England’s Child Witches

“Some mathematicians believe that numbers were invented by human beings, others, equally competent, believe that numbers have a sufficiently independent existence of their own and are merely observed by sufficiently intelligent mortals”
E T Bell
The Magic of Numbers

‘The Magic of Numbers’ is still available today. Amazon bills it as:

“a stimulating account of the origins of mathematical thought and the development of numerical theory”

and

“… exploring the ways in which "number magic" has influenced the development of religion, philosophy, science and mathematics”

Noah's Ark Zoo in Wraxall, North Somerset has won a Learning Outside the Classroom Quality badge for its schools programme.

This is surprising for two reasons.

Firstly, an investigation by the Captive Animals Protection Society (CAPS) and the BBC Programme Inside Out found that the zoo was breeding tigers for a controversial circus owner and that staff were under strict orders not to tell anyone.

The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals by Charles Darwin, was published in 1872. It was very controversial at the time, and for a long time afterwards for two reasons.

Firstly it implied a continuity between the expression of some sentiments with people and beasts ... as though we are somehow related!

Secondly it implied a hardwiring of our expressions – a biological lingua franca that bridged gender, race, geographical distance, culture and time. You can’t make up your own smile or your own frown any more than you can make up your own fingers. They’re simply there, biological mechanisms which universally fit a purpose across a species.

I picked up The Way The World Is: The Christian perspective of a scientist, by theologian and former physicist, John Polkinghorne. I'd really like to understand the thought process that leads some scientists not just to belief in god, but to belief in the doctrines of a specific religion. I'd love to know what argument could trump the scientist's natural inclination to follow the evidence and apply skepticism, or indeed, what evidence the religious scientist thinks that he possesses for the god hypothesis. This book claimed it could do that. It was written specifically for the scientists who had expressed surprise at Polkinghorne's decision to study for the clergy.