The First DNA Memorial Lecture - A Report
Created | Updated Mar 19, 2003
Tuesday 11th March1
in the Royal Institution Lecture Theatre, home of Maxwell, Faraday and a huge number of famous scientists, was the date and venue for the First DNA Memorial Lecture.
This was a star studded charity event for two of Douglas' favourite causes, Gorillas and Rhinos. In the audience were Lalla Ward (I didn't recognise her to begin with, so I can't be that much of a fan. Hurrah!), Alexi Sayle, Terry Jones, Douglas' publisher and even the drummer from Pink Floyd.
We all settled into our little lecture seats and applauded furiously as Stephen Fry came out and began the night. He gave a personal introduction all about his love for Douglas and HHGTTG which was both moving and funny, giving some nice little insights into Douglas' legendary love of gadgets and missing deadlines. He then introduced the talk with a quote from Niels Bohr 'If you think you understand quantum mechanics then you don't'. Then it was the turn of both the nights charities to say a few words. And then the main event.
I have never read or heard Richard Dawkins before and was very impressed. His lecture on the queerness of science ranged across quantum mechanics, Wittgenstein, the many worlds hypothosis, the mind blowingly low probability of life actually evolving into us, selfish antelope, shouting at parties, how the 'If you think you understand quantum mechanics you don't' quote was actually by Richard Feynman and how Douglas Adams and Stephen Fry caused him to meet his wife at a particularly loud party.
As the lecture was in memory of DNA there were quite a few mentions of his work. The most touching of these being when a tape was played of Richard Dawkin's 1991 Christmas Lecture in which Douglas came out of the audience to read the Dish of the Day passage from The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.
The end of the lecture came all too soon as it was a fascinating talk, nicely pitched at the general science level, which thoroughly explored the unfeasible oddness of the universe and had many slides of clever men, most in entertaining facial hair, and rhinos.
After the lecture Stephen Fry returned to draw the raffle and then run an auction in aid of the two charities. The jokes flowed (I could never repeat the Martina Navratilova one and live), the money flowed, way above anything I could afford, and some lovely items went to some happy homes. Luckily Stephen Fry decided against testing the hypothesis that most 'solid' objects are empty space by hitting Richard Dawkins watch with a hammer.
And then it was over, and to the train station did I trog. It is hoped that this is to become an annual event and I, for one, would happily go again, perhaps having taken out a mortgage first so I could take part in the auction.
