Last month, Jonathan Pararajasingham created a montage of 50 renowned academics, including many Nobel prize winners, talking about their thoughts on the existence of God. And boy did it generate some debate. (Watch the video and read the comments here.) Now comes Part II, which features George Lakoff, Richard Dawkins, Simon Schaffer, Patricia Churchland, and Michio Kaku, among others. The full list appears below the jump. (Click “more.”) You can find this video, along with the first video in the series, in our collection of Great Science Videos.
51. Frank Wilczek, Nobel Laureate in Physics, MIT
52. VS Ramachandran, World-Renowned Neuroscientist, UC San Diego
53. Bruce C. Murray, Caltech Professor Emeritus of Planetary Science
54. Sir Raymond Firth, World-Renowned Anthropologist, LSE
55. Alva Noë, Berkeley Professor of Philosophy
56. Alan Dundes, World Expert in Folklore, Berkeley
57. Massimo Pigliucci, Professor of Philosophy, CUNY
58. Bede Rundle, Oxford Professor of Philosophy
59. Sir Richard Friend, Cambridge Professor of Physics
60. George Lakoff, Berkeley Professor of Linguistics
61. Sir John Sulston, Nobel Laureate in Physiology/Medicine
62. Shelley Kagan, Yale Professor of Philosophy
63. Roy J. Glauber, Nobel Laureate in Physics
64. Lewis Wolpert, Emeritus Professor of Biology, UCL
65. Mahzarin Banaji, Harvard Professor of Social Ethics
66. Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, Professor of Practical Ethics, Duke University
67. Richard Dawkins, Oxford Evolutionary Biologist
68. Bruce Hood, Professor of Experimental Psychology, Bristol
69. Marvin Minsky, Artificial Intelligence Research Pioneer, MIT
70. Herman Philipse, Professor of Philosophy, Utrecht University
71. Michio Kaku, CUNY Professor of Theoretical Physics
72. Dame Caroline Humphrey, Cambridge Professor of Anthropology
73. Max Tegmark, World-Renowned Cosmologist, MIT
74. David Parkin, Oxford Professor of Anthropology
75. Robert Price, Professor of Theology and Biblical Criticism
76. Jonathan Haidt, Professor of Psychology, Virginia
77. Max Perutz, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry
78. Rodolfo Llinas, Professor of Neuroscience, New York
79. Dan McKenzie, World-Renowned Geophysicist, Cambridge
80. Patricia Churchland, Professor of Philosophy, UC San Diego
81. Sean Carroll, Caltech Theoretical Cosmologist
82. Alexander Vilenkin, World-Renowned Theoretical Physicist
83. PZ Myers, Professor of Biology, Minnesota
84. Haroon Ahmed, Prominent Cambridge Scientist (Microelectronics)
85. David Sloan Wilson, Professor of Biology and Anthropology, SUNY
86. Bart Ehrman, Professor of Religious Studies, UNC
87. Seth Lloyd, Pioneer of Quantum Computing, MIT
88. Dan Brown, Fellow in Organic Chemistry, Cambridge
89. Victor Stenger, Emeritus Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Hawaii
90. Simon Schaffer, Cambridge Professor of the History of Science
91. Saul Perlmutter World-Renowned Astrophysicist, Berkeley
92. Lee Silver, Princeton Professor of Molecular Biology
93. Barry Supple, Emeritus Professor of Economic History, Cambridge
94. Alan Dershowitz, Harvard Professor of Law
95. John Raymond Smythies, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatric Research
96. Chris Hann, Max Planck Institute For Social Anthropology
97. David Gross, Nobel Laureate in Physics
98. Ronald de Sousa, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, Toronto
99. Robert Hinde, Emeritus Professor of Zoology, Cambridge
100. Carolyn Porco, NASA Planetary Scientist
I cannot imagine any religious person of ANY religion, after watching and listening to these 100 thoughtful men, retaining their “faith“without question.
(But, of course, they WILL!)
It is clear than more than 90% of the scientific community believes that the existence of the Universe (or Universes) are the result of acts of randomness and purely accidental. If the Universe (or Universes) is endless and infinite does everything exists? It would be very interesting if Mr. Pararajasingham can put together either these group of scientists ( or other renowned academics) to talk about their opinion of such issues including “cause and effect”. Since there is no First Cause why do we almost automatically try (and succeed quite often) to understand as to the “why” (the reason behind it) of everything. Is there always a cause for everything BUT a First Cause? In a purely material existence shouldn’t the words “why” and “cause” (and “because” also) be then completely eliminated? Shouldn’t the word “how” be used instead?
Actually, Raul Martinez-Estevez, your claim that “It is clear than more than 90% of the scientific community believes that the existence of the Universe (or Universes) are the result of acts of randomness and purely accidental” is dead wrong.
If you’d attempted to use your Reason to actually do some research, instead of blathering your opinions as though they were fact, you might’ve stumbled across one of the many surveys that’ve found most scientists DO believe in God.
The PEW Research Center’s survey found that “51% of scientists believed in God or a ‘higher power’ ” (7% didn’t claim atheism or belief): http://www.pewforum.org/Science-and-Bioethics/Scientists-and-Belief.aspx
Others have found higher rates of belief. Like this one that found “About two-thirds of scientists believe in God”: http://www.livescience.com/379-scientists-belief-god-varies-starkly-discipline.html
It’s rather embarrassing–in a humorous way–when atheists claiming to be champions of reason don’t bother to use it.
The fact that so many scientists are atheists or agnostics many merely be due to the way they are selected. If religious scientists are not given positions, the result is obvious.
What is the purpose of this and how are these scientists selected? Even if it is true that most scientists are not deistic, it could also be inferred that religious and deist believing scientists are not given tenor.
“A survey of scientists who are members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press in May and June 2009, finds that members of this group are, on the whole, much less religious than the general public.1 Indeed, the survey shows that scientists are roughly half as likely as the general public to believe in God or a higher power. According to the poll, just over half of scientists (51%) believe in some form of deity or higher power; specifically, 33% of scientists say they believe in God, while 18% believe in a universal spirit or higher power. By contrast, 95% of Americans believe in some form of deity or higher power, according to a survey of the general public conducted by the Pew Research Center in July 2006. Specifically, more than eight-in-ten Americans (83%) say they believe in God and 12% believe in a universal spirit or higher power. Finally, the poll of scientists finds that four-in-ten scientists (41%) say they do not believe in God or a higher power, while the poll of the public finds that only 4% of Americans share this view.“nnThe pew forum, previously quoted.
51% of scientists believe in god? What? : Nontheism • Rational …www.rationalskepticism.org/…/51-of-scientists-believe-in-god-what‑t…Cached… hardline creationists, but his ideas also put him at odds with the 51 percent of scientists polled in 2014 who believe in God or a higher power.
I am in the process of responding to all 150 of the academics in this You Tube series on my blog and if you google “Responding to Renowned Academics” you will see that I already have about 50 posts up for viewing. Even though I have finished about 80 of these I am posting one every Tuesday.
The problem of evil is the number objection in this series but the false accusation of “blind faith” is thrown around a lot too but I have provided evidence that seems to indicate that the Bible is a reliable historical book that can trusted.
Plz send me inorganic chemistry book tuli and satyea parcash plzzz
T O: All Those Atheists, All Those Who Believe NOT in The “First Cause” Law of Nature; and All Those Who “See & Experience & therefore, Think” this World is Full of Evils — ‘seeing only the ‘bad’ of the whole picture in where “the same ALL Those Who Question & Do NOT Believe in the Existence of GOD —
First of all, I want to let you know that you are all my brothers & sisters.
Yes, I am one with you all as you live on Earth, I am in no other way different from you all that the Truth & Fact of Life here on Earth — scientifically, mathematically, embracing the very same every truth & fact of life that YOU ALL & I Do Sense in/by/with our 5 Physical Senses here on Earth (the Physical micro-World, as of/in the Universe: the Macro-World, mathematically connected to the Non-Physical World: The Cosmos), having 3 Attributes strictly & ONLY possessed by/with the HUMAN BEING that live in the cosmic Duality Law Truth & the Cause & Effect Fact of All Life , as follows:
1. Intellect: The Heart of REASON, in quest for TRUTH: the Truth of the Humanity of Life, the True Reality of Existence in the Universe, in the Cosmos;
2. Will: The Core of the Purpose of Humanity, in quest for the True Meaning of Life founded in the very heart of Humanity — True Goodness/Happiness of Life in each human being, in each human family & in True Global Family of HUMAN Nations in True World Peace on Earth; &
3. Emotion: The Core Foundation of the True Reality of the Meaning of Natural Sciences of Life at the Core of the Mathematics Life, transcending design, function, & structure of Life in the context of Life-Religion, Life-Science, Life-Culture, Life-Race, Life-Language: The Human Life in quest for True Beauty of Life-ENERGY, Life-Force in All HUMAN REALITY: True LOVE.
Animals DO NOT HAVE those 3 Attributes; animals are in the Life-Reality Existence LOWER than & below the Human Life Reality. In all history, is there any one animal which can, has, had written; or, does write his story, his science, his mathematics, etc.? Any one? This Truth & Fact of Reality of Life also explain that YOU and I have come from our Parents; & the root-causality of this human origination from our Parents simply answer: ‘Why are we here? — It’s the reason that The Love of our Parent causes our very existence; and so on…, that can be figured out by Nature’s FINAL LAW in the context of True GUT & True TOE of Life. Sadly, until NOW, the best of minds of Science have been struggling in their intellects, hardly have configured; & have failed to figure it out: “The Final Law of Nature” in the context of even mathematically configuring the Formulae & Equations of Life — for a singular REASON by WHOM they [These ‘intellectuals’, scientists, philosophers, mathematicians, et.] do not acknowledge, do not believe in the perspective of “Absolute Most Powerful Being: The Creator Whose Mathematical Character is “The Nature”. Therefore -
The TRUTH & FACT — These all above I have revealed came from “Nature”.
Non-arguably by Truth & Fact of Cosmic Life in 5 Physical Senses [and 5 Non-Physical Senses of Human Life]: This “Nature” encompasses all Humanity — all Human Life over & above all life-beings on Earth, including Earth-being — that embraces the Mathematical Principles which configure All Scientific Laws & Metaphysical laws of Existence-Reality in/of the Natural Phenomena of Life. Now, the fact is: we are all in the Cosmic Life — the Reality Existence of All Life-Realities.
REMINDER: If a Human Being breaks/VIOLATES one or, two of these Laws [since these LAWS are mathematically connected to each other], then & the, it has mathematically ‘domino-effect’ BAD IMPACT in Human Conditions of Life on Earth; one of these [there are 36 World’s Issues in all] is the worsening anthropogenic Climate Change in the context of Global Warming.
All of the above DO Define YOU ALL and I — beyond the WHY, HOW, WHEN, WHERE, WHICH, & the WHO in all of us that —
We Are All Human Beings. We — all of us are not ‘animals’. YOU All & I DO: We are all HUMAN BEINGS.
-Gpw Bernard Bautista Rementilla
[Gpw-BBR‑6 Ref.: Websites:https://linkedin.academia.edu/GpwBernardRementilla;/Https://ph.Linkedin.com/in/BernardBautistaRementillaGpw;%5D