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Set in Stone the NHM Palaeontology Dept Autumn 2006. Vol. 4, No. 3 Set in Stone The NHM Palaeontology Dept. Newsletter Rocks and Rioja Angela Milner visits Baryonyx in Spain Also in this issue Lorna Steel brings the Dodo back to life Norm MacLeod on science and religion Jon Todd on fieldwork in East Africa Keeper Country Contents Science and Religion: What Scientists Believe Keeper Country: Science and Religion: What Scientists Believe...........................................2 Relations between science and religion are much in that hypothesis; contra ‘common’ sense. The point the news these days. As any such discussion usu- is no matter how many ravens you observe, you Research Roundup........................................4 ally touches on the subject of fossils, that puts won’t be sure ravens are black until and unless you palaeontologists directly in the firing line. At the observe all things, which is impossible. In order to Collections News ..........................................5 recent International Foraminiferan Congress accept the hypothesis ‘all ravens are black’ some- (FORAMS 2006) I found myself having lunch with thing beyond simple deduction is needed, which Bringing the Dodo back to Life.......................5 Jere Lipps, Steve Culver, and Mark Lekkie when brings us back to the issue of belief. Is belief—in the conversation turned from political politics (e.g., black ravens, evolution, or anything else—possible Rocks and Rioja.............................................6 what an embarrassment the current Bush adminis- for those who subscribe to a scientific view of the tration has proven to be) to cultural politics in the world? Lake Rukwa: Palaeontological Fieldwork in form of the science-religion dichotomy. My three US the Basin of a ‘Forgotten’ East African Field colleagues all agreed they were having to be much Naturally, different people answer this question in Lake...............................................................7 more careful in their comments during lectures and different ways. The historical link between the sci- student advising sessions. It seems the proportion ences and religion is too well-known to warrant Around the Department.................................8 of students holding strong religious beliefs either redescription here. The fact that many (but by no had grown over the past decade or so, or such stu- means all) scientists also hold strong religious Publications...................................................8 dents had become less reticent about voicing their beliefs provides ample evidence that it is possible objections to being taught mainstream evolutionary for science and religion to co-exist, even in the theory in front of their fellows. This seemed to me a same person. What is less clear is whether religion significant development as my previous experience informs or hinders our understanding of nature in had been that the science sections of US universi- any meaningful way. ty campuses had been mostly religion-free zones; quite atypical of the wider US culture in which reli- In his latest book, The God Delusion, Richard gious issues have long been an important, though Dawkins holds that religious belief is an atavistic mostly un-discussed, subtext. Then Jere, in his cultural trait of a pre-scientific world in which not characteristically provocative manner, said some- only all of the marvellous facts about nature we thing that brought me up short. “I tell my students I take for granted today were unknown, but the don’t believe in evolution. It’s just the theory that world’s most learned scholars were unsure as to best explains the facts I see. If a theory came along how to go about obtaining these facts. As an athe- tomorrow that explained the facts better than evolu- ist Dawkins doesn’t find comfort in, or inspiration Set in Stone is a publication of The Natural tion, that’s the theory I’d accept.” from, the products of religious belief. Because of History Museum’s Palaeontology Department the history of religion’s tolerance of war, bigotry, which retains all rights to material appearing On one hand Jere’s statement makes perfect prejudice, exploitation, even child abuse, Dawkins therein unless otherwise designated. All ques- sense. Scientists are often portrayed as signing up goes on to make a case not just for its irrelevance tions or comments on included material should to a strict, hypothetico-deductive form of reasoning, to modern concerns, but its active encouragement be directed to: the ‘scientific method’. In short, scientists are said of some of the most undesirable aspects of human to (1) observe a phenomenon, (2) develop a nature. He, also suspects there are a vast number Dr. Norman MacLeod, Keeper of hypothesis regarding the phenomenon’s cause, (3) of educated people in the world who, like him, don’t Palaeontology, Dept. of Palaeontology, The deduce predictions of observable behaviours or have much use for supernatural explanations of the Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, relations that should logically be produced if the past, present, or future. Dawkins’ goal is to try to London SW7 5BD, tel. (0)207 942-5204 hypothesis is correct, (4) collect data that bear on encourage this silent majority to stand up, be count- the question of whether these predicted phenome- ed, and claim the political power their numbers and non exist, and (5) accept or modify their hypothesis societal positions deserve for atheism. At the very Publication date :23rd November 200604, in light of their empirical findings. On the other hand least he would like to help make the world the kind [email protected]. Jere’s statement begs the questions of what scien- of place where an atheist can declare his or her Publication Date: 2005. tists do believe regarding the status of evolutionary (non)belief without fear of political or cultural theory—is it really as disposable as Jere and strict reprisal. hypothetico-deduction theory suggest—and whether the strictures of the ‘scientific method’ Dawkins’ arguments are well made and I have a allow scientists qua scientists to believe anything at great deal of personal sympathy for his position. all. However, I doubt they will have the effect he intends. Most people feel a very basic need to Of course, life’s not so simple as the textbook sci- believe they are participating in something larger entific method statement would have us believe. than themselves. This is what Jean-Paul Sartre Long ago it was recognized that, strictly speaking, referred to as a ‘god-shaped hole’ in human con- Contact us: deduction would never be sufficient to make any- sciousness. Dawkins’ basic position is that religious thing other than limited, empirical statements about belief is unnecessary; the god-shaped hole either the world. Take Hempel’s (1943) raven paradox for doesn’t exist or can be made to vanish through Questions or comments instance. Suppose I see a black raven (step 1 appropriate education. For some this clearly is the email: [email protected] above). I might hypothesize that all ravens are case. But for the overwhelming majority, including black (step 2). From this I could predict that when- many who have received the finest education soci- Friends of Palaeontology ever I saw a raven, no matter where, no matter ety has to offer, there remains a strong emotional email: [email protected] when, it would be black (step 3). If I were really need to belong to a group and, in so doing, support interested in this question I might then set out on a the inter-personal attachments with family and tour of zoos, museums, and raven habitats to deter- friends that are part and parcel with living in a soci- Set in Stone Mailing List mine whether all the ravens I could find were black ety. Religion is one of the primary social structures email: [email protected] (step 4). With each black raven I found my confi- that supports this social cohesion. The empirical dence in the ‘ravens are black’ hypothesis would evidence suggests Dawkins’ offer of faith in a Volunteer information grow (step 5). I could even express this as a prob- process of obtaining information about the world as email: [email protected] ability so rare, atypical observations (e.g., albino a substitute for a shared group narrative—non- ravens) could be taken into account. Sound famil- belief as a substitute for belief—strikes most as Cover image: Sand Between the Toes: The iar? However, to a philosopher the statement ‘all absurd. This relation can be easily quantified by owner of these Iguanodon-like footprints ravens are black’ is formally equivalent to the state- comparing the number of individuals who identify walked along a beach 120 million years ago in ment ‘all non-ravens are not black’. Thus, if I themselves as atheists (according to the 2001 what is now La Rioja, Spain. observe five black ravens and (say) five yellow World Almanac 0.5% of the US population, 3.5% of lemons, both sets of observations are not only con- the European population) to those who participate sistent with the hypothesis ‘ravens are black’, but in some form of religion (75% worldwide, contribute exactly the same amount of support for http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion#Demographics 2 inquiry stems from its unusu- as religion have been blocked since the 1960’s by al nature. Unlike (say) the a rejection of group-selection theory. This rejection theory of gravity (F=mg) or began with G.C. Williams’ Adaptation and Natural special relativity (E=mc2) Selection: A Critique of Some Current Evolutionary which are both statements Thought (1966) which, in turn, drew heavily on W. about the structure of nature D. Hamilton’s ideas about kin selection (the idea that have no precise mean- that altruistic behavior arises as a result of being ing outside their established nice to people who are genetically related to you, contents (e.g., other then as thus give a proportion of your genes a better a metaphor there is no such chance of survival) and reciprocal altruism (the idea thing as a ‘social black hole’ that it pays evolutionary dividends to do favors for and if I hear one more arm- people who will reciprocate by doing favors for you, chair physicist/philosopher thus giving your genes a better chance of survival, tell me ‘Einstein proved see also Alexander 1987).
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