Are scientific and religious worldviews in conflict? Does the Catholic Church impede scientific progress? Is Islam compatible with modern science?

‘Science and Faith: Conflict, Convergence or Co-existence?’ was the second in the Science and ... series organised in partnership with the RDS which took place at the RDS Concert Hall on Monday, March 5th, 2007. An impressive panel of speakers addressed the influence religion has historically had on the world of science and explored whether and where science and faith can co-exist in harmony.

Panel:

Prof. Lewis Wolpert is Emeritus Professor of Biology as Applied to Medicine at University College, London. Born intoa strict Jewish household, he now describes himself as a “reductionist, materialist atheist”. He is the author of the recent book Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast: The Evolutionary Origins of Belief. Fr Seamus Murphy is a Jesuit priest who holds a doctorate in philosophy of science from the University of Maryland, USA. He currently lectures in logic, philosophy of science and metaphysics at the Milltown Institute in Dublin.

Ehsan Masood is a columnist and associate editor of the online magazine OpenDemocracy.Net, consulting editor of the science journal, Nature and an associate with the UK think-tank, Demos. He has written extensively on international development, the politics of the Muslim world, science, technology and the environment.

Dr Michael Brooks spent six years as a features editor at New Scientist magazine and was awarded a two-month journalism fellowship by the Templeton Foundation to study issues of science and religion. Having spent most of his life as a practising Christian, he has strong sympathies with the religious outlook, though he has written extensively about what he sees as the limits of its validity.

The discussion was chaired by Bryan Dobson has been one of RTÉ’s main television news anchors for the past 14 years. During that time he has presented news programmes from Ireland, the US, Britain and continental Europe, and in the process has established himself as a lynchpin of RTÉ’s news and current affairs output.

For information on future events contact the RDS at 01 240 7217 or email science@rds.ie