Richard Dawkings: (b. 1941)

Richard Dawkins is a British evolutionary biologist, zoologist, science communicator and author. He is an emeritus fellow of New College, Oxford. In 1995 he was named the first Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science, a position he held until 2008, and is on the advisory board of the University of Austin. Dawkins has won several academic and writing awards, among them the 2005 Shakespeare Prize and the 2006 Lewis Thomas Prize. Presenting the latter, Paul Nurse said "In eloquent, evocative prose, Richard Dawkins conveys the certainty that, rather than diminishing the myriad beauties of the universe and extinguishing wonderment at its mysteries, science reveals truths that are yet more awe-inspiring than the mysteries they solve."

Quotes

"We are survival machines - robot vehicles blindly programmed to preserve the selfish molecules known as genes.
Philosophy and the subjects known as 'humanities' are still taught almost as if Darwin had never lived. No doubt this will change in time.
Personally I rather look forward to a computer program winning the world [chess] championship. Humanity needs a lesson in humility.
In so far as virus-makers have any discernible motive, they presumably feel vaguely anarchistic. I appeal to them: do you really want to pave the way for a new fat-cat profession ['software-doctors']? If not, stop playing at silly memes, and put your modest programming talents to better use.