Dear all,

 

With the new academic year arrived or arriving soon, and the impending second wave of COVID-19, it appears timely to think back on these past five or more months and reflect on them in order to more readily shape our future. COVID-19 has changed much both personally and professionally for many of us. My own circumstances lead me to ask myself how I feel about these new conditions and ask, “Are these new conditions okay for me?” It is undeniably clear that my life is different, and I can conclude that I much prefer my life before COVID-19. So then, I think to myself that the answer is clear:

“If I want to return to the said desired state it is likely that others do as well. If more than just myself understands that we all need to work to free ourselves (each other) from this situation than we shouldn’t allow for less than critical ideas to stand in front of this great challenge we have before us.”

Nothing seems to me to be a clearer call of duty than aiding everyone, regardless of origin. It is in kindness we find strength, and it is in kindness we find courage. These, along with the tools of biochemistry and medicine, will be the harbingers of our release.   

 

But, enough from me. This month’s newsletter is understandably shorter than usual as many of us took holiday time to rest, relax and “recharge”. Below is this month’s collection of news from ISSR and its members:

 

  • Due to holidays and other circumstances we had two blog posts this month to get live. As a result, I present this month’s two blog posts here together.

o   The first is by Berry Billingsley who asks us to consider the effects on COVID-19 on school curriculums and the responses of government, and she suggests that we think on “epistemic insight”, knowledge of the limitations (boundary) of science and religion and the wider humanities. You can read this blog here:  https://www.issr.org.uk/blog/covid-19-and-some-of-its-implications-for-the-school-curriculum/

 

o   The second is a blog that was originally posted on 08 June for the Templeton World Charity Foundation’s website. Andrew Briggs writes on technology, specifically AI and machine learning, and asks us to think about how much agency (if I may) we should grant machines in decision making that affects people’s lives and well-being. He argues that we must consider moral reasoning crucial to the development of AI and machine learning as we move deeper into a digital-data world. You can read this post, along with a link to the original posting here: https://www.issr.org.uk/blog/technology-can-help-us-but-people-must-be-the-moral-decision-makers/

 

 

  •           The uncertainty of COVID-19 has changed much about the academic conference. The various conferences I had lined-up this summer were postponed, moved online, or cancelled. However, here I present one such postponed conference making tentative plans should face-to-face conferences become a reality. The Institute on Religion in an Age of Science (IRAS) has put out a call for papers for a conference now planned for 26 June – 03 July 2021. You can see the call here: https://www.issr.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/IRAS-2021-Naturalism-announcement-September-2020.pdf

 

 

ISSR’s newsletter is supplied primarily by our members. If there is anything you have or something you come across that would be of benefit to our international community, please share it with me: admin@issr.org.uk. Also, our blog is put out around the 15th of each month, so if you have a blog idea you may contact me for that as well. Please email me anytime if you have any questions.

 

Do take care and the best of luck in this strange yet exciting new academic year.

 

All best,

 

Anthony K Nairn

www.anthonynairn.com

ISSR Administrator

www.issr.org.uk