The Catholic Scientist

Anthony Ichiro Sanda, a theoretical particle physicist who received the American Physical Society’s Sakurai prize in 2004,joins the podcast to discuss his work in physics and his journey to becoming a leading voice for the integration of faith and science in Japan.  Dr. Sanda has not only won numerous scientific awards in the U.S. and Japan for his contributions to fundamental physics, he has also written and spoken extensively in Japan on the relation of science and the Catholic faith, including writing a book in Japanese entitled “As a Scientist, Why Do I Believe in God?”  He was ordained as a permanent deacon in the Diocese of Nagoya in May 2006, and was transferred to the Archdiocese of Tokyo in April 2011.

Po-Shen Loh, Professor of Mathematics at Carnegie Mellon University and social entrepreneur, joins the podcast to discuss how humans can thrive in the age of AI. He examines what hecalls Thought-Full education, which focuses on developing the unique feature of human intelligence: love for humanity. He gives examples of how best to use AI to assist human directed work and he discusses his efforts to foster collaborative problem-solving math education with young students across the country. More on his work and his upcoming speaking engagements can be found at https://poshenloh.com/.   

Taylor Black, director of AI & Venture Ecosystems in the Office of the Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft and founding director of Catholic University of America’s Leonum Institute joins the podcast to discuss the on-going AI revolution. Taylor discusses his journey from a philosophy and classics major as an undergraduate to law school to becoming a leader in the high-tech arena. Taylor explains the goals of CUA’s Leonum Institute, a research and venture creation hub focused on advancing human‑centered AI and emerging technologies through the lens of Catholic humanism. The podcast also delves into the promises, pitfalls, and limitations of AI. In addition, Taylor shares his views on how AI will change the future of work and how this could lead to more opportunities for human flourishing.

In this episode of the podcast Sr. Albertine Cevallos and Fr. Thomas Davenport join the show to discuss their journey from science majors at Caltech to vocations in the Dominican order. Sister Albertine is a Dominican sister of St. Cecilia who currently teaches high school science in Maryland. She discusses her time at Caltech, where she met Christians who witnessed to their faith by their joy and goodness. This ultimately led to her reversion to the Catholic faith and a calling to the Dominican sisters of St. Cecilia. Fr. Davenport, O.P., an American Dominican, physicist, and philosopher, discusses his time as an undergraduate at Caltech and his time at Stanford where he earned a Ph.D. in theoretical particle physics and was simultaneously drawn to a vocation with the Dominicans. Both Sr. Albertine and Fr. Davenport discuss the many ways they now combine science and faith in their vocations.

Dr. Nuno Castel-Branco is a historian of science, culture, and religion with a focus on early modern Europe. Currently he is a research fellow of All Souls College at the University of Oxford. In this episode, Dr. Castel-Branco discusses his new book on the life and work of Blessed Nicolas Steno, The Traveling Anatomist Nicolaus Steno and the Intersection of Disciplines in Early Modern Science (Univ of Chicago Press). Steno is considered the founder of modern geology and Dr. Castel-Branco discusses his training in medicine and his early work in anatomy as well as his travels throughout Europe. Dr. Castel-Branco talks about the nature of Steno’s conversion to the Catholic faith and his continued interest in science following that conversion. Steno’s importance in helping foster the development of scientific networks in Christian Europe during the 17th century is also examined in this discussion.  In addition to his academic work, Dr. Castel-Branco also maintains a substack called Stories of Science that examines the history of science for a popular audience.

Robert Scherrer, a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Vanderbilt University and an SCS Board member, discusses what the standard cosmological model suggests regarding the future of our universe. Will it end with a bang or a whimper? He discusses the on-going search to detect dark matter and dark energy and the role they both play in the evolution of theuniverse. His research work focuses on cosmology, encompassing dark energy, dark matter, big bang nucleosynthesis, and the large-scale structure of the universe.  He is also the author of a quantum mechanics textbook and haspublished several popular science articles and science fiction short stories. He also maintains a blog on science and science fiction.

Dr. Sodergren, a practicing psychologist at Ruah Woods Psychological Services in Cincinnati, delivers a talk entitled “Integrating Body and Soul: Principles for a Catholic Approach to Gender Dysphoria.” Dr. Sodergren is an active member of the Catholic Psychotherapy Association and is a frequent speaker for professional and lay audiences on topics involving the integration of psychology and the Catholic faith. In 2022, Dr.Sodergren contributed a chapter on the “Psychology of the Sexual Difference” to the book Sexual Identity: The Harmony of Philosophy, Science,and Revelation published by the St. Paul Center.  In this talk, he discusses the data behind the recent increase in gender dysphoria cases and how Catholic psychologists can best help individuals with gender dysphoria.

Dr. Matthew Ramage, a Professor of Theology at Benedictine College and a Scholar Associate of SCS, is the guest on this episode of The Catholic Scientist. Dr. Ramage discusses his research and writing on the theology of Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI, with a particular focus on the dialogue between faith and science. He discusses his latest book, The Essential Guide to Ratzinger: The Man and His Message (OSV Press), as well as how he got interested in the intersection between science and Catholic theology.  He also describes his latest project, The Two Books Network, which he hopes to be a resource hub for those interested in engaging creation from the heart of the Church.

Further information on the Society of Catholic Scientists and the work it does can be found ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. https://catholicscientists.org/

Dr. Laura Upenieks, an Associate Professor of Sociology at Baylor University discusses her work investigating the intersection of religious belief, religious practice, and attitudes toward science. In particular, she delves into the factors that shape how young people view matters of faith and science. She discusses how the level of perceived conflict is related to the level of trust individuals have in both scientists and religious leaders. With trust in authority continuing to erode throughout society in general, she offers possible ways to approach young people to build the connections that are necessary to help them better integrate faith and science.

Further information on the Society of Catholic Scientists and the work it does can be found ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. https://catholicscientists.org/

Dr. Stephen Barr, the President of the Society of Catholic Scientists and author of Modern Physics and Ancient Faith, discusses the relationship between the Catholic understanding of Creation and the science regarding the Big Bang. Is the Big Bang “proof” of the Catholic dogma of Creation? Is the Big Bang the beginning of the material universe? What is the relationship between Creation and the origins of the universe? Did the universe actually have a beginning in time? Dr. Barr discusses these and other related questions in this episode.   

Further information onthe Society of Catholic Scientists and the work it does can be found ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. https://catholicscientists.org/