Neuroscience and religion | W.R. Klemm | TEDxTAMU

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. While today's major religions have largely remained unchanged for two millennia, science has exponentially expanded. Many argue that in the 21st century, the two are as separate as possible. However in his exciting talk, Dr. Klemm argues that neuroscience and religion can and should inform each other.

W. R. (Billl) Klemm is a neuroscientist with a large number of research publications and substantial international recognition of his research. Trained in fundamental biology and raised in Christian tradition, he is well aware of the clash between the scientific principles of evolution and certain religious doctrines. And, as a neuroscientist, he also sees a growing clash over the scientific view that mind comes from brain and the religious view of an immortal soul. It would seem that on both fronts, religion is fighting a losing battle. There is no doubt that mind clearly resides in the brain. Unresolved is the question of whether the brain is the only place mind exists.


Today's major religions arose from the Middle East and Asia and are largely unchanged from their primitive state more than two millennia ago. None of these have adequately accommodated science. We still quibble over evolution. How will we acquire the boldness and insight to accommodate the science of mind with religion? Many people do not think accommodation is possible, yet Dr. Klemm argues that neuroscience and religion can and should inform each other. After all, religious beliefs are constructed from what brains think. There is room in this universe for both. Indeed, Klemm believes that science and what we call spirituality are what the universe is all about.

In recent years, Dr. Klemm has been pondering such things. Some of his colleagues have called him a "Renaissance man" because his thinking about neuroscience extends into other fields such as medicine, psychology, education, law, social and political interactions, as well as religion. In the Fall of 2013, he took the unprecedented leap of creating a college course at Texas A&M University in Neuroscience and Religion, which he plans to continue and eventually hopes to take on-line to a mass audience.

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[PhilippUnterreiner]

Some critique:
2:40 Science is not a domain of faith. Science and religion operate on completely different epistemological premises. As Tim Minchin (provocatively but essentially correctly) has put it: "Science adjusts its views based on what's observed, faith is the denial of observation so that beliefs can be preserved". Klemm is right that scientific theories can't ever be "proven right" given the impossibility of complete evidence (induction problem) – however the scientific method can and does falsify theories. In fact the criteria of a theory to be scientific is that it can be falsified. Beliefs rooted in faith however are resistant to falsification which is what makes them from a scientific perspective dogmatic (not a theory). This is the difference – religion doesn't aim for falsification of its own views, yet science does. It also explains why there is historic progress in the worldviews that science has offered (e.g. from Newton Laws to the Theory of Relativity), while religion isn't progressing in its ways of explaining the world. Science also has enabled technological advancements in ways that religion never has.
14:40 I think he fails on his own criteria of "no proselytization" here
15:05 Spooky physics. The fact that things are yet unexplainable doesn't mean that it won't ever be explainable in the future. Nor does the fact that something is not explainable proof the existence of something else (e.g. god). From a historic angle literally every phenomenon on earth once was "spooky physics". E.g. weather – now that we understand weather, we don't anymore think it's spooky physics. Even though we still know very little, we still know a lot more than before – there is progress.
17:50 While he mentioned before there are / have been roughly 4200 religions in human history, he closes with a quote from Jesus, which seems again kind of biased

What religion offers that science doesn't is that it tells you "how to live a good life". Science doesn't help there because it doesn't deduct any normative statements, it just tries to explain the world.

[BattousaiHBr]

you only need to watch up to 2:09 to know where this is going.

[ColeMyersK]

Being taught about and writing essays on topics like that would be an incredible class to take! No wonder his students gave such high ratings for his class.

[asdfdasdaable]

A hypothesis is not the same thing as faith. It is not BELIEVED in. It is TESTED.

[rogerroger]

A theory is faith based, based on incomplete evidence?? A scientific theory is based on proven facts. Religion is based on faith. Unproven assertions some of which have been proven to be false. Sorry but he lost me after this. Another religious person trying to force a square peg through a round hole to justify what he wants to believe.

[jameshadaway]

neuroscience is also a term used for extreme depression and anxiety, perhaps through trauma, shock and behavioural science, meaning the individual must become aware what causes their habits, their addictions, lifestyle choices, mood swings and spiritual values.

[magenta]

The hard problem is that even science doesn’t understand what is going on. For instance, what is matter? Is it real? A solid substance or simply a wave pattern of probability. Our perceptions have led us to all kinds of assumptions that predominate in the laws of physics, but these perceptions are just that. We do not really know what is going on in the deepest sense. But the academics are usually caught up in the assumptions which only apply on the explicate reality, not in the implicate underlying reality that is the basis for it.

[mindvolution]

That was a good talk. Though, the concept of "God" must also be defined in its usage, so to avoid any confusion about the convictions of the speaker. As he began stating that all religion was and is born out of human minds, so the same applies for all religious concepts of a "God" and "Gods".

[catkeys]

Atoms, schmatoms - where does *thinking* come from; how and why did it come about? When did the first *thought* occur?

[georgeroberts]

As to God vs. science: The debate is moot. It's been established that their are high spin mono-atomic elements with the body producing photons, room temperature super conductivity. These produce the well known effect of super-conductivity of resistanceless transmission of energy. This also works for conscious energy. Hence: psychic phenomenon and spirituality have a basis in physics/science. Hence: the dichotomy is resolved in that both are true. Some have more natural capability than others. Hence: all the excuse making for both sides is a moot point to the realities of actual physics. The universe is what it is whether we comprehend or not.

[F.O.R.]

Oh my gosh! He has no idea what hypothesis is in science and uses the colloquial term. He probably thinks it's just a theory. Sad

[stinkertoy]

Science and religion both try to explain our reality from different perspectives. When science has fallen short, religion fills the gap. Refreshing to see a scientist speak about spirituality. Seek the truth you will surely find it. You might not like the answer.

[martymcmannis]

Science and religion go hand in hand
But not if you are blind

[ExtraordinaryJam]

At their best, organized religion encourages love and community; at their worst, they revert back to tribal animosities, leaning toward my God is better than your God. There is a dark side to organized religion; a very dark side.

[empathy]

Ciencia y religión no tiene porque ser opuestos.Saludos

[jimjuarez]

hypothesis and theory and faith are all good. But the problem I see with religion, when it comes to "faith" is that "those" people think their way is the only way and everyone else is wrong and some may go to great means, as to kill or control to prove their point!

[broAnansi]

Wow this man has twisted himself into a pretzel. Sad.

[Anaguma]

And you lost me when you equated science and faith.

[ThePassiveObserver]

Dear Mr. Klemm. Kindly read the comments below. Here you will find that your "illogical" lecture has been met with some very logical, knowledgeable and intelligent retorts. If anything, your particular way of thinking shows that religious indoctrination at an early age, is sometimes impossible to erase, even when the "myths" are exposed, and the facts are clear....


i will leave you with the famous words of Pope Leo X ; "All ages can testifie enough howe profitable that fable of Christe hath ben to us and our companie".
 In other words " What a profit the myth of christ has been for us in the faith".

[lophtus_music]

Dude, there are seriously flaws in this guys logic. And it's worrying to see a scientist state that scientific theories are comparable to religion and faith on the same level.