Top ten scientifically-educated Catholics

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I am having discussions from time to time with an atheist (my (SIL), who prides himself on paying attention only to those in scientific or math disciplines. He seems to believe that only uneducated people are religious.

Can someone provide a list of, say, the top ten currently living scientifically-educated Catholics?
 
I have a nominee for such a list: Father Robert Spitzer SJ, PhD. You can check him out at his website magis center dot com. He’s written many books on matters of science, reason and faith.

I copied this from Wikipedia (ugh and sorry…):
Spitzer received the degree of Bachelors of Business Administration, with a focus on Public Accounting and Finance (magna cum laude) from Gonzaga University in 1974. He then received a Masters degree in Philosophy from St. Louis University (magna cum laude) in 1978, a Masters of Divinity degree from the Gregorian University in Rome (summa cum laude) in 1983, a Master of Theology degree in Scripture from the Weston School, now the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, (summa cum laude) in 1984, and a Doctor of Philosophy from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC (summa cum laude) in 1988. His dissertation, under Paul Weiss, is entitled A Study of Objectively Real Time.

I’ve seen some negative reviews of his books, but they’re in the minority by far and usually complaining about lack of scientificity, so I take such reviews with a grain of salt; IMO Fr. Spitzer seems stuck between “dumbing it down” enough for the average person to understand and writing strictly for fellow theologians and scientists. I think he’s brilliant.
 
Here’s one for your SIL. This just happened last year. Pretty impressive, huh?👍

Michigan-bred Vatican astronomer and Jesuit Brother Guy Consolmagno will become the first clergyman awarded one of planetary science’s most prestigious awards, when on Thursday in Arizona he receives the Carl Sagan Medal.
 
Here’s one for your SIL. This just happened last year.👍

Michigan-bred Vatican astronomer and Jesuit Brother Guy Consolmagno will become the first clergyman awarded one of planetary science’s most prestigious awards, when on Thursday in Arizona he receives the Carl Sagan Medal.
 
George Lemaitre, the man who postulated the Big Bang theory, was a Catholic priest.
 
Not sure of an exhaustive list, but I’ll get the ball rolling. I believe the following two Nobel Laureates are living, practicing Catholics:

Dr Brian Kobilka - Member of National Academy of Sciences, 2012 Nobel in Chemistry
Mario Molina - 1995 Nobel in Chemistry

I can’t attest to their adherence to Catholic teachings, but I do remember those two in particular being called out a while back.

We also have Father Jose Funes who is the director of the Vatican Observatory with 2-3 dozen peer viewed papers in astronomy.

This of course discounts Monsignor Lemaître (posited the big bang), Mendel (study of genetics) and countless other brilliant Catholic scientist, both living and dead.
 
Inventors and scientists

Stephen Barr,[984][985][986] professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Delaware and a “religion and science” scholar who won the Benemerenti medal
Michael Behe,[987][988] intelligent design advocate and professor at Lehigh University
Mary Celine Fasenmyer,[721][722] member of the Sisters of Mercy known in mathematics for Sister Celine’s polynomials
Martinez Hewlett,[989][990] Professor Emeritus of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Arizona and an adjunct professor at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology
Mary Kenneth Keller,[745][746] member of the Sisters of Charity and possibly the first woman to obtain a PhD in computer science. Also a member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences who taught at Case Western Reserve University.
Noella Marcellino,[751] Benedictine nun and microbiologist known for her study of cheese
Paul R. McHugh,[991][992] psychiatrist appointed by George W. Bush to the Presidential Council on Bioethics
Kenneth R. Miller,[993][994] evolution advocate who teaches at Brown University and wrote the book Finding Darwin’s God
John Benjamin Murphy,[995] noted surgeon and Laetare Medalist
Joseph Murray,[996][997] shared the 1990 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, received a Laetare Medal, and was appointed Academician of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences
Edmund Pellegrino,[678][998] bioethicist and Laetare Medalist
Frederick Rossini,[999] Priestley Medal and Laetare Medal-winning chemist
William B. Walsh,[678][1,000] Poverello Medal and Laetare Medal winner known for Project Hope
Robert J. White,[1,001][1,002] neurosurgeon noted for head transplant

ALSO:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Roman_Catholic_cleric-scientists
 
I may not be in the top ten, but I’m a dentist and I’m very faithful to my beliefs. 😃 I’ve always been a woman of faith. I can tell you that the more I learned about the human body the more amazed I am with God’s creation.
 
While not Catholic (evangelical maybe?), Francis Collins was the director of the Human Genome Project and wrote a book called* The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief*.

Though not Catholic, he was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.
 
pianistclare said:
Inventors and scientists

Stephen Barr,[984][985][986] professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Delaware and a “religion and science” scholar who won the Benemerenti medal
Michael Behe,[987][988] intelligent design advocate and professor at Lehigh University
Mary Celine Fasenmyer,[721][722] member of the Sisters of Mercy known in mathematics for Sister Celine’s polynomials
Martinez Hewlett,[989][990] Professor Emeritus of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Arizona and an adjunct professor at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology
Mary Kenneth Keller,[745][746] member of the Sisters of Charity and possibly the first woman to obtain a PhD in computer science. Also a member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences who taught at Case Western Reserve University.
Noella Marcellino,[751] Benedictine nun and microbiologist known for her study of cheese
Paul R. McHugh,[991][992] psychiatrist appointed by George W. Bush to the Presidential Council on Bioethics
Kenneth R. Miller,[993][994] evolution advocate who teaches at Brown University and wrote the book Finding Darwin’s God
John Benjamin Murphy,[995] noted surgeon and Laetare Medalist
Joseph Murray,[996][997] shared the 1990 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, received a Laetare Medal, and was appointed Academician of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences
Edmund Pellegrino,[678][998] bioethicist and Laetare Medalist
Frederick Rossini,[999] Priestley Medal and Laetare Medal-winning chemist
William B. Walsh,[678][1,000] Poverello Medal and Laetare Medal winner known for Project Hope
Robert J. White,[1,001][1,002] neurosurgeon noted for head transplant

ALSO:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Roman_Catholic_cleric-scientists
Click to expand...
Many thank yous, pianistclare!👍 I was reading the list you posted and when I came across "Robert J. White, neurosurgeon noted for head transplant" I decided to do some light internet research. So now, an hour and a half later, I know quite a bit more about head and brain transplantation than I did when I awoke this morning. My instincts tell me this information may indeed become supremely useful to me one day.😉
 
pianistclare said:
Inventors and scientists

Stephen Barr,[984][985][986] professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Delaware and a “religion and science” scholar who won the Benemerenti medal
Michael Behe,[987][988] intelligent design advocate and professor at Lehigh University
Mary Celine Fasenmyer,[721][722] member of the Sisters of Mercy known in mathematics for Sister Celine’s polynomials
Martinez Hewlett,[989][990] Professor Emeritus of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Arizona and an adjunct professor at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology
Mary Kenneth Keller,[745][746] member of the Sisters of Charity and possibly the first woman to obtain a PhD in computer science. Also a member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences who taught at Case Western Reserve University.
Noella Marcellino,[751] Benedictine nun and microbiologist known for her study of cheese
Paul R. McHugh,[991][992] psychiatrist appointed by George W. Bush to the Presidential Council on Bioethics
Kenneth R. Miller,[993][994] evolution advocate who teaches at Brown University and wrote the book Finding Darwin’s God
John Benjamin Murphy,[995] noted surgeon and Laetare Medalist
Joseph Murray,[996][997] shared the 1990 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, received a Laetare Medal, and was appointed Academician of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences
Edmund Pellegrino,[678][998] bioethicist and Laetare Medalist
Frederick Rossini,[999] Priestley Medal and Laetare Medal-winning chemist
William B. Walsh,[678][1,000] Poverello Medal and Laetare Medal winner known for Project Hope
Robert J. White,[1,001][1,002] neurosurgeon noted for head transplant

ALSO:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Roman_Catholic_cleric-scientists
Click to expand...
pianistclare,

What are the numbers after each name?
 
CharlesdeFoucld said:
While not Catholic (evangelical maybe?), Francis Collins was the director of the Human Genome Project and wrote a book called* The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief*.

Though not Catholic, he was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.
Click to expand...
Francis Collins, it could be argued, is the most intelligent man on the planet, because he is/was the head of his field in BOTH science and medicine, and now a leading theologian, despite starting life as an atheist.
He converted when 27 years old.
 
Hodegetria said:
I have a nominee for such a list: Father Robert Spitzer SJ, PhD. You can check him out at his website magis center dot com. He’s written many books on matters of science, reason and faith.
…

I’ve seen some negative reviews of his books, but they’re in the minority by far and usually complaining about lack of scientificity, so I take such reviews with a grain of salt; IMO Fr. Spitzer seems stuck between “dumbing it down” enough for the average person to understand and writing strictly for fellow theologians and scientists. I think he’s brilliant.
Click to expand...
His book New Proofs of the Existence of God is very good scientifically.
 
Dr. Anthony Rizzi, founder and director of the Institute for Advanced Physics, gained worldwide recognition in theoretical physics by solving an 80- year old problem in Einstein’s theory. … Dr. Rizzi is author of The Science Before Science: A Guide to Thinking in the 21st Century
catholic.com/profiles/anthony-rizzi
Click to expand...
Dr. Rizzi’s book is very good. Explains the basics of the thought process.
 
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