I don’t see you looking down on atheists, and that respect should certainly go both ways. And this was a really beautiful talk, by the way!

If I remember correctly, I believe it explained that the ice caps underneath Mar’s dusty ground are melted every 5? million years flooding the planet with enough water to explain how areas such as VM were formed. I believe the cyclicality of the melting and freezing of the water has to do with Mars’ tilt towards the sun, although it wasn’t clear to me how the two related since 5 million years seemed like an awful long time for a planetary tilt cycle. In short, I believe it said that we just happen to be looking at Mars now during it’s dry cycle.

Regardless, what is indisputable is the magnificence of the VM!

I am a huge fan of astronomy cast and have always enjoyed your writings. I am also a strong atheist. I really enjoyed reading this post and I thank you for putting it up. I have always tried not to be hostile towards religion in general, although sometimes it is easy to fall into the stereotype that all religious people are denying science or reality. This post put you on my list of religious scientists who I really respect, alongside people like Kenneth Miller.

Being an atheist, I have yet to find any reason for believing in a god of any sort. However I find smoovel’s arguments add up to no more than non-sequiters and ad hominem attacks. I didn’t feel like this was a post defending your belief in god, so much as expressing it. That I greatly respect and I think smoovel sadly missed that. Religion is something that interests me greatly. I love discussing it with people not because I want to make them unbelievers, but because they may have the piece of evidence I have been missing. I am passionate for the truth and would love to read more about your thoughts on science and religion.

I really liked how you conveyed a sense of wonder about the universe in this post. I think that is something you need to never stop sharing. You podcast was my first, and is still one of my absolute favorites. Much of what I know about astronomy comes from you. I now teach astronomy to hundreds of 6th graders, and more of my analogies and facts I draw from your show. You pushed my interest in science, and now I want nothing more than to share my passion with as many more people as will listen.

No matter what our other beliefs, we should unite as a species under science. Science should unify, not segregate. We should always yield to the new evidence, and never close our minds to new ideas. Anyone reading this blog should know the universe it a wonderful, breathtaking, and awe inspiring place. I should only hope that more people would agree with me on these virtues, even if not on smaller details.

Thank you again,
Carver

And PS: Thank you for all your work in Astronomy and the dissemination of information. I have become a huge fan of Astronomy Cast and the intricate process of understanding the cosmos.

As a Baptist, I only found one word that might be taken by some Christians as a little strong. [YECs will have other issues with it, of course.] It was in the sentence “This is just one of many lines of evidence [b]proving[/b] the big bang.” Did you get any “a theory is just a theory” comments?

I don’t actually have the money to easily afford my server costs, so ads are how this blog is supported. I hate having to have them, but they are what’s required until I either have a better job or a fairy god parent paying the bills.

so sorry. I do not support scientology and fear they may do a lot of harm.

I just happened to be reading this page from your blog when I was hit by an ad (via the Ads by Google section on your page) for Scientology.org. I was shocked, mostly because I couldn’t possibly imagine how you could be a supporter of such an exploitative and insidious cult. Is it that you have no control over the ads displayed or am I wrong in thinking that you couldn’t be supportive of Scientology?

There is something to be said for the importance of exposure to all information available, so an ad for scientology might seem relevant for us, your audience, given the nature of the questions you address in your writings. Yet, there is something that feels fundamentally wrong (exactly) because it is an ad and (especially) to me because it is scientology.

I realize this is not on topic for the posting but this just happened to be the page where the ad was served.

I always appreciate your ability to communicate the science and the wonder of astrophysics. Once again, you have shown that you are a wonderful spokesperson for science among a very diverse collection of lay people.

Nice job! The only part that’s disappointing is that you didn’t tell us how your audience liked it.

Thank you,
Bruce

Perhaps it will be astronomy that will allow a new exegesis of Genesis 1 so that greater concordance is found. Can early protoplanets be described with terms such as “without form” and “void”? AB Aurigae is one hint that this may be so. Can certain accretion disks be illuminated enough to allow a privileged observer to describe them as waters? If so, it will be your work and all other astronomers that will bring resolutions that will add maturity to our interpretations. Galileo saw it that way, and he was proven right.

How wonderful are the views mankind is only just now getting of the deep majestic vistas so prolific in every direction when for thousands of years it was so dimly viewed and so greatly underestimated. God’s front yard keeps getting more amazing.

We all have our beliefs. Faith in Christ is still trust in the right place.

Thanks for sharing

Thanks for sharing – I recognize and appreciate how hard it is to put something deeply personal like this on display for all the world.

I think at their heart, the religious instinct and the scientist’s search for meaning share a common root, in a desire to comprehend and make sense out of this awe-inspiring cosmos. They are very different ways of approaching the world, and it’s sometimes hard to see how to reconcile them. Over time, I’ve drifted slowly away from the faith I was raised in, but I still wrestle with these deep questions of meaning and origins and belief and experiment. Trying to find answers to these mysteries is one of the most profound and human things we do, something that can unite people togetherl if we approach it with humility and wonder and a desire to share and learn rather than divide and knock down. I’m glad to hear you’re out there reaching out to share the cosmos with the Templeton meeting and so many more.

– Marshall

P.S. Great meeting you last year at the NSF Postdocs conference. Thanks again!

Thank you for sharing this with us. I only recently stumbled across astronomy cast, and I thoroughly enjoy it. And in turn the podcast has led me to your blog – I am still in the process of listening to all of the podcasts from the beginning – not sure what I will do when I have caught up with everybody else. I may have to go to AA and consume Astronomy-cast podcasts in more moderate amounts.

And to stretch the above metaphor –

My name is Michael and I believe in a personal relationship with Jesus as my God and saviour and I enjoy trying to understand life the universe and everything through science.

There I said it; I have stepped out of my own personal closet.

Keep up the good work, its great to hear what science is achieving and how. Somehow the world, the universe and what it contains is becoming a whole lot more “breath taking”.

Thankyou
Michael

As to smoovel’s comments criticizing Pamela’s research: smoovel is likely some elitist who thinks you can only accomplish great things if you are a professor at Harvard, do research in the most traditional branches of a field, and care nothing about teaching. Are Sagan and Feynman less important to science because they valued teaching? He or she claims Pamela can’t think for herself, yet fails to think progressively enough to realize the importance of new media to astronomy.

“I want to know God’s thoughts. The rest are just. . . details”

like some of the other postings, its brave of you to write such a blog on the two most challenging topics in the history of humanity.
Science vs Religion!

i am an atheist of sorts, however i was raised in a private christian grade school, and a catholic highschool and have studied religion my entire life, reading the several versions of bibles while referencing various concordences,.

an irrational inconsiderate extremist psychopath can claim to be of any faith, or of none,

as we pass through the rapidly expanding information age its clear that there is a difference between believing in old dogmatic tradition, and simply a higher power.

although i do believe thier was once a man named jesus that walked the earth that had such morals, i think he was then mis-understood, and still is, wether or not he did exist or not doesnt matter either, the fact remains he is a better than average role model. and represents virtues few people are able to maintain, but that many strive for, and in doing so i applaud for i share such values and like many struggle in doing so.

i believe heaven and hell is here on earth and the day all humans trancend our inherint weakness of jealousy, greed, and control over others, heaven or whatever you choose to call it will realized,

i think science is headed in the right direction, religion does have remarkable staying power too. maybe these things will one day evolve into the same thing,

breaking through the simple idea that biblical texts of all sorts are figurative and not literal is the first step into joining them.

i feel that biblical texts can be beautiflly poetic, and contains many valuable lessons and life examples,through parables and storys showing how even god, sinners and saints all share the strengths and weakness of human condition of cognition and emotion.

if god is a higher power, higher powers than humanity have existed for awhile; earth, and the sun are just two examles.
humanitys greatest adversary aside from the volatile universe is ourselves,

if this debate doesnt kill us before we are able to to control our planet, solar system, eventually the galaxy, and even the universe,
the truth will be revealed after we all our long dead but,
i feel that, as a memory species we are all linked, wave particle duality, multiple universes, genetic engineering, . . .

the internet within 100 years will be implanted in our bodies through nanotechnology and we will have engineered a sixth + sense(s),

science and a belief in a higher power (god), will one day yeild a clearer picture of what fate our species and probably others will share,

god may be the collective inner voice of humanity crying through the dimensions,
after going over all humanity thinks it knows, all i can truthfully say i believe in is life,

maybe all life across the universe is on a short time scale to save the universe from its cold dark path, and engineer another big bang, ironically the meaning of life, may be life.

the truth is we really dont know anything, but collectively were working towards something, and people like paula with her beliefs are laying the foundation for a brighter future.

keep on rockin in the free world paula!
i love astronomy cast!!!!!

PS
as i read the flametory post earlier in the thread the opening scene of Men in Black popped into my head where the bug splats against the winsheild. . .