Frank Herbert’s novel (and its recent movie adaptation) Dune asks us to imagine a world without computers. Herbert writes of a “Butlerian Jihad,” a religious crusade against machines. The name comes from Samuel Butler, who...
In 1909, the author E M Forster published a story called ‘The Machine Stops’ in the Oxford and Cambridge Review. In it, he describes a world in which humans live isolated lives, their every physical...
On Saturday I was in a small village hall in Aberdyfi, on the Welsh coast. In amongst amateur dramatics and music recitals, the hall was hosting perhaps one of its most significant events. It was...
Last time we spoke, you were teaching population genetics at Stanford University. What are you working on now? I am president and CEO of a company called Galatea, based in Miami, and we’re building a...
By Dr Mike Kent, project co-director of Life on the Edge at Wadebridge Methodist Church and Tubestation, Cornwall. Image credit: Adrian Langdon. Read more about Scientists in Congregations here. The Life on the Edge project is based at...
On the second Sunday of Easter, Anglicans traditionally reflect on Jesus’ appearance to so-called doubting Thomas. Richard Dawkins once proposed the apostle Thomas for the role of patron saint of science, as the only disciple that...
Death is a process, not an event. In the days before death, a person’s heartbeat and blood circulation slow down and they will begin to sleep more and more, increasingly lapsing into periods of unconsciousness....
The affirmation of science as a gift from God can be actively incorporated into the church’s collective worship throughout the liturgical year. At Easter we reflect on Christ, the firstborn over all creation and the...