Random thoughts on science and religion: how to start a flame war

Every week or so I happen upon a new article about how religion is killing science. It's all a bit odd, especially the comments. I'm an outsider here and a bit biased in any case, but it's just mind boggling. All the incentives when it comes to politics and activism seem to be towards yelling something extreme at the top of your lungs. If I were smarter I'd probably just avoid the whole thing.

To me religion is - and should be - a personal thing. It's about community and spiritual well-being. If it helps you understand or do science great! If it helps you in everyday life even better! What is dangerous - and what, I think, many scientists have issues with - is trying to extend these beliefs outside of personal life. Religion should just not influence science policy and science education. Moral arguments certainly can. We probably shouldn't endorse testing bio-weapons on people, for instance. But these arguments don't need to be religious.

Anywho... *cue Jeopardy music*

If you answered (A) "within the next 10 years" you might be right! It looks like God will overtake Science fairly soon.


Interestingly, science seems to be incredibly well correlated with being in school. Which makes sense - you have to be pretty nerdy to think about science while opening presents. (Note: if you are now thinking about optimal present opening algorithms you are qualified as "pretty nerdy")


Finally for completeness...


unfortunately Google trends doesn't go back far enough to see the huge spikes in queries for when Newton, Darwin, and Einstein were publishing.