Vatican Observatory sponsors conference on evolution


The Vatican Observatory has convoked a range of experts to reflect on a question that at times seems to be forgotten in scientific research: Is there purpose in evolution?

From 24-26 June the Vatican Observatory is holding a conference to challenge what it describes as "the widely accepted scientific worldview that human beings or any other product of evolutionary diversification is accidental and, by implication, incidental".

In a statement reported by Zenit the organisers of the conference say "The purpose of this symposium is not to dispute this worldview, but to inquire whether it is sufficient and, if it is not, to consider what we need to know and ultimately how we might discover the requisite information with one or more research programs".

The news agency reports the symposium at the Vatican Observatory will gather 13 participants, researchers in the areas of biology, biochemistry, ecology, geology, neurosciences, paleontology, philosophy of science and theology.

They are asked to address these five questions: