October 2010

by Lisa Miller

Utah Humanists Love Science

Utah Humanists reported their science favorites in the areas of: anthropology, astronomy, biology, chemistry, cosmology, environmental science, evolutionary science, genetics, geology, neuroscience, paleontology, volcanology, and the scientific method.

Here are some great comments:

"Evolutionary science--this area of study continues to answer the fascinating questions about the origins of life, the history of the morphology of all plants and animals including humans. It explains why the details of our bodies are on the one hand so beautifully adapted and on the other hand so confoundedly peculiar."

"Rather than one specific discipline, the Scientific Method, the concept of always questioning everything is what is important to me."

"The Universe is quite a mystery and wonder. Our place in it humbles me a bit to say the least. I find the Big Bang, Black Holes, Quasars, the formation of galaxies and planets, etc. all very interesting."

"It's hard to pick a favorite science since they all, hard and soft, offer so much. But how can we not consider environmental science with climate change threatening our very existence, and biology with its confirmation of evolution, both sciences still being denied by too many people?"

"Considering that there are estimated to be more potential interneuronal connections (i.e. connections between brain cells) in the human brain than there are estimated to be stars in the universe, how could anyone not be fascinated with neuroscience? Also, it amuses me to think that I am using my brain (which is me) to think about itself (which is myself). Specifically, I am interested and do research in cognitive neuroscience, which studies how the brain creates the mind/thought (i.e., cognition) and how, in turn, the mind affects the brain. It is like a combination of neuroscience and psychology."

"My favorite science area is the theoretical/hard science of the mind. Theoretical and hard in what predictions do the best theories make, and how will such be shared, measured (or effed). I want to know, concisely and quantitatively, what the best (most well accepted) theories of consciousness are--in a documented way that everyone can share/communicate with. I'm in the camp that believes we are about to make the greatest scientific discovery, ever, in this field--the discovery of the relationship between the subjective experience and objective brain."

I'm very embarrassed to admit that in my religious life it turns out I was pretty fundamental. I thought I had to believe in creation, the flood, no dinosaurs, a young earth. Oh the pain! I've always been kind of a science geek but I couldn't do the reconciliation and so buried my interest in science to a large extent. Having to view science as misleading, flawed, or wrong was so twisted. My world has exploded with wonder, curiosity, delight, and intellectual satisfaction now that I can fully explore and pursue real science and the explanations of our world! Thank you for sharing your own love of science with me.

By the way, Brent Allsop suggested a very interesting web site dealing with the theory of consciousness

The Conversation for October:

The question for October is on behalf of the Board. Would you miss our second meeting of the month, i.e. the Discussion Group Meetings, if we suspended these meetings? Is there some activity you would like to see us do as a group… enough to draw you out of your cozy homes? Maybe we'll some day be sending our holograms to meetings for us, so we won't have to actually leave the house. Wait, that doesn't sound so good.

Send your responses to Lisa at HumanistsofUtah.org for next month's newsletter.

--Lisa Miller