Shamelessly Stealing Deacon Greg's Headline: E.T. Phone Rome

The Vatican is close to admitting that life may indeed be present on other planets/galaxies.

Catholic News Service has the scoop. I dare the NY Times to run this on page one without being condescending. I double dog dare Sean Hannity to talk about it on Fox.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Dozens of scientists gathered at a Vatican-sponsored meeting to fit together emerging pieces of a puzzle still waiting to be solved: whether there is life on other planets.

If finding extraterrestrial life is like "a detective chase, a crime to be solved, we're getting very close to the answer," said Chris Impey, head of the Steward Observatory and the University of Arizona's department of astronomy in Tucson, Ariz.

Impey was one of 30 high-level scientists attending a Nov. 6-10 study week on astrobiology sponsored by the Vatican Observatory and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. He and others spoke at a Vatican press conference Nov. 10.

The astronomer said it is widely believed that life needs three basic ingredients: carbon-based material, energy provided by stars, and water, "which is one of the most common molecules in the universe."

"These three elements have already been found in a lot of places in galaxies," he said.

"The universe, if it's like a table, the table is set for dinner. Everything is there, all the ingredients are there" to welcome and support life, Impey added.

Until 1995, no one knew whether there were planets circling some of the billions of stars in the universe.

Advancements in planet detection have since led scientists to discover more than 400 planets outside of the solar system and dozens more are found each year, he said.

Jonathan Lunine, professor of planetary science and physics at the University of Arizona, said three or four worlds within the solar system also have conditions where life may be found.

More research into how the Earth and earthly life evolved is helpful in understanding what habitable worlds may look like, he said.

Read more here but scientists need to rejoice today because here is a clear example where the Church is stating that science and faith are not mutually exclusive.

And since this is a far cry from what the church used to regard as valid scientific theory, I thought I'd pull out one of my old favorites from the Indigo Girls:

That Scientist Believes in God? He must be nuts...

Apparently that's the opinion of some scientists who are debating the merits of Dr. Francis Collins who is renown for his work on the human genome project but now is being questioned as a good candidate to be the head of the National Institute of Health. Over at In Him We Live and Move and Have Our Being there is been quite a reaction to a NY Times piece on October 5 that accuses the good doctor of "dementia"

In this article, the Times speaks of several controversies surrounding the NIH director. It says, “First, there is the God issue. Dr. Collins believes in him. Passionately. And he preaches about his belief in churches and a best-selling book. For some presidential appointees, that might not be a problem, but many scientists view such outspoken religious commitment as a sign of mild dementia.”

You've got to be kidding.

At any rate, apparently Collins didn’t always profess a belief in God. Some years ago, a patient asked him what he believed, and it struck him that this was a question that merited consideration. He explored the question for a period of years and ultimately came to believe in God.

The Times goes on to say, “Critics like the physicist Robert L. Park contend that the moment was nothing but a hormonal rush. That a man with a medical degree and a Ph.D. in chemistry failed to diagnose the problem and instead gave it higher meaning ‘is enough to cause concern,’ said Dr. Park, a professor at the University of Maryland noted for his attacks on ‘voodoo science.’”

Another scientist who was concerned about the possible impact of faith on Dr. Collins’ ability to lead the NIH was Dr. Irving L. Weissman, director of the Stanford Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. Ultimately some of his fears were allayed when Dr. Collins promised him “not to let faith interfere with scientific judgment”.

I'm in the midst of Collins' best-selling book The Language of God. I thought I should read it since I will be working with a bunch of medical students and engineer-types as well as other science-based majors.

But it begs the question of the scientific community, does one need to be a bit loony to be a scientist and a believer. I think not. Check out this video that I produced some time ago for Busted Halo® on evolution for example with the head of the Vatican Observatory.



In short, congratulations to Dr Collins, who continues to show that good science is not incompatible with a belief in God.