Science & Tech
Rare Einstein letter rebutting biblical creation story for sale
By Richa Karmarkar — July 19, 2023
(RNS) — The letter, written on April 11, 1950, to a group of Jewish students in America, is valued at $125,000.
400 years ago, philosopher Blaise Pascal was one of the first to grapple with the role of faith in an age of science and reason
By David Hoinski — July 7, 2023
(The Conversation) — Blaise Pascal, a mathematician and a Catholic theologian, born 400 years ago,
left a deep and lasting influence on the world that can be felt today.
Can chatbots write inspirational and wise sermons?
By Joanne M. Pierce — July 6, 2023
(The Conversation) — Not quite, writes an expert on Christian worship. Chatbots do not have human experience of love – and, above all, they lack a soul.
USC researchers use AI to help translate Bible into very rare languages
By Fiona André — July 5, 2023
(RNS) — Their goal is to target ‘very low-resource languages that are not even in the top 500.’
Saudi Arabia’s new Hajj booking process has left many foreign pilgrims frustrated
By Fiona André — June 27, 2023
(RNS) — After postponing their trip for three years, many American Muslims expected a return to normalcy for this year’s Hajj, but a new online platform intended to streamline the process has instead brought complications.
Can a chatbot preach a good sermon? Hundreds attend church service generated by ChatGPT to find out
By Kirsten Grieshaber — June 12, 2023
FUERTH, Germany (AP) — The 40-minute service — including the sermon, prayers and music — was created by ChatGPT and Jonas Simmerlein, a theologian and philosopher from the University of Vienna.
What is ‘ethical AI’ and how can companies achieve it?
By Piers Norris Turner and Dennis Hirsch — May 30, 2023
(The Conversation) — Companies that want to avoid the harms of AI, such as bias or privacy violations, lack clear-cut guidelines on how to act responsibly. That makes internal management and decision-making critical.
Intel wins 2023’s most faith-friendly company as Fortune 500 warms to religious diversity
By Kathryn Post — May 22, 2023
(RNS) — 'The basic idea of religious freedom is that you're free to have a faith, change your faith or have no faith at all,' said Brian Grim, Religious Freedom and Business Foundation president.
Fewer evangelicals support public school childhood vaccine requirements, survey shows
By Adelle M. Banks — May 16, 2023
(RNS) — Significant majorities across religious groups say the benefits of childhood vaccines outweigh the risks from getting them.
Nurse-midwife Edna Adan Ismail, opponent of female genital mutilation, wins Templeton Prize
By Kathryn Post — May 16, 2023
(RNS) — She is the first African woman to receive the prize, which is valued at 1.1 million British pounds (over $1.3 million).
Raw materials, or sacred beings? Lithium extraction puts two worldviews into tension
By Mario Orospe Hernández — May 1, 2023
(The Conversation) — Lithium extraction in Bolivia poses more than environmental questions: It illustrates how notions about ‘raw materials’ can be at odds with Indigenous relations with the land.
In ‘God on Psychedelics,’ Don Lattin offers a roadmap of congregational tripping
By Yonat Shimron — April 10, 2023
(RNS) — The veteran religion reporter investigates how various religious groups are using psychedelics to inspire chemically induced mystical experiences.
Georgia may be turning purple. It’s definitely turning green.
By Marqus Cole — March 14, 2023
(RNS) — Georgia’s clean energy transition is doing what some may deem a miracle — getting Republicans and Democrats to agree.
Robots are performing Hindu rituals — some devotees fear they’ll replace worshippers
By Holly Walters — March 13, 2023
(The Conversation) — The use of AI and robotic technology in worship is raising profound questions about its long-term consequences. Will it lead to the betterment of society or replace practitioners?
Asteroid named after pope behind Gregorian calendar reform
By Associated Press — March 2, 2023
ROME (AP) — Pope Gregory XIII, the 16th century pontiff responsible for the Gregorian calendar, now has another celestial claim to fame.
