Rajkumar Ambrose, a physics professor at Monmouth College in Illinois, where he teaches a course called "Cosmology and Creation," shares his opinion on science and religion's common ground in USA Today. To show how modern science might help us to better understand theological concepts, Ambrose draws on the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, a tenet of quantum mechanics that says we can't know with precision both the position and velocity of a particle (if we determine exactly where a particle is, we can't discover how fast it's going or what direction it's traveling; if we determine its velocity, we can't know its exact position). According to Ambrose, who references Syracuse University philosopher William Alston, "God's acts can be explained through quantum indeterminism. The mighty acts of God may begin at the subatomic level but make a big difference at the macroscopic state." —Heather Wax

Guy Consolmagno, a Jesuit brother and a scholar at the Vatican Observatory in Arizona, will speak about "How Scientists Think About Religion" and the Catholic view of the compatibility of science and religion at the University of Dallas tomorrow. Consolmagno personally believes that science and religion, which he sees as answering separate questions and address different aspects of human nature, are not mutually exclusive.

Eco-theologians and religious environmentalists got together this past weekend at the "Renewing Hope" conference at Yale University, sponsored by The Forum on Religion and Ecology, to discuss new and creative ways religions can help encourage environmental activism and awareness. Religious environmentalism is on the rise, and now The Boston Globe is reporting that a number of Christians across New England have pledged to "go green" and give up carbon for Lent, using clotheslines rather than dryers and candles in place of lights, eating only locally grown food, and carpooling more. These "Lenten environmentalists," as they have come to be known, recognize that their small, individual actions will do little to slow global warming, but say the 40 days of penance and sacrifice leading up to Easter is the perfect time to re-examine consumption and to take greater responsibility in caring for creation. —Kaitlin Shimer

Japan is on the leading edge of a robotic revolution, according to The Associated Press, and the country's native religion, Shinto, could be a key factor in helping to move the nation toward a greater acceptance of robots—not only in the workforce and health-care field (where there are already robotic receptionists and hospital guides), but also in citizens' homes, living side by side with humans and forming deeper, more meaningful relationships. While living with robots paints an uncomfortable picture for many Americans, who tend to conjure up an image of the invasive Hal from 2001: A Space Odyssey or The Terminator, the Japanese are more likely to think of robots as helpful companions than creepy counterparts. And while there are still scientific and cultural barriers to overcome before robots will be moving into residents' homes, the Shinto religion, which doesn't make hard distinctions between the animate and inanimate, allows for an easier integration of robots into everyday life. —Evan Peck

Saturday was the closing day of TED—the annual conference celebrating technology, entertainment, and design—which meant it was time for the TED Prize winners to reveal their personal wishes to change the world. (Each year, TED picks three people to make a wish and gives them 100,000 dollars and the support of TED's community of influential scientists, artists, and politicians, to help fulfill it.) This year, University of Cambridge mathematical physicist Neil Turok wished for help in unlocking scientific talent across Africa; novelist and San Francisco community activist Dave Eggers wished for every conference attendee to become directly involved with a public school; and religious scholar Karen Armstrong wished for the creation of a Charter for Compassion, written by Christian, Jewish, and Islamic leaders and thinkers, and built upon the universal ideals of justice and respect.
Last year, E.O. Wilson wished for an Encyclopedia of Life, an online catalogue of the world's 1.8 million known species, and the first pages went live last week. The site currently contains pages for roughly 1 million species, though only about 25 are considered exemplary of what the creators hope to achieve. —Stephen Mapes

This weekend is the Silverdale Lutheran Church's Annual Lay School of Theology, and this year the program will focus on evolution and stem cell research, featuring three lectures by Ted Peters, a professor of systematic theology at the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. The theme, "Science and Faith: Friends or Foe," was chosen by Bill Crabtree, pastor of the Washington church, who feels the topic is especially important in an election year.

This Thursday, S. Jay Olshansky, a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Aubrey de Grey, a biogerontologist with The Methuselah Foundation—the two "Titans of Immortality Research," according to the Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity—will square off over radical life extension and whether they, and we, should want to live forever. The public debate will be held at the Arizona Science Center and in conjunction with the "Extending Life: Setting the Agenda for the Ethics of Aging, Death and Immortality" conference.