Flights of Fancy By: Richard Dawkins Illustration: Yana Rentsova Translator: Lee Han-eum Publisher: Eulyumunsa Publication Date: June 10, 2022

I read several books, including Richard Dawkins' The Selfish Gene, The God Delusion, and The Greatest Show on Earth. Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, like Christopher Hickins, was a strong advocate of evolution along with his strong criticism of creationism. To me, who believes in evolution as an atheist, creationism feels like a false belief. If someone can rationally and rationally prove the existence of God in front of me, I would be more than happy.

Richard Dawkins's 'Flights of Fancy', published this time, felt somewhat different from the previous book on the cover. Yana Rentsova. The existence of this completely unknown illustrator seemed to imply that numerous drawings would be presented as examples in this book. I already know that a moderate level of painting can help in imagining the content of the text, so I thought that this book by Richard Dawkins would have a somewhat popular colour.

When I look at life on Earth, I cannot help but be in awe. It is dazzling to see the various creatures that have evolved to adapt to the environment. Even extreme places such as the deep sea, jungle, and desert. In addition, the hydrothermal vent ecosystem in the deep abyss that does not depend on the sun is amazing. Countless lives live in places that were thought to be uninhabitable. Likewise, what about the bottom of the deep abyss where only voids will exist? I can't help but admire it while watching the appearance that is sometimes introduced in documentaries.

But maybe what we admire most is flying in the sky, as Richard Dawkins said? It's only been over 100 years since humans built aeroplanes and today we can travel freely in large jets. Human progress is wonderful, but if you think about it, what about creatures that fly in various forms? Richard Dawkins develops the story according to the various flight forms of organisms from the perspective of evolutionary theory. Not only is the story very interesting, but it also reminds me of facts I hadn't paid attention to.

Compared to the aircraft we build, the evolution of life was not intended by any designer. The purpose of living organisms is to pass on the genes of offspring to the next generation. To do this, you have to survive, and ancestors who fail to do so are weeded out and disappear. Due to these changes in various environments, the direction of evolution gradually advances. There cannot be any specific intention there. It just works according to the most basic principles. If the benefit of having wings and flying is great, evolution proceeds in that direction. In this process of evolution, the similarities between birds and aeroplanes are that we are under the same physical laws, and the way we try to solve them is similar. However, the fundamental difference is that the former has no designer, while the latter has a designer.

The concept of that trade-off concept, which I encountered while learning management strategy, presents a direction in the evolutionary stage of organisms was interesting. Cost and effect (service) are incompatible, but in the end, from a strategic point of view, it would be very important to achieve the best effect through an appropriate cost. It will inevitably appear more clearly from the point of view of evolution at which one's own survival is at stake.

The story unfolds from the flight of organisms to the development of human-made aircraft. Dawkins also brought a point of view or comparison with the aircraft we made while explaining the evolution related to the flight of living things. Humans have been able to fly, a long-awaited dream. And now, we are trying to create an outpost not only on Earth but also far away on Mars. As the author said, it is similar to the appearance of a plant trying to send its descendants, seeds, to a far distance, even though the parental habitat is the best place right now.

This book is full of interesting stories with various illustrations. I have to agree that Richard Dawkins is, as others have said, an excellent storyteller. I recommend reading it.