Martin Rees takes Templeton Prize

Martin Rees exploring galaxy formation and black holes addresses the Templeton prize with which concerned is the "big questions".Andy Fallon / Templeton Prize

The annual Templeton prize was won again by a high-calibre scientists, reviving a debate on the role of the Prize Foundation at the interface between science and religion.

Martin Rees, astrophysicist at the University of Cambridge, UK, and former head of the Royal Society in London, received today the 2011 Prize, worth ￡ 1 million (US$ 1.62 million), which rewards "a living person", contribute exceptional spiritual dimension has made to the affirmation of life. The award is from the Templeton Foundation in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, maintained that funded research in science, philosophy and theology.

The price and the Foundation both have attracted high-profile attacks atheist scientists who try religion science unnecessarily insert accuse. Rees says that he has no problem to accept the prize, and he refuses to be taken throughout the controversy, said: "I have no comment views that other people have."

He told nature that much of his knowledge price on an analysis of the Foundation and its role in these debates is based (see faith in science) nature article. "Due to the one I thought would have, these concerns were exaggerated," adds Rees, who says he has no religious beliefs, but sometimes attends church of England services.

However Rees was surprised that the price offered, "because it was clear to me, not that I the ticket", he says.

The Foundation cited Rees's work in galaxy formation, black holes and gamma ray bursts as the types of problem dealing with the price.

"" The"big questions" Lord Rees solves - such as "Physical reality is how big?""- the philosophical and theological considerations, are reshaping the the core of life, promoting spiritual progress, the Templeton prize will recognize," says a statement by the Foundation.

John Templeton, founded the Templeton Foundation, indicating that the award worth more money than the Nobel prizes, should the currently 10 million Swedish kronor (US$ 1.57 million) each amount to. Rees says, that he does not what to do is decided with the prize money has.

The Templeton prize was awarded first in 1973 and went as a poverty of Campaigner Mother Teresa of Calcutta and us evangelical preacher Billy Graham in the first years almost exclusively to highly religious. The last ten years, however, scientists have dominated the winners list.

Prize-winners were United in 2000, Paul Davies, a physicist and Astrobiologist, 1995, and Freeman Dyson, a physicist, three versions of quantum electrodynamics. Rees CITES Dyson as the winner "for whom I feel the greatest admiration and affinity".

The increasing number of scientists under the Templeton prize winners led to accusations that the Foundation is trying to buy respectability and religion or spirituality in the scientific arena insert. Richard Dawkins, an evolutionary biologist, and one of the most high-profile scientists in the aggressive pro-science, anti-religion 'new atheist' movement, once called Rees a "compatible Quisling" for the adoption of Templeton sponsoring a lecture series when he was head of the Royal Society.

Others take a more nuanced approach. Lawrence Krauss, a physicist at Arizona State University in Tempe and an other critics Prize, saying: "Martin a wonderful man and a great scientist."

But he adds: "the Templeton Foundation has tried, his profile increase, by he the price to well-known scientists." "The bottom line is, it probably much more honor the price as Martin does."

Sean Carroll, physicist at the California Institute of technology in Pasadena, is concerned that the price "the idea, are the people on the outside that science and religion together and reach towards a combined spiritual reality come".

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Others reject such criticism. Denis Alexander, Director of the Institute for science and religion at the University of Cambridge, UK, Faraday welcomes Rees's award and said that although "people who want to be a very sharp distinction between keep" Science and religion are high vowel, they are few.

"The media tend to thrive on conflict, so that they are votes in a polarised debate tend to get quite often to listen," he says.

Carroll agrees that Templeton Prize controversy has now something like an annual event. It is a publicity machine, and it works very well. Every year I get a call like this, "he says."

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