God and ETI: The Future of Human Religion – Dr Aaron Adair

In 1543, Copernicus made us no longer the center of the universe. Science today shows we are one planet of billions in just one galaxy of billions, so can we be all alone? And if we are not alone, what does that make us is in relation to God? There are significant issues for parochial earthly religions if we have cosmic neighbors, including thorny problems such as: Are the aliens closer to God than us? Do aliens need salvation? Did Jesus visit just us or does he visit every planet with a civilization on it? Does the problem of evil become worse now that there can be cosmic-levels of suffering? How does the end of the world work if there are billions of worlds? These questions and more emerge when one wonders, what will the Pope say to Mr Spock?

Dr. Aaron Adair (Physics PhD., The Ohio State University 2013) is a scholar of science education, popular culture, and especially science and religion–having published multiple books and articles on the topic, especially the rationalizations of religious myths, namely the Star of Bethlehem. He has presented in conferences internationally, such as the American Association of Physics Teachers, the Society of Biblical Literature, and a special conference on the Christmas Star at the University of Groningen. He is a research affiliate at MIT in physics education research, while working as a data scientist in the defense sector. He is an area chair at the Southwestern Popular and American Culture Association (SWPACA) on science, science fiction, and fantasy. Formerly a professor at Merrimack and Babson Colleges, he lives in the Greater Boston Area with his wife, Janice, and they are currently working together on a book concerning Godzilla. Dr. Adair is also currently working on articles and a book concerning the biblical Exodus tradition. His current books are “The Star of Bethlehem: A Skeptical View” and (co-authored with Jonathan MS Pearce) “Aliens and Religion: Where Two Worlds Collide: Assessing the Impact of Discovering Extraterrestrial Intelligence on Religion and Theology.”

The music used in this episode is by Thula Borah and is used with permission.