A few short items:<\/p>\n
They have a new Big Questions Online<\/a> site, which asks Does Quantum Physics Make it Easier to Believe in God?<\/a><\/p>\n At Oxford and Cambridge, Templeton is putting $1 million into Establishing the Philosophy of Cosmology<\/a>, by, among other things, having a conference in January on Is God Explanatory?<\/p>\n This miniseries will explore the theological and, by extension, metaphysical questions that pertain to cosmology. The origin and order of the cosmos have helped inspire belief in a “Supreme Being” or “First Cause” for millennia; but what bearing, if any, does the modern scientific approach to studying cosmology have on such beliefs? Does introducing God into the discussion add anything? <\/p><\/blockquote>\n This week this Foundation is funding a Workshop on Philosophy and Physics<\/a> in Tuscany, with blogging from Sean Carroll<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n An apt quotation from Carroll a few years ago<\/a> would be this one:<\/p>\n The problem with the Templeton Foundation is not that they coerce scientists into repudiating their beliefs through the promise of piles of cash; it\u2019s that, by providing easy money to promote certain kinds of discussions, those discussions begin to seem more prominent and important than they really are.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n Update:<\/strong> There’s an article in the Telegraph about the Frampton story here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A few short items: To compare and contrast to the activities of the Simons Foundation, there’s the Templeton Foundation, which has a $1.7 billion or so endowment to spend: They have a new Big Questions Online site, which asks Does … Continue reading