The Biggest Myths about Science and Faith

Scientists love to tell stories about the quest to understand the universe — stories that often have profound implications for belief or disbelief in God. But more often than not, the stories are nothing but myths. Join us as Michael Keas, a historian of science and Senior Fellow of Discovery Institute’s Center for Science & Culture, explodes some of the most popular and pernicious myths about science and religion.

Based on arguments from his new book, Unbelievable: 7 Myths About the History and Future of Science and Religion, Keas lays out the facts to show how far the conventional wisdom departs from reality. He also shows how these myths have proliferated over the past four centuries and exert so much influence today. Some examples of Keas’ revelations include:

• Why the vastness of the universe does not deal a blow to religious belief in human significance
• Why the “Dark Ages” never happened
• Why “Flat Earthers” had basically disappeared by the third century B.C.
• What everyone gets wrong about Galileo, and why it matters today
• The futuristic myth that scientists and others are positioning to challenge religion

In debunking these myths, Keas shows that the real history is far more interesting than the common account of religion at war with science.