What's New Robert L. Park March 26, 2010

WHAT=92S NEW   Robert L. Park   Friday, 19 Mar 2010   Washington, DC

1. SIR JOHN TEMPLETON:  THE MAN WHO TRIED TO BUY SCIENCE.
He was Born into a middle-class family in the Bible-belt town of=20
Winchester, TN. His parents, devout Presbyterians, emphasized the virtues=
=20
of thrift and piety.  Templeton learned both lessons so well that in 1968=
,=20
he renounced his US citizenship and moved to the Bahamas, becoming a=20
British citizen to avoid the US income tax.  Having become one of the=20
richest men in the world, he was knighted by the Queen.  While Templeton=20
may have genuinely believed the Christian myth, he also respected science=
. =20
Why shouldn't he?  After all, the scientific revolution led to the=20
fantastic growth in the world economy that made him a billionaire. =20
Believing that science and theology are two windows onto the same=20
landscape, he set out to persuade scientists to delve into religion.  He=20
went directly to the American Association for the Advancement of Science=20
with an offer of $1 million to create the AAAS Dialogue between Science a=
nd=20
Religion. Not everyone was happy about the AAAS selling part of its soul =
to=20
Templeton.  Two years ago Templeton died, but the monster he created=20
carries on without him.

2.  A BIGGER PRIZE: HOW MUCH WOULD IT TAKE TO BUY THE NAS?
Francisco Ayala, an evolutionary geneticist and molecular biologist at th=
e=20
University of California, Berkeley was awarded the 2010 Templeton Prize i=
n=20
a ceremony yesterday at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington DC=
. =20
A genuinely good person, Ayala authored "On Being a Scientist," a NAS=20
pamphlet on scientific ethics that should be part of the education of eve=
ry=20
scientist.  Ayala is a staunch opponent of Intelligent Design.   The firs=
t=20
recipient of the Templeton Prize was Mother Theresa in 1973; in 1982 it w=
as=20
Billy Graham, and in 1993 Charles Colson of Watergate fame, but his award=
=20
was delayed until he got out of prison.  Most of the others who won the=20
prize are not household names. In 1999, however, Templeton had an=20
epiphany.  Every recipient since has been a scientist or philosopher,=20
including one Nobel laureate, Charles Townes.  News accounts put the cash=
=20
value of the Templeton prize at $1 million, but it=92s now closer to $1.5=
=20
million, making it the largest cash prize for intellectual accomplishment=
=20
in the world. The endowment for the prize stipulates that the cash value=20
shall always be larger than the Nobel Prize.  It=92s awarded annually=20
for "spiritual progress."  How did the NAS get into this? Having once=20
sought to buy the American Association for the Advancement of Science, th=
e=20
Templeton foundation must have set its sights on a bigger prize.

3.  CLIMATE: THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO REDUCE THE CARBON FOOTPRINT.
John Broder in today's New York Times says the concept of "cap and trade"=
=20
is in wide disrepute, with opponents branding it "cap and tax."  So what =
do=20
we do?  Of course we need to increase efficiency, reduce waste and protec=
t=20
the environment, but these things will only slow the process we're alread=
y=20
in.   What must be done is to reduce the fertility rate to below two, and=
=20
keep it below two until world population drops to about a third of what i=
t=20
is now. It requires no draconian measures. We have only to educate women.

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND.
Opinions are the author's and not necessarily shared by the
University of Maryland, but they should be.
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