Science and Religion: Are They Compatible?Paul Kurtz In recent years a noticeable trend toward harmonizing the distinct worldviews of science and religion has become increasingly popular. Despite marked public interest, many leading scientists remain skeptical that there is much common ground between scientific knowledge and religious belief. Indeed, they are often antagonistic. Can an accommodation be reached after centuries of conflict? In this stimulating collection of articles on the subject, Paul Kurtz, with the assistance of Barry Karr and Ranjit Sandhu, have assembled the thoughts of scientists from various disciplines. Among the distinguished contributors are Sir Arthur C. Clarke (author of 2001: A Space Odyssey, and numerous other works of science fiction); Nobel Prize Laureate Steven Weinberg (professor of physics at the University of Texas at Austin); Neil deGrasse Tyson (Princeton University astrophysicist and director of the Hayden Planetarium); James Lovelock (creator of the Gaia hypothesis); Kendrick Frazier (editor of the Skeptical Inquirer); Steven Pinker (professor of psychology at MIT); Richard Dawkins (zoologist at Oxford University); Eugenie Scott (physical anthropologist and executive director of the National Center for Science Education); Owen Gingerich (professor of astronomy at Harvard University); Martin Gardner (prolific popular science writer); the late Richard Feynman (Nobel Prize-winning physicist) and Stephen Jay Gould (professor of geology at Harvard University); and many other eminent scientists and scholars. Among the topics discussed are the Big Bang and the origin of the universe, intelligent design and creationism versus evolution, the nature of the "soul," near-death experiences, communication with the dead, why people do or do not believe in God, and the relationship between religion and ethics. |
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Page 34
... carbon nucleus out of three helium nuclei . There is a negligible chance of producing a carbon nucleus in its normal state ( the state of lowest energy ) in collisions of three helium nuclei , but it would be possible to produce ...
... carbon nucleus out of three helium nuclei . There is a negligible chance of producing a carbon nucleus in its normal state ( the state of lowest energy ) in collisions of three helium nuclei , but it would be possible to produce ...
Page 35
... carbon in stars requires the existence of a radioactive state of carbon with an energy not more than 7.7 MeV above the energy of the normal state . The rea- son is that the carbon nuclei in this state are actually formed in a two - step ...
... carbon in stars requires the existence of a radioactive state of carbon with an energy not more than 7.7 MeV above the energy of the normal state . The rea- son is that the carbon nuclei in this state are actually formed in a two - step ...
Page 53
... carbon atom , including the fact that carbon can bond with itself in a vastly larger number of combinations than any other atom . It is this wonderful prop- erty that makes complex organic chemistry possible . Of course , these unique ...
... carbon atom , including the fact that carbon can bond with itself in a vastly larger number of combinations than any other atom . It is this wonderful prop- erty that makes complex organic chemistry possible . Of course , these unique ...
Contents
An Overview of the Issues | 11 |
Are Science and Religion Conflicting or Complementary? Some Thoughts About Boundaries | 25 |
Cosmology and God | 29 |
Copyright | |
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