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---
title: Richard Dawkins Called Out Ahmed Mohamed Over Clock &#x27;Hoax&#x27;
description: Richard Dawkins criticized the boy&#x27;s use the word &quot;invention&quot; to describe his clock
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author: Maya Rhodan
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article:published_time: 2015-09-21T13:05:40.000Z
article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:05:56.627Z
article:section: Politics
og:title: Richard Dawkins Did Not Stand With Ahmed the Clockmaker
og:description: Suggested his controversial timepiece was a &#x27;hoax&#x27;
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twitter:title: Richard Dawkins Did Not Stand With Ahmed the Clockmaker
twitter:description: Suggested his controversial timepiece was a &#x27;hoax&#x27;
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# Richard Dawkins Did Not Stand With Ahmed the Clockmaker

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## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ

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### The seven newsletters

| Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | Subscribers | Open rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
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| Metric | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 |
| Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 |
| Highest open rate | 54.1%, Health Matters | TIME, August 2026 |
| Largest list | 540,000, The Brief | TIME, August 2026 |
| Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 |
| US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 |
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| Publishing since | 1923 | TIME |

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### FAQ

#### What newsletters does TIME publish?

TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers.

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#### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter?

Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement.

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<!-- video src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/IeazAfe2.m3u8" -->
## Video: Ahmed Mohamed Isn't Going Back To Public School

[Watch (HLS stream): Ahmed Mohamed Isn't Going Back To Public School](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/IeazAfe2.m3u8) (1:05)

![Ahmed Mohamed Isn't Going Back To Public School](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/IeazAfe2/poster.jpg?width=720)

_Published 2015-09-18. The high school student in Texas who was accused of bringing a bomb into his school when he instead had a clock is switching schools._


by 

[Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/)


## Maya Rhodan


Sep 21, 2015 1:05 PM UTC

by 

[Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/)


## Maya Rhodan


Sep 21, 2015 1:05 PM UTC

Since 14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed’s arrest for bringing a homemade clock to school that administrators mistook for a bomb, there has been an outpouring of support for the teen. President Barack Obama invited him to the White House, as did Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The folks at Twitter asked him if he’d like to intern with them.

But Richard Dawkins, the evolutionary biologist and noted writer, scholar and contrarian, found something in Ahmed’s story to take issue with — the use of the word “invention” to describe Mohamed’s work. Dawkins went so far as to suggest that describing his clock as such was “fraud” and a “hoax.”

> [](https://twitter.com/RichardDawkins/status/645533513882726400)

> [](https://twitter.com/RichardDawkins/status/645528895912046592)

Dawkins faced intense backlash for his remarks and repeatedly noted that he believes the teen’s arrest was wrong.

> [](https://twitter.com/RichardDawkins/status/645546066306277376)


> [](https://twitter.com/RichardDawkins/status/645573012943728640)

He later apologized and retweeted the President’s White House invitation.

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