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March 16, 2006

Scientist wins prestigious religion award

Can science and religion peacefully coexist?

These guys think so (behind the NYT dreadful firewall):

Math Professor Wins a Coveted Religion Award

Continuing a recent trend in which the world's richest religion prize has gone to scientists, John D. Barrow, a British cosmologist whose work has explored the relationship between life and the laws of physics, was named the winner yesterday of the 2006 Templeton Prize for progress or research in spiritual matters.

Barrow won the prize for his work on the anthropic principle which is, as far as I can glean, the theory that in order for humans to observe the universe--conditions must be in place to allow humans to physically exist. Further, the universe must have a set up to allow humans to develop. And finally the principle that once intelligent information comes into existence, it won't die out.

Cosmology is way above my scientific pay grade so to be honest--this whole series of ideas makes my brain hurt. But I do find it interesting that this prestigious religion award is going to a scientist. And according to the Times story, its gone to a scientist for five of the last six years.

Its a British award so maybe this has to do with the fact that the Church of England has coexisted with science for centuries.

Posted by Carla at March 16, 2006 10:09 AM