50 Elite Academics Respond to the God Question

A great YouTube:

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Here’s the list (in order) of those responding:

1. Lawrence Krauss, Physicist
2. Robert Coleman Richardson, Physicist, Nobel Laureate
3. Richard Feynman, Physicist, Nobel Laureate
4. Simon Blackburn, Cambridge Philosopher
5. Colin Blakemore, Oxford Professor of Neuroscience
6. Steven Pinker, Harvard Professor of Psychology
7. Alan Guth, Physics Professor, MIT
8. Noam Chomsky, MIT Professor of Linguistics
9. Nicolaas Bloembergen, Nobel Laureate in Physics
10. Peter Atkins, Oxford Professor of Chemistry
11. Oliver Sacks, Neurologist, Columbia University
12. Lord Martin Rees, Astronomer
13. Sir John Gurdon, Biologist, Cambridge
14. Sir Bertrand Russell, Philosopher, Nobel Laureate
15. Stephen Hawking, Cambridge Theoretical Physicist
16. Riccardo Giacconi, Nobel Laureate in Physics
17. Ned Block, NYU Professor of Philosophy
18. Gerard ‘t Hooft, Nobel Laureate in Physics
19. Marcus du Sautoy, Oxford Professor of Mathematics
20. James Watson, Co-discoverer of DNA, Nobel Laureate
21. Colin McGinn, Professor of Philosophy, Miami University
22. Sir Patrick Bateson, Cambridge Professor of Ethology
23. Sir David Attenborough, Broadcaster and Naturalist
24. Martinus Veltman, Nobel Laureate in Physics
25. Pascal Boyer, Professor of Anthropology
26. Partha Dasgupta, Cambridge Professor of Economics
27. AC Grayling, Philosopher
28. Ivar Giaever, Nobel Laureate in Physics
29. John Searle, Berkeley Professor of Philosophy
30. Brian Cox, Particle Physicist (Large Hadron Collider, CERN)
31. Herbert Kroemer, Nobel Laureate in Physics
32. Rebecca Goldstein, Professor of Philosophy
33. Michael Tooley, Professor of Philosophy, Colorado
34. Sir Harold Kroto, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry
35. Leonard Susskind, Stanford Professor of Theoretical Physics
36. Quentin Skinner, Professor of History (Cambridge)
37. Theodor W. Hänsch, Nobel Laureate in Physics
38. Mark Balaguer, CSU Professor of Philosophy
39. Richard Ernst, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry
40. Alan Macfarlane, Cambridge Professor of Anthropology
41. Neil deGrasse Tyson, Princeton Research Scientist
42. Douglas Osheroff, Nobel Laureate in Physics
43. Hubert Dreyfus, Berkeley Professor of Philosophy
44. Lord Colin Renfrew, Archaeologist, Cambridge
45. Carl Sagan, Cornell Astronomer
46. Peter Singer, Bioethicist, Princeton
47. Rudolph Marcus, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry
48. Robert Foley, Cambridge Professor of Human Evolution
49. Daniel Dennett, Tufts Professor of Philosophy
50. Steven Weinberg, Nobel Laureate in Physics

I love the human vulnerability, directness, and honesty on display in the above video. It’s definitely refreshing; a nice contrast to the Kultursmog that so frequently accompanies, like the particulates hopping from Linus’s blanket, the public displays of confidence theists (like William Lane Craig and Albert Mohler).

I also like the Nietzsche quote that appears at the end of the video:

In heaven, all the interesting people are missing.

My only negative critique: why the Wienerfest?

List source here.