Christians in Science event in Edinburgh - Tomorrow!

Just a quick last minute reminder of tomorrow's CiS Edinburgh event:

Science and Religion: Friends or Foes? - 7.30pm, March 1st at The Studio, St Augustine United Church, George IV Bridge.

The Mass Effect Universe

Very thoughtful article here on io9 on the universe portrayed in the Mass Effect video games series, explaining why it is probably the science fiction mega-verse most important for exploring current social and technological issues in much the same way as Star Trek dominated the 1990s and Battlestar Galactica the 2000s.

(If you have no idea what Mass Effect is then click here for a helpful wiki. Oh and go and buy the games. They're very good.)

BioNanoBot for Medicine

Amazing.

DNA nanorobot from Wyss Institute on Vimeo.

Lots of Links

I've been accumulating them so here you go:

Differences on Nano vs. Biotech in the public sphere - Ha. good point.

Money and Space Programs - Cosmetics or space?

Inerrancy and the Eyewitnesses - Both or one or the other?

Cool Sun Could Host Habitable Planet - Small worlds in unusual places.

Futurecade - Cheesy name but explore the future online through games at the Science Museum website. (Damn you Space Junker!)

Monkey's on Spaghetti Westerns - A use for Westerns at last??

Unique Earth? - Another Earth may be unlikely in the cosmos due to the unique interaction between the Earth's geology and biology. Maybe.

Transplant Jaw Printed - Chew on this?

Killer People? - While I'm all for (some) revised consideration of the status of particular animals, why did it have to be PETA involved in this. Well, why is obvious but still.. you cruel and unhelpful universe.

Woo - Glow in the Dark Worms! - No need to scan... but still...

And How to Replace a Railway Bridge...

Time Lapse - Rail Bridge Replacement, Cow Lane, Reading from Chris Wilkinson on Vimeo.

Questions

As mentioned previously last week I was out at a Test of Faith: Live event near Manchester. Part of my job was to take part in a Q+A with the sixth formers there. I always enjoy hearing what questions people have at these sort of events and also how they phrase them.

Questions at the event were quite varied but (other than one, maybe two) I don't think many of them weren't serious or of genuine interest to the questioners - including a few asked by teachers as well.

As expected there were a few of the usual creation/evolution questions but we also got talking about mind/body/soul (which I wish I had a better answer prepared for) and the ethics behind the allocation of money and people in scientific research (medical research vs. space program) and also in wider society (medical research vs. military). Many of this batch of questions were interesting as they all seemed to focus around establishing value and worth of both society and the individual. Hopefully I answered well and got them thinking beyond simplistic black and white ideas on these things.

Interestingly though over half the questions had very little to do with science and were more about how to live out a faith in the world. In some ways this was unsurprising as a quick hand poll at the start of every session showed that not many of the participants were studying the sciences, but on the other hand it really seemed to show where their concerns lay - rather than in the technical detail but in the practical outworking of faith.

That or we were just so amazing and sorted out the whole science/religion thing in our pre-Q+A hoover bazooka competition and portrayals of Dr. Death (no connection).

Best question of the event was at the end of the final assembly and was basically: How does a scientist who is a Christian justify doing medical research on animals? A very good and considered question to be asked. Thought I'd got away with it too. :o)

Quiet...

A bit quiet on the blog this week as I have been preparing to go and speak at some school workshops for a the Test of Faith: Live event at the end of the week.

In the meantime here's a handy tool to help you speak academic theology.