Professor Sir Harry Kroto laments that his friend Martin Rees has accepted the Templeton Prize money. From behind the Times paywall he explains why – and makes a novel recommendation about what Rees should do with the money!

Martin Rees is a brilliant astrophysicist and a personal friend of mine, but I believe he has made a mistake in deciding to accept £1 million from the Templeton Foundation.

In doing so, he supports its primary aim, which is to undermine the most precious tenet of science: that it is the only philosophical construct we have to determine truth with any reliability.

… The Templeton Foundation awards its prize to the most prominent scientist it can find who is prepared to say that he or she sees no conflict between science and religion.

… I regret that my friend has accepted this award. Perhaps he could make amends by donating his million to the British Humanist Association, to support the sensible humanitarian secular attitudes that our society today so desperately needs.

Link: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/science/article2975757.ece