i have.

sorry - CAN'T argue with deluded people (well, maybe you can really... oh i don't know)

Well, I've had many occasions where I pick up the phone to call my mother and she was already there - she called me at the same time. But I put it down to either mutual reminders (we both had the TV on, and were reminded of something we said to each other last time we spoke), or just "great minds thinking alike" (or not so great in my case).

But I think my difficulty with some of the people Dawkins met is that they do insist that they have the explanation - and its always God, or "the energy", or something equally intangible. And OK, it may well be - or it may be something rational. We don't know unless we test these things.

i don't think an experiment could be designed to prove God. The thing is, i don't think these people are dangerous or harmful (as was claimed on the programme). it's pretty patronising to think that the comfort that grieving relatives can get from visiting a medium, for example, is bad - i'm pretty sure that in most cases, time heals and in others, it's just a way of coping at the time (i bet many are aware on some level that they are suspending disbelief). admittedly, on occassion, some might go on an expensive and lengthy quest. for the rest of us it could be seen as... entertainment?

True: and you certainly can't test for the existence of a God (although you can easily test astrology and similar claims).

I'm just glad that a program like this is being made, though - the stuff in it may be harmless (or not), but most of the time it is broadcast or published unchallenged and one-sided. It's nice to see at least a small percentage of airtime going to a contrasting (rational) view.

well put