SRM - Science and Religion in Media

CERN experiment traps antimatter atoms for 1000 seconds

2011-06-05T10:48:00.001-07:00

CERN Press Release:

CERN experiment traps antimatter atoms for 1000 seconds

Geneva, 5 June 2011. In a paper published online by the journal Nature Physics today, the ALPHA experiment at CERN[1] reports that it has succeeded in trapping antimatter atoms for over 16 minutes: long enough to begin to study their properties in detail. ALPHA is part of a broad programme at CERN’s antiproton decelerator (AD)[2] investigating the mysteries of one of nature’s most elusive substances.

Leggi tutto, SRM (cortesia CERN)

Faith meets science at CERN, Geneva

2009-06-10T13:38:00.001-07:00

This week a Vatican delegation, leaded by Card. Giovanni Lajolo, Governor of Vatican City, has visited CERN (Geneva), where LHC Project is going to have a new start kick (link SRM).

This visit has been a real opportunity for an "official meeting" between science and faith.
Cardinal Lajolo has had the opportunity to have a fast course about particles phisics, given by prof. Edward Witten (Princeton University), a phisicist in the forefront of the unification of Albert Eistein genaral relativity theory, and Quantum Phisics theory. ... read all, SRM

Link italian version

Newsletter SRM versione testuale

2008-10-19T03:20:00.000-07:00

Dal numero 82 abbiamo iniziato a pubblicare la Newsletter SRM anche in formato html, solo testo, sia per facilitare la lettura della Newsletter a chi avesse una connessione (anche temporaneamente) non particolarmente veloce, sia a chi comunque preferisca la versione html allo scaricamento di files pdf.

La Newsletter sarà quindi pubblicata nelle due versioni; come sempre, è riproducibile da chiunque, purché venga citata la fonte (SRM, www.srmedia.org) e non ne vengano alterati i contenuti, o comunque collocati in contesti non appropriati.

Siamo disponibili per qualsiasi informazione o chiarimento su questi ed altri aspetti, scrivendo a pcentofanti@gmail.com.

Abbiamo anche iniziato a pubblicare gradualmente in formato html i numeri precedenti (attualmente fino alla n. 64)

Link SRM Newsletters – SRM Newsletter n. 82 - sito web SRM

New SRM Web Site

2008-01-09T15:55:00.000-08:00

As announced, we have released and published last version of SRM - Science and Religion in Media web site.

Web site, actually in upgrading phase, it's more simple and more easy to read, and it will display, in a few dasy, search functions for blogs, news, documents and informations published on web site. We have also modified web site graphics.

Link (www.srmedia.org) and contacts are the same; thus blogs are going to be soon upgraded, and integrated inside the web skte structure, functionally as SRM News.

We're going to send a message with information about web site structure and changes

We please you to provide us any eventual observation, suggestion, comment, to direttore@srmedia.org, or info@srmedia.org.

P. Rafael Pascual
Dean of School of Philosophy, and Director of Science and Faith Diploma Program

Paolo Centofanti
Director of SRM - Science and Faith Diploma Program

pcentofanti@libero.it
direttore@srmedia.org

The STOQ '07 International Conference "Ontogeny and Human Life"

2007-11-27T16:51:00.000-08:00

The STOQ '07 International Conference, concluded last saturday november 17, has begun with relations of H.E. Msgr. Gianfranco Ravasi, President of Pontifical Council of Culture, and H.E. Msgr. Elio Sgreccia, President of Pontifical Academy for Life.

Msgr Ravasi has also invited to a new dialogue between science and faith, going over misunderstandings on Evolutionism. He has quoted Msgr. Fiorenzo Facchini (Bologna University), saying that "there is a real choice not between evolution and creation, but between vision of an evolving world, depending on a creator God (according to His project), and the vision of an all-sufficient world, capable of creating itself, for purely immanent events" Msgr Sgreccia has presented a "reflection on ontogeny", in connection with Fides et Ratio Encyclical, researches of Pontifical Academy for Life, theological aspects, the necessity of an interdisciplinary method for this reflection, that involves "various fields of knowledge".

At STOQ '07 Conference, have been participated relators representing various lay organizations and religious institutions, from almost any continent of the world, presenting their reflections, and their practical involvement with ontogenesys, connecting with their research or field activities.

SRM has published a Special Newsletter on the Press Conference, held last 6th november at the Holy See Press Room, and is going to publish a page and a new Special Issue of Newsletter, with Press Review, on the event.

Links abstracts (italian and english version)

Link Form (pdf) for booking Proceedings of the STOQ '07 Conference

Link SRM Newsletter Special Issue 2

Link SRM Newsletter Special Issue 1
Link STOQ '07 Conference - program
Link Radio Vaticana

Study Meeting SRM : Science and Faith. From Media to Educational Communication

2007-03-11T08:23:00.000-07:00

Study Meeting SRM :
Science and Faith
From Media to Educational Communication

March 26, 2007

Link SRM Blog (italian)
Link SRM web site (english)

Presentation of Exhibition "Who's the Man of the Shroud ?"

2006-12-04T01:49:00.000-08:00

"Who's the Man of the Shroud ?"

Presentation of Permanent Exhibition about the Shroud of Turin.

Rome, monday december 11, 2006
Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum
Auditorium Giovanni Paolo II

Free entrance

Link Exhibition (UPRA)

Link Exhibition (SRM)

Link pdf file

Majority of italian doctors contrary to euthanasia

2006-11-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

This is the statement of Dr. Carlo Bellieni, Director of the Department of Neonatal Intensive Care of “Le Scotte” Polyclinic University of Siena. While the media try to show just the opposite, publishing all the supporting arguments for euthanasia, opinion polls in the medical community reveal that the number of Italian doctors in favor of euthanasia is actually less than 10%.

In light of this finding, does debate about euthanasia still make sense ?

Link Zenit in title (italian)

Pope Benedict XVI: Sciences need transcendence

2006-11-10T09:50:00.000-08:00

Visiting the Gregorian University, the Holy Father told students and professors that “Today, account must be taken of the challenge of the secular culture, which in many parts of the world tends to increasingly deny not only every sign of the presence of God in the life of the society and the person, but with several means, which disorient and cloud the human being's upright conscience, attempts to corrode his capacity to listen to God”

Link article on Zenit (english)

Link articolo Il Giornale (italian)

Pope Benedict XVI: “Man cannot place unconditional trust in science and technology”

2006-11-10T09:46:00.000-08:00

During the plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, whose topics was “Predictability in Science: accuracy and limitations”, Pope Benedict XVI emphasized the limits of science; the relationship between science, theology and philosophy; and the impossibility of denying transcendence.

“Man cannot place in science and technology a so radical and unconditional trust as to believe that scientific and technological progress can explain everything and completely fulfill all his existential and spiritual needs. ”

“Science cannot replace philosophy and revelation by giving an exhaustive answer to man's most radical questions: questions about the meaning of living and dying, about ultimate values, and about the nature of progress itself”

Full text on Zenit (english), click on title

“The Easy Abortion Myth”. A new book about RU486.

2006-11-10T09:20:00.000-08:00

In spite of failures in Turin, and regardless numerous complaints, experimentation of RU486 has begun at the San Paolo Hospital, in Savona, Italy. Experimentation was previously suspended, due to severe health complications of several patients. Now a book has been published that clarifies what “the next day pill” really is.

A. Morresi ed E. Roccella, “La favola dell’aborto facile. Miti e realtà della pillola Ru-486".

Link article on Zenit (english)

Can Dr. Moreau island become reality ?

2006-11-09T10:30:00.000-08:00

From minotaur myth to attempts to create a real horror, alleging therapeutical purposes

Some researchers are trying to carry out in UK what mythology and science call a “chimera”: a hybrid creature; an embryo that will be used to produce stem cells, and later will be destroyed, in a couple of weeks; a product of a fusion of human cells and animal ovula, probably from cows.

Link Blog SRM (italian)

Link Register (english)

UK: “consider euthanasia for disabled newborns”

2006-11-09T09:48:00.000-08:00

Not a statement, but a “proposal”, by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecology, to seriously consider the hypothesis to practice euthanasia on seriously disabled newborns. One of the reasons: it would decrease late abortions in the event of diseases or risk of deformities, because parents would agree to “take a risk” in a pregnancy, knowing that it's always possible to later suppress the baby.

Link ADUC: Vivere e Morire (italian)

Link article, Sunday Times: Doctors: let us kill disabled babies

Upcoming Events: Lectures and Congresses

2006-11-09T09:08:00.000-08:00

Lecture of Fr. Rafael Pascual LC about “Eucharistic Miracles”
Monday November 13, 9.00pm, Aula Masters
Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, Rome
Lecture, given by Fr. Rafael Pascual LC, Dean of the School of Philosophy and Director of the Science and Faith Diploma Program, at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum. This is part of the lecture series, organized by Regnum Christi Movement.

Link book “I Miracoli Eucaristici” (italian)

Link Science and Faith Diploma Program

Lecture: Fr. Sabino Maffeo SJ: “Fr. Hagen astronomer and priest, great witness and example of science and faith”
Tuesday November 14, 5.10pm to 6.40pm, Aula Masters
Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, Rome
Lecture, given by Fr. Sabino Maffeo SJ, of the Vatican Observatory, is part of the lecture series “Scientists and Believers”, of the Science and Faith Diploma Program.

Link lecture (italian)

Link Science and Faith Diploma Program

SRM official presentation - 16 october 2006

2006-10-15T11:44:00.000-07:00

Official presentation of SRM - Science and Religion in Media Study Group (of Science and Faith Diploma Program), will be held next 16 october 2006, at Pontifical Athaeneum Regina Apostolorum, Rome.

From 3.30pm to 5.00pm, will be held restricted meeting for Study Group, and from 5.30pm to 7pm official public presentation.

For press release:
www.srmedia.org

For info:
www.srmedia.org
www.upra.org
www.unier.it
www.info@srmedia.org

Catholic tv companies on web

2006-10-09T14:55:00.000-07:00

Next international congress of Catholic tv, with participants from more than 5o countries, will be held at Madrid, next 10-12 october, and will be accessible also by web, connecting to web site http://www.congresomundialtv.com/

It has been organized by Pontifical Council for Culture, with collaboration of Archbishop of Madrid.

Congress site: www.congresomundialtv.com
For news about Congress, : http://www.zenit.org/italian/visualizza.php?sid=9310

For article "Business Acuity Seen as Key for Catholic TV"
http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=95483
Zenit 26 settembre 2006

“Creation and evolution: an integration, not an exclusion”

2006-09-03T15:26:00.000-07:00

“Creation and evolution: an integration, not an exclusion”, says F. Rafael Pascual LC, Dean of Philosophy Faculty and Academic Director and Scientific Coordinator of Science and Faith Diploma Program, at Pontifical Atenaeum Regina Apostolorum, Roma.

Father Pascual, author of "L' evoluzione: Crocevia di Scienza, Filosofia e Teologia" (The Crossroads Evolution of Science, Philosophy and Theology), said that:

"the debate on evolution is open. A distinction must be made between the different levels: scientific-philosophical-theological, without confusing them or separating them completely."

In regard to the debate on intelligent design, Father Pascual pointed out that "it isn't a scientific question, but rather a philosophical one." "But neither is the negation of finality, or recourse to pure chance and to necessity, scientific," that is why "it seems to be a mistake to present intelligent design as an alternative scientific theory to the theory of evolution," he said.

Read full article from Zenit
http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=94144

Embryonic stem cells like Edward Jenner's vaccine ?

2006-08-09T11:43:00.000-07:00

Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize-winning and science writer, has recently
published on NYT an article about stem cells research. She would
optimistically encourage people about unavoidable positive effects of this
research, despite objections of the Catholic Church, religious people, even of a large
group of scientists.

She underlines also that even in the past centuries, scientists have discovered cures and drugs for life treatening and unknown diseases, despite the opposition of Catholic Church and sometimes of Government too.

"An illuminating case study" she says, "is the late 18th-century controversy
over inoculation against smallpox.
Condemned by clerics as both immoral and blasphemous, smallpox inoculation
offers some surprising parallels to our current impasse over research using
embryonic stem cells."

And she follows, comparing Edward Jenner to today's researchers and scientists,
involved in embrionic stem cells experimentation.

If you're curious about it, you can read full article on NYT, at this link,
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/01/opinion/01blum.html

and you can too follow the debate on NYT, at link
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/06/opinion/l06stem.html

I'd just want to express a simple point of view, that reflects also some opinions expressed in the debate.

- There are not absolute evidences of near and surely positive effects of stem cells research.
It needs time, like for every other experimentation, to obtain these results and to be, more, absolutely confident about them.

- We can't compare a vaccine with embryonic stem cells, part of another human being.

- There are too many other interests, and too many money, around embryonic stem cells today research.

- The opposition to Jenner was due to a lack of knowledge. People didn't know and didn't understand his "technology". Today opposition to embryonic stem cells research, is due for ethical reasons.

We know this technology, we understand how it works, we don't accept it.

Stem cells. Why embrions if ...

2006-08-07T15:49:00.000-07:00

... adult stem cells, from bones, skin, even fat, are becoming more "flexibles", due to new techniques and experimentations, and sometimes are better than embrionic stem cells ?

So, we think, embrionic stem cells research it's not only unethical, it's probably also useless, if we just can wait for a while.

A sample ? Type II diabetes and obesity.

Here it is the link to an article from TechJournalSouth, http://www.techjournalsouth.com/news/article.html?item_id=1595

It has been developed a technology and a specific kit that "has practical application for the discovery and development of drugs to treat obesity and type II diabetes."

"these kits are suitable for use with any lipid containing cell including hepatocytes (liver cells) and skeletal muscle".

Moreover, fat stem cells are also more useful for engineering and repairing smooth muscle tissues and, generally, "adult stem cells, from bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, nasal tissue, and even fat, have a flexibility that can be harnessed in treatment regimens" - Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/google_login.html?url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB115466117375126716.html%3Fmod%3Dgooglenews_wsj

We could argue: is it so necessary embrionic experimentation ?

Science and Faith Diploma Program 2006/2007

2006-08-01T14:50:00.000-07:00

It has been approved and published the New "Science and Faith Diploma Program", 2006/2007, at Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum (see link below).

http://www.upra.org/articulo.phtml?id=461&se=5

Congress and Exhibition "Eucaristic Miracles"

2006-05-30T12:57:00.000-07:00

Eucaristic Miracles exhibition, from 18 may 2006 to 26 may 2006, at "Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum", organized by "Istituto San Clemente I e Martire"

Exhibition, one of the projects realized by Science and Faith Master (Master of "Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum") has been opened in a Congress, 18 of may, where has been presented book:
I Miracoli Eucaristici.
Tesori nascostiUna prospettiva interdisciplinare
----------
Eucaristic Miracles
Hidden treasures
An interdisciplinary perspective.

This book, edited by Father Rafael Pascual L.C. , Science and Faith Master Director, and by prof. Gianluca Casagrande, contains proceedings of 5 may 2005 Congress, held at "Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum", in collaboration with "Istituto San Clemente I Papa e Martire".

Science and Faiht Master joins STOQ Project- Science Theology and the Ontological Quest (http://www.stoqnet.org/).