Schedule for St. Albert Initiative, Feb 2, 2024, Notre Dame Seminary
· 9:00am – 9:45am: Breakfast (optional) and Sign-in. Schulte Auditorium
· 9:45am – 10:00am: Introduction and Morning Prayer
· 10:00am – 10:45am: “Science and Religion: the Myth of Conflict” (Stephen Barr) Many have claimed that modern science and Christian faith are fundamentally at odds and have historically been in conflict. Prof. Barr will show how a better understanding of Catholic teaching, of science and of history paint a very different picture.
· 10:45am – 11:00am: Break
11:00am - 12:00pm: “Big Questions/Ask-a-Scientist” Poster Session I
12:00pm - 12:45pm: LUNCH
· 12:45pm – 1:10pm: Lightning Round Talks. Round #1
· 1:10pm – 1:25pm: Break
· 1:25pm – 1:50pm: Lightning Round Talks. Round #2
1:50pm – 2:00pm: Break
· 2:00pm – 2:25pm: Lightning Round Talks. Round #3
· 2:25am – 2:45pm: “Big Questions/Ask-a-Scientist” Poster Session II
2:45pm - 3:00pm Evaluation/Closing Prayer/Dismissal
Brief Descriptions of the Lightning Round Talks:
"The History of Life in Deep Time" (Dr. Kate Bulinski, Associate Professor of Geosciences in the Department of Environmental Studies at Bellarmine University) Our Earth has been witness to over 4.5 billion years of enormous geological, paleontological, and environmental change. This presentation will highlight how the study of paleontology reveals that history through a lens of deep time, revealing amazing stories of extinction and adaptation throughout the history of life.
"Why you Don't Need to be Afraid of Your Toaster Just Yet: What Does Artificial Intelligence Do and How Does it Work?" (Heather Foucault-Camm, PGCE, M.Sc., M.A., Project Director at the McGrath Institute for Church LIfe) In the past few years artificial intelligence (AI) has gone from science fiction to a daily reality. From Bard, to Amazon’s Alexa, to ChatGPT, this technology carries with it both significant potential and serious considerations. This talk will provide a general overview of the main technical aspects of ‘Generative AI’ and explore relevant insights that aim to safeguard the flourishing of each person and every person into the future.
"The Promise and Pitfalls of Integrating Neuroscience and Faith" (Dr. Sofia Carozza, postdoctoral researcher at Harvard Medical School) Neuroscience is often weaponized by contemporary arguments against belief in God. But a closer investigation of the field shows nothing incompatible with the tenants of the Catholic faith. On the contrary, the study of the human brain has uncovered beautiful insights about the human person that put flesh and bones on theological anthropology. In this talk, I will explore some of the most promising areas of integration of neuroscience with the Catholic faith, including the concepts of relationship, freedom, and desire. Then, I will outline a few key misconceptions about the discipline of neuroscience that facilitate its (mis)use against religion. Finally, I will conclude with key principles for the responsible and reasonable integration of neuroscience and faith.
"When does Human Life Begin? The Scientific Evidence" (Dr. Maureen Condic, Associate Professor of Neurobiology at the University of Utah) The question of when human life begins is a critical starting point for a reasoned debate on abortion and human embryo research. While there is considerable debate over the legal question when a human “person” arises, current scientific evidence unambiguously indicates that human life begins at the instant of sperm-egg cell fusion. The one-cell human embryo can be distinguished from the gametes based on standard scientific criteria. Embryonic development begins immediately; within minutes, the embryo initiates a molecular cascade that uniquely promotes the health and maturation of the embryo as a developing human organism. We will look at common arguments against this conclusion and show why they are false. Importantly, the conclusion that human zygote is a human being rests entirely on the scientific evidence and is independent of any specific legal, ethical, political or religious view of human embryos.
“Modern Science, the Catholic Church, and the Galileo Affair” (Cory Hayes, John Paul the Great Academy, Lafayette, LA) For many, the Galileo Affair has become the lens through which the Church’s relationship to modern science is seen as one of conflict and oppression. Yet it is the sad exception to what is otherwise a glorious history of the Church’s patronage and support of scientific inquiry. Beginning with Copernicus and ending with St. John Paul II, Dr. Cory Hayes will examine the trials of Galileo, the major players involved and the issues that were at play in his 1633 condemnation by the Inquisition for the sake of understanding the lessons it has for us today.
"Chance, Purpose, and Order in Evolution" (Dr. Dan Kuebler, Professor of Biology at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio) People often view evolution as a chance-ridden process that demonstrates that there is no purpose or meaning in the universe. The reality though is that the evolutionary process requires an exquisite amount of order to operate and this order influences the direction of evolution channelling it toward specific solutions. This view of evolution is consistent with the view that order and purpose have a home in our universe.
"What is the human in Human Evolution?" (Dr. Kieran McNulty, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Minnesota) The question “What does it mean to be human?” is as old as human consciousness as well as the fundamental question in the discipline of Anthropology. In this talk, I will draw on my own research as an evolutionary anthropologist to explore answers to that question from the context of a fossil record spanning 6 million years. Starting with our common ancestor with chimpanzees, we will examine the highlight-reel of hominin evolution that ultimately led to our own species. I conclude with a brief consideration of what such abundant evidence of our physical evolution can and cannot tell us about what it means to be human.
"A Sparkle in the Dark: The Outlandish Quest for Dark Matter" (Dr. Maria Elena Monzani, Lead Scientist at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center) The nature and origin of dark matter are among the most compelling mysteries of contemporary science. There is strong evidence for dark matter from its role in shaping the galaxies and galaxy clusters that we observe in the universe. Still, for over three decades, physicists have been trying to detect the dark matter particles themselves with little success. This talk will describe the current stage in that search, the LZ detector, an instrument that consists of 10 tons of liquified xenon gas, maintained at almost atomic purity and stored in a refrigerated titanium cylinder a mile underground in a former gold mine in Lead, South Dakota. The talk will present some of the challenges in constructing and operating this large-scale underground experiment and the prospects LZ presents for finally discovering the dark matter particle.