Prize in the sky: The Templeton Foundation rewards “spiritual progress,” but what the heck is that?

Is there such a thing as a spiritual fact? Finding? Discovery? Something roughly analogous to, say, the discovery of gravity? X-rays? Photosynthesis? The double helix?

This question is brought to mind by the Templeton Prize, Continue reading

The article, “Religious factors and hippocampal atrophy in late life,” by Amy Owen and colleagues at Duke University represents an important advance in our growing understanding of the relationship between the brain and religion. The study, published March 30 in PLoS One, showed greater atrophy in the hippocampus in individuals who identify with Continue reading

Rakshit Sonawane’s account of how Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s son and the so-called followers of Babasaheb treated Dr. Savita  Mai makes very sad reading (Indian Express, Friday, 30th May, 2003). The devotion with which Babasaheb’s Brahmin wife looked after him in his fading life and health went totally unheeded; worse, even Babasaheb’s appreciation Continue reading