George Coyne
Encyclopedia
George V. Coyne, S.J. is a Jesuit priest, astronomer, and former director of the Vatican Observatory
and head of the observatory’s research group which is based at the University of Arizona
in Tucson, Arizona
.
, New York City, in 1958. He carried out a spectrophotometric study of the lunar surface for the completion of his doctorate in astronomy at Georgetown University
in 1962. He spent the summer of 1963 doing research at Harvard University
, the summer of 1964 as a National Science Foundation
lecturer at the University of Scranton
, and the summer of 1965 as visiting research professor at the University of Arizona
Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
(UA LPL).
(the Jesuits) since the age of 18, he completed a licentiate in sacred theology at Woodstock College
, Woodstock, Maryland
, and was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1965. Coyne was visiting assistant professor at the UA LPL in 1966-67 and 1968–69, and visiting astronomer at the Vatican Observatory
in 1967-68.
He became Director of the Vatican Observatory in 1978, and also Associate Director of the UA Steward Observatory
. During 1979-80 he served as Acting Director and Head of the UA Steward Observatory and the Astronomy Department. As Director of the Vatican Observatory he has been a driving force in several new educational and research initiatives. He spends five months of the year in Tucson as adjunct professor in the University of Arizona Astronomy Department. Coyne was succeeded as Director of the Vatican Observatory by Fr. José Gabriel Funes
in August 2006.
studies of various subjects including the interstellar medium, stars with extended atmospheres and Seyfert galaxies
, which are a class of spiral galaxies with very small and unusually bright star-like centers. Polarimetry studies can reveal the properties of cosmic dust
and synchrotron radiation regions in galaxies and other astronomical objects. Most recently he has been studying the polarization produced in cataclysmic variables, or interacting binary star systems that give off sudden bursts of intense energy, and dust about young stars. He also has the asteroid
14429 Coyne
, named for him.
He is an active member of the International Astronomical Union
, the American Astronomical Society
, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
, the American Physical Society
and the Optical Society of America
.
since at least August 2005, when his was published in The Tablet
. This opposition was further publicized in November 2005, when he was quoted by the ANSA
news agency as saying "Intelligent design isn't science even though it pretends to be. If you want to teach it in schools, intelligent design
should be taught when religion or cultural history is taught, not science." He was also interviewed for the BBC
documentary A War On Science where he criticised intelligent design
as being unscientific, and suggested that the Archbishop of Vienna
, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn was pressured by the think-tank the Discovery Institute
to publish an article in the New York Times critical of evolution
.
Coyne has been forthright in criticizing the Church's lukewarm admission of responsibility for its prosecution of Galileo in the early seventeenth century.
. As this followed closely Coyne's prominence in the debate over intelligent design
, speculation arose that he was replaced due to his criticism of it and its supporters, particularly Cardinal Schönborn
, a friend of Pope Benedict XVI
. During a 2008 interview with Richard Dawkins, Coyne praised a pre-publication version of a new book by Schönborn. Coyne summarizes the book as a distinction by Schönborn between evolution and "evolutionism", the latter of which extends evolution beyond the science and into reductionist judgements of human worth. Coyne states that the controversy would not have arisen had Schönborn shared those views before.
In a statement to the Arizona Daily Star
, Funes publicly rejected the idea that Coyne's retirement relates to his views on Intelligent Design. Coyne himself has said the idea was "simply not true".
Coyne was featured in the movie Religulous
, by political commentator Bill Maher
, commenting that all of the scriptures are written around/between 2000 BC and 200 AD, and modern science has only come into existence in the last couple hundred years, and thus the scriptures in no way contain any science and should not be taught as such.
Coyne was granted an honorary doctorate by Le Moyne College
of Syracuse, NY, a Jesuit institution, on May 17, 2009 in recognition of "his tireless effort to promote an open dialogue between philosophy, theology, and the sciences" as part of his work "to bridge the gap between faith and science."
Vatican Observatory
The Vatican Observatory is an astronomical research and educational institution supported by the Holy See. Originally based in Rome, it now has headquarters and laboratory at the summer residence of the Pope in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, and an observatory at the Mount Graham International...
and head of the observatory’s research group which is based at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
in Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
.
Scientific education
Professor Coyne completed his bachelor's degree in mathematics and his licentiate in philosophy at Fordham UniversityFordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
, New York City, in 1958. He carried out a spectrophotometric study of the lunar surface for the completion of his doctorate in astronomy at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
in 1962. He spent the summer of 1963 doing research at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, the summer of 1964 as a National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
lecturer at the University of Scranton
University of Scranton
The University of Scranton is a private, co-educational Catholic and Jesuit university, located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in the northeast region of the state. The school was founded in 1888 by Most Rev. William O'Hara, the first Bishop of Scranton, as St. Thomas College. It was elevated to a...
, and the summer of 1965 as visiting research professor at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
The Lunar and Planetary Laboratory is a research center for planetary science located in Tucson, Arizona. It is also a graduate school, constituting the Department of Planetary Sciences at the University of Arizona...
(UA LPL).
Priesthood and theological study
A member of the Society of JesusSociety of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
(the Jesuits) since the age of 18, he completed a licentiate in sacred theology at Woodstock College
Woodstock College
Woodstock College was a Jesuit seminary that existed from 1869 to 1974. It was the oldest Jesuit seminary in the United States. The school was located in Woodstock, Maryland, west of Baltimore, from its establishment until 1969, when it moved to New York City, where it operated in cooperation with...
, Woodstock, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, and was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1965. Coyne was visiting assistant professor at the UA LPL in 1966-67 and 1968–69, and visiting astronomer at the Vatican Observatory
Vatican Observatory
The Vatican Observatory is an astronomical research and educational institution supported by the Holy See. Originally based in Rome, it now has headquarters and laboratory at the summer residence of the Pope in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, and an observatory at the Mount Graham International...
in 1967-68.
Director of Vatican Observatory
Coyne joined the Vatican Observatory as an astronomer in 1969 and became an assistant professor at the LPL in 1970. In 1976 he became a senior research fellow at the LPL and a lecturer in the UA Department of Astronomy. The following year he served as Director of the UA's Catalina Observatory and as Associate Director of the LPL.He became Director of the Vatican Observatory in 1978, and also Associate Director of the UA Steward Observatory
Steward Observatory
The University of Arizona's Steward Observatorys main office is located on the University's campus and is closely tied to the Department of Astronomy. Established in 1916 by its first director, Andrew Ellicott Douglass, and a $60,000 bequest made by Lavinia Steward in memory of her late husband...
. During 1979-80 he served as Acting Director and Head of the UA Steward Observatory and the Astronomy Department. As Director of the Vatican Observatory he has been a driving force in several new educational and research initiatives. He spends five months of the year in Tucson as adjunct professor in the University of Arizona Astronomy Department. Coyne was succeeded as Director of the Vatican Observatory by Fr. José Gabriel Funes
José Gabriel Funes
Fr. José Gabriel Funes, S.J. , an Argentine Jesuit priest and astronomer, is the current director of the Vatican Observatory.-Biography:...
in August 2006.
Scientific research
Coyne's research interests have been in polarimetricPolarimetry
Polarimetry is the measurement and interpretation of the polarization of transverse waves, most notably electromagnetic waves, such as radio or light waves...
studies of various subjects including the interstellar medium, stars with extended atmospheres and Seyfert galaxies
Seyfert galaxy
Seyfert galaxies are a class of galaxies with nuclei that produce spectral line emission from highly ionized gas, named after Carl Keenan Seyfert, the astronomer who first identified the class in 1943...
, which are a class of spiral galaxies with very small and unusually bright star-like centers. Polarimetry studies can reveal the properties of cosmic dust
Cosmic dust
Cosmic dust is a type of dust composed of particles in space which are a few molecules to 0.1 µm in size. Cosmic dust can be further distinguished by its astronomical location; for example: intergalactic dust, interstellar dust, interplanetary dust and circumplanetary dust .In our own Solar...
and synchrotron radiation regions in galaxies and other astronomical objects. Most recently he has been studying the polarization produced in cataclysmic variables, or interacting binary star systems that give off sudden bursts of intense energy, and dust about young stars. He also has the asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
14429 Coyne
14429 Coyne
14429 Coyne is a main-belt asteroid discovered on December 3, 1991 by C. S. Shoemaker and D. H. Levy at Palomar Observatory.- External links :...
, named for him.
He is an active member of the International Astronomical Union
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union IAU is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy...
, the American Astronomical Society
American Astronomical Society
The American Astronomical Society is an American society of professional astronomers and other interested individuals, headquartered in Washington, DC...
, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific is a scientific and educational organization, founded in San Francisco on February 7, 1889. Its name derives from its origins on the Pacific Coast, but today it has members all over the country and the world...
, the American Physical Society
American Physical Society
The American Physical Society is the world's second largest organization of physicists, behind the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. The Society publishes more than a dozen scientific journals, including the world renowned Physical Review and Physical Review Letters, and organizes more than 20...
and the Optical Society of America
Optical Society of America
The Optical Society is a scientific society dedicated to advancing the study of light—optics and photonics—in theory and application, by means of publishing, organizing conferences and exhibitions, partnership with industry, and education. The organization has members in more than 100 countries...
.
Selected Papers
| Author | Title | Journal/Book | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| COYNE G.V. and GEHRELS T. | Wavelength dependence of polarization. VIII. Interstellar polarization. | Astron. J., 71, 355-363 | 1966 |
| COYNE G.V. and GEHRELS T. | Wavelength dependence of polarization. X. Interstellar polarization. | Astron. J., 72, 887-898 | 1967 |
| COYNE G.V. and KRUSZEWSKI A. | Wavelength dependence of polarization. XI. Mu Cephei. | Astron. J., 73, 20-25 | 1968 |
| COYNE G.V. and KRUSZEWSKI A. | Wavelength dependence of polarization. XVII. Be-type stars. | Astron. J., 74, 528-532 | 1969 |
| COYNE G.V. and WICKRAMASINGHE N.C. | Wavelength dependence of polarization. XVIII. Interstellar polarization and composite interstellar particles. | Astron. J., 74, 1179–1190 | 1969 |
| COYNE G.V. | Mass exchange in beta Lyrae. | Astrophys. J., 161, 1011–1014 | 1970 |
| CAPPS R.W., COYNE G.V. and DYCK H.M. | A model for the observed polarized flux for zeta Tauri. | Astrophys. J., 184, 173-179 | 1973 |
| COYNE G.V. and SHAWL S.J. | Polarimetry of R Coronae Borealis at visual light minimum. | Astrophys. J., 186, 961-966 | 1973 |
| COYNE G.V. | Wavelength dependence of polarization. XXV. Rotation of the position angle by the interstellar medium. | Astron. J., 79, 565-580 | 1974 |
| COYNE G.V., GEHRELS T. and SERKOWSKI K. | Wavelength dependence of polarization. XXVI. The wavelength of maximum polarization as a characteristic parameter of interstellar grains. | Astron. J., 79, 581-589 | 1974 |
| COYNE G.V. | Polarimetric observations of R Coronae Borealis stars. | IAU Inform. Bull. Var. Stars, 914, 1-2 | 1974 |
| GEORGE V. and COYNE G.V. | Polarimetry in the emission lines of shell stars. | Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc., 169, part no 16, 7-11 | 1974 |
| COYNE G.V. | Intrinsic polarization of faint members of the Pleiades. | Mem. Soc. Astron. Ital., 45, 445-455 | 1974 |
| COYNE G.V., LEE T.A. and DE GRAEVE E. | A survey for H alpha emission objects in the Milky Way. | Vatican Obs. Publ., 1, 181-195 | 1974 |
| COYNE G.V. | Wavelength dependence of polarization. XXX. Intrinsic polarization in phi Persei. | Astron. J., 80, 702-710 | 1975 |
| COHEN M., ANDERSON C.M., COWLEY A., COYNE G.V., FAWLEY W., GULL T.R., HARLAN E.A., HERBIG G.H., HOLDEN F., HUDSON H.S., JAKOUBEK R.O., JOHNSON H.M., MERRILL K.M., SCHIFFER F.H., SOIFER B.T. and ZUCKERMAN B. | The peculiar object HD 44179 ("The Red Rectangle"). | Astrophys. J., 196, 179-189 | 1975 |
| COYNE G.V., WISNIEWSKI W. and CORBALLY C. | A survey for H alpha emission objects in the Milky Way. II Cygnus. | Vatican Obs. Publ., 1, 197-212 | 1975 |
| COYNE G.V. | Polarization in the emission lines of Be stars. | Astron. Astrophys., 49, 89-96 | 1976 |
| KRUSZEWSKI A. and COYNE G.V. | Wavelength dependence of polarization. XXXI. Cool stars. | Astron. J., 81, 641-649 | 1976 |
| COYNE G.V. and VRBA F.J. | Polarization from a dust ring surrounding the peculiar Be star HD 45677. | Astrophys. J., 207, 790-798 | 1976 |
| WISNIEWSKI W. and COYNE G.V. | A Survey for H alf emission objects in the Milky Way. III. Cyg. | Vatican Obs. Publ., 1, 225-236 | 1976 |
| WISNIEWSKI W. and COYNE G.V. | A Survey for H-alpha emission objects in the Milky Way. IV. Cyg. | Vatican Obs. Publ., 1, 245-256 | 1976 |
| COYNE G.V. and MAGALHAES A.M. | Wavelength dependence of polarization. XXXII. Narrow-band polarization effects in cool stars. | Astron. J., 82, 908-915 | 1977 |
| McLEAN I.S. and COYNE G.V. | Spectropolarimetry of omicron Ceti (Mira): discovery of polarized Balmer emission. | Astrophys. J., 226, L145-L148 | 1978 |
| COYNE G.V., WISNIEWSKI W. and OTTEN L.B. | A survey for Half emission objects in the Milky Way. V. Perseus. | Vatican Obs. Publ., 1, 257-265 | 1978 |
| COYNE G.V., TAPIA S. and VRBA F.J. | Wavelength dependence of polarization. XXXIII. The alpha Persei star cluster. | Astron. J., 84, 356-369 | 1979 |
| COYNE G.V. and MAGALHAES A.M. | Wavelength dependence of polarization. XXXVI. Changes in polarization across TiO bands in cool stars. | Astron. J., 84, 1200–1210 | 1979 |
| McLEAN I.S., COYNE G.V., FRECKER J.E. and SERKOWSKI K. | High-resolution polarization structure of hbet in Be shell stars measured with a new digicon spectropolarimeter. | Astrophys. J., 228, 802-808 | 1979 |
| McLEAN I.S., COYNE G.V., FRECKER J.E. and SERKOWSKI K. | Detection of polarization structure across the emission lines of the Wolf-Rayet star HD 50896. | Astrophys. J., 231, L141-L145 | 1979 |
| TOMASZEWSKI L., LANDSTREET J.D., McLEAN I.S. and COYNE G.V. | Spectropolarimetry of omicron Ceti around the 1978 maximum. | Astrophys. J., 238, 935-940 | 1980 |
| VRBA F.J., COYNE G.V. and TAPIA S. | Observations of grain and magnetic field properties of the R Coronae Australis dark cloud. | Astrophys. J., 243, 489-511 | 1981 |
| MacCONNELL D.J. and COYNE G.V. | A survey for H-alpha emission objects in the Milky Way. VI. Revised catalogue of part I-V. | Vatican Obs. Publ., 2, 63-72 | 1983 |
| COYNE G.V. and MacCONNELL D.J. | A survey for H-alpha emission objects in the Milky Way. VII. Final zones. | Vatican Obs. Publ., 2, 73 | 1983 |
| WHITE R.E., SHAWL S.J. and COYNE G.V. | Discovery of intrinsic polarization in the apparent light of globular cluster red giant stars. | Astron. J., 89, 480-486 | 1984 |
| ASPIN C., McLEAN I.S. and COYNE G.V. | CCD observations of bipolar nebulae. III. R Mon/NGC 2261. | Astron. Astrophys., 149, 158-166 | 1985 |
| MAGALHAES A.M., COYNE G.V., CODINA-LANDABERRY S.J. and GNEIDING C. | Polarimetric evidence for an evolving circumstellar cloud in L2 Puppis. | Astron. Astrophys., 154, 1-7 | 1986 |
| BOYLE R.P., ASPIN C., COYNE G.V. and McLEAN I.S. | CCD spectropolarimetry of a sample of cool variable stars. | Astron. Astrophys., 164, 310-320 | 1986 |
| MAGALHAES A.M., COYNE G.V. and BENEDETTI E.K. | Time-dependent spectropolarimetry of the red variable V CVn. | Astron. J., 91, 919-924 | 1986 |
| PIIROLA V., REIZ A. and COYNE G.V. | Five-colour (UBVRI) polarimetry of H 0139-68 = BL Hydri. | Astron. Astrophys., 185, 189-195 | 1987 |
| PIIROLA V., REIZ A. and COYNE G.V. | Simultaneous five-colour (UBVRI) polarimetry of EF Eri. | Astron. Astrophys., 186, 120-128 | 1987 |
| PIIROLA V., REIZ A. and COYNE G.V. | Simultaneous five color (UBVRI) polarimetry of EF Eri. | Astrophys. Space Sci., 130, 197-201 | 1987 |
| PIIROLA V., REIZ A. and COYNE G.V. | Simultaneous five color (UBVRI) polarimetry of VV Puppis. | Astrophys. Space Sci., 130, 203 | 1987 |
| MAGALHAES A.M. and COYNE G.V. | The circumstellar environment of L2 Puppis. | 122nd Symposium of the IAU held in Heidelberg, F.R.G., June 23–27, 1986 Ed. by I. Appenzeller and C. Jordan. Circumstellar matter, 122, 555-556 | 1987 |
| COYNE G.V., PIIROLA V. and REIZ A. | Simultaneous multicolor polarimetry of cataclysmic variables. | Bull. American Astron. Soc., 20, 1098 | 1988 |
| PIIROLA V., COYNE G.V. and REIZ A. | Simultaneous UBVRI polarimetry of VV Puppis during an active phase. | Astron. Astrophys., 235, 245-254 | 1990 |
| MINNITI D., COYNE G.V. and TAPIA S. | Interstellar polarization in the field of the globular cluster M 22. | Astron. Astrophys., 236, 371-377 | 1990 |
| PIIROLA V., COYNE G.V. and REIZ A. | Multicolour photopolarimetry of magnetic cataclysmic variables. | Astrophys. Space Sci., 169, 133 | 1990 |
| VRBA F.J., COYNE G.V. and TAPIA S. | Grain properties in the rho Ophiuchi dark cloud. | Bull. American Astron. Soc., 23, 1369 | 1991 |
| MINNITI D., COYNE G.V. and CLARIA J.J. | Linear polarization of stars in seven metal-poor globular clusters. | Astron. J., 103, 871-890 | 1992 |
| PIIROLA V., SCALTRITI F. and COYNE G.V. | Circumstellar disks deduced from sub-arcsecond polarization observations of two young stars. | Nature, 359, 399 | 1992 |
| SCALTRITI F., PIIROLA V., COYNE G.V., KOCH R.H., ELIAS N.M. and HOLENSTEIN B.D. | UBVRI linear and circular polarization of RS CVn type binaries. | Astron. Astrophys., Suppl. Ser., 102, 343-360 | 1993 |
| VRBA F.J., COYNE G.V. and TAPIA S. | An investigation of grain properties in the Rho Ophiuchi dark cloud. | Astron. J., 105, 1010–1026 | 1993 |
| PIIROLA V., HAKALA P. and COYNE G.V. | The discovery of variable polarization over the 13.9 minute spin period of the intermediate polar RE 0751+14. | Astrophys. J., 410, L107-L110 | 1993 |
| PIIROLA V., COYNE G.V., TAKALO S.J., TAKALO L., LARSSON S. and VILHU | UBVRI polarimetry of AM Herculis-type binaries. V. The asynchronous (?) polar BY Camelopardalis (H0538+608). | Astron. Astrophys., 283, 163-174 | 1994 |
| RODRIGUES C.V., COYNE G.V. and MAGALHAES A.M. | Dust in the SMC: dust models from interstellar polarization and extinction data. | Bull. American Astron. Soc., 26, 1391–1392 | 1994 |
| RODRIGUES C.V., MAGALHAES A.M., COYNE G.V. and PIIROLA V. | Dust in the Small Magellanic Cloud: interstellar polarization and extinction. | Astrophys. J., 485, 618-637 | 1997 |
| PIIROLA V., BERDYUGIN A., MIKKOLA S. and COYNE G.V. | Polarimetric study of the massive interacting binary W Serpentis: discovery of high-latitude scattering spot/jet. | Astrophys. J., 632, 576-589 | 2005 |
| PIIROLA V., BERDYUGIN A., COYNE G.V., EFIMOV Y.S. and SHAKHOVSKOY N.M. | UBVRI polarimetry of the massive interacting binary SX Cassiopeiae: modeling the electron-scattering circumstellar envelope. | Astron. Astrophys., 454, 277-286 | 2006 |
Intelligent Design
Coyne has been a vocal opponent of intelligent designIntelligent design
Intelligent design is the proposition that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." It is a form of creationism and a contemporary adaptation of the traditional teleological argument for...
since at least August 2005, when his was published in The Tablet
The Tablet
The Tablet is a Catholic international weekly review published in London. Contributors to its pages have included Evelyn Waugh, Graham Greene, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Paul VI ....
. This opposition was further publicized in November 2005, when he was quoted by the ANSA
ANSA (news agency)
ANSA , is the leading wire service in Italy, and one of the leaders among world news agencies. ANSA is a not-for-profit cooperative, whose members and owners are 36 leading news organizations in Italy. Its mission is the distribution of fair and objective news reporting.-History:ANSA was founded on...
news agency as saying "Intelligent design isn't science even though it pretends to be. If you want to teach it in schools, intelligent design
Intelligent design
Intelligent design is the proposition that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." It is a form of creationism and a contemporary adaptation of the traditional teleological argument for...
should be taught when religion or cultural history is taught, not science." He was also interviewed for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
documentary A War On Science where he criticised intelligent design
Intelligent design
Intelligent design is the proposition that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." It is a form of creationism and a contemporary adaptation of the traditional teleological argument for...
as being unscientific, and suggested that the Archbishop of Vienna
Archbishop of Vienna
The Archbishop of Vienna is the prelate of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna who is concurrently the metropolitan bishop of its ecclesiastical province which includes the dioceses of Eisenstadt, Linz and St. Pölten....
, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn was pressured by the think-tank the Discovery Institute
Discovery Institute
The Discovery Institute is a non-profit public policy think tank based in Seattle, Washington, best known for its advocacy of intelligent design...
to publish an article in the New York Times critical of evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
.
Coyne has been forthright in criticizing the Church's lukewarm admission of responsibility for its prosecution of Galileo in the early seventeenth century.
Retirement
He retired from the position in 2006 and was replaced by the Argentinean astronomer José Gabriel FunesJosé Gabriel Funes
Fr. José Gabriel Funes, S.J. , an Argentine Jesuit priest and astronomer, is the current director of the Vatican Observatory.-Biography:...
. As this followed closely Coyne's prominence in the debate over intelligent design
Intelligent design
Intelligent design is the proposition that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." It is a form of creationism and a contemporary adaptation of the traditional teleological argument for...
, speculation arose that he was replaced due to his criticism of it and its supporters, particularly Cardinal Schönborn
Christoph Cardinal Schönborn
Christoph Maria Michael Hugo Damian Peter Adalbert Schönborn, OP is an Austrian Cardinal of the Catholic Church and theologian. He currently serves as the Archbishop of Vienna and President of the Austrian Bishops Conference...
, a friend of Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
. During a 2008 interview with Richard Dawkins, Coyne praised a pre-publication version of a new book by Schönborn. Coyne summarizes the book as a distinction by Schönborn between evolution and "evolutionism", the latter of which extends evolution beyond the science and into reductionist judgements of human worth. Coyne states that the controversy would not have arisen had Schönborn shared those views before.
In a statement to the Arizona Daily Star
Arizona Daily Star
The Arizona Daily Star is the major morning daily newspaper that serves Tucson and surrounding districts of southern Arizona in the United States. The paper was purchased by Pulitzer in 1971; Lee Enterprises bought Pulitzer in 2005....
, Funes publicly rejected the idea that Coyne's retirement relates to his views on Intelligent Design. Coyne himself has said the idea was "simply not true".
Coyne was featured in the movie Religulous
Religulous
Religulous is a 2008 American comic documentary film written by and starring comedian Bill Maher and directed by Larry Charles. The title of the film is a portmanteau derived from the words "religion" and "ridiculous"; the documentary examines and mocks organized religion and religious...
, by political commentator Bill Maher
Bill Maher
William "Bill" Maher, Jr. is an American stand-up comedian, television host, political commentator, author and actor. Before his current role as the host of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, Maher hosted a similar late-night talk show called Politically Incorrect originally on Comedy Central and...
, commenting that all of the scriptures are written around/between 2000 BC and 200 AD, and modern science has only come into existence in the last couple hundred years, and thus the scriptures in no way contain any science and should not be taught as such.
Coyne was granted an honorary doctorate by Le Moyne College
Le Moyne College
Le Moyne College, named after Simon Le Moyne, is a private, Jesuit college enrolling over 3,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1946, Le Moyne is the first Jesuit college to be founded as a co-educational institution...
of Syracuse, NY, a Jesuit institution, on May 17, 2009 in recognition of "his tireless effort to promote an open dialogue between philosophy, theology, and the sciences" as part of his work "to bridge the gap between faith and science."
External links
- Interviews with Fr. George Coyne, S.J.
- Honoring Web Site at the University of Arizona
- Science Does Not Need God, or Does It? A Catholic Scientist Looks at Evolution
- Vatican astronomer rips Intelligent Design theory
- Articles in The Tablet written by or related to Coyne