While viewing some old videos posted on the thesciencenetwork website, about a discussion program, held at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in November 2006, I came across an interesting quote about science and religion.
Entitled Beyond Belief: Science, Reason, Religion & Survival, the program featured several well known scientists, skeptics, atheists and apologists alike. The quote I’m referring to was made by prominent physicist and Nobel laureate, Steven Weinberg:
Science does not make it impossible to believe in God. It just makes it possible to NOT believe in God.
The connotations from this simple quote are really thought-provoking:
- Science does not advocate that one may not believe in a god
- Science in not concerned with proving or disproving the existence of a god
- Science provides one with the tools (through reasoning, logic and critical thinking among others) to deduce through lack of evidence, that a god may not exist
- Science compels one to arrive at the above conclusion, but does not compel one to believe through any form of coercion
- There is no imperative to choose one or the other
One other thing that stood out for me in Professor Weinberg’s presentation was the reference he made to influence in science: science does not have any authority figure or prophet, rather science has experts and heroes.
The final match day at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg is now at an end. The match between South Africa and Spain for third place was evenly contested, but Spain eventually triumphed 3 – 2.
It would have been a serious embarrassment for the number-one ranked team in the world, had they lost to the steadily improving South Africans, but Spain held out to score the winner in the second half of extra time. There’s no doubt that the Spaniards were given a real scare during this Confederations Cup, first by the USA during the semi-finals and now by the South Africans.
The South Africans showed great promise in the many build-ups to scoring, but need to work on their finishing ability in front of goal. The skill and talent is undoubtedly there; perhaps they will give a better account of themselves next year in the FIFA World Cup Finals.
However, the Spanish side has enough class and I am predicting that they will win the FIFA World Cup Finals to be held in South Africa during June and July next year.
This is your wannabe reporter, Lenny, signing off from the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, until next year; probably from a different stadium.
Some journalist I’m turning out to be. While posting my half-time report (which lasted well into the second half of the game), I missed two additional goals scored by the USA. So much for predicting that Egypt would equalize.
The final score here at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, USA vs Egypt is three goals to nil. While I was typing the previous line, I’ve just been handed two Game Statistics printouts by one of the many Volunteers who man the Media Centre; one for this match and one for the other match that was played concurrently at the Loftus Stadium in Pretoria between Italy and Brazil, which Brazil also won by three goals to nothing.
These statistics printouts contain a dizzying array of information on various aspects of the matches played. There are statistics on everything from Shots on Goal to Ball Possession to the Fouls Committed by each player to Match Time each player spent on the pitch. I’m not sure who would want such information, but a big up to FIFA for collating and making such information available to journalists. This certainly makes their jobs that much easier.
I could quote a whole string of statistics on the match from these reports, but I’m not going to bore you any further. There was a clear winner, and for that team’s fans, that’s all that matters.
Okay, this is probably sneaky. I’m not one of the accredited journalists here at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg where the USA is playing Egypt in the final group stage match, but I’ve just come in from the stadium grandstand, and am now sitting in the Media Centre with a fairly large contingent of journalists, and thought I’d play at being one too.
So while the real journalists are busy posting their half-time stories to countries all over the world, yours truly is posting to his blog.
The USA is leading by one goal to nil, but Egypt look likely to equalize. The atmosphere is amazing as always, in and around the stadium.. The vuvuzelas are in full cry, and I’ve even seen a guy with some sort of snare drum which echoes in the stadium corridors. Most of the local support appears to be directed towards Egypt, perhaps as a show of solidarity for another team from the African continent.
It’s pretty cold out tonight, so I’m going to stay in the warm Media Centre for the rest of the game, and watch it on one of several large-screen TV’s located at various journalist’s tables.
Until next time, this is your wanna-be reporter, Lenny, signing out.
The long road to Nelspruit
Date and time taken: 17 February 2009, @ approximately 09H55
Nikon D40, 20mm focal length, 1/2000 sec exposure F/4, ISO 200
I captured this shot while on my way to visit the new stadium being constructed for the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup, in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. This area also known as Eastern Transvaal or the lowveld, is famous for its scenic natural beauty. Anyone travelling to the Kruger National Park from Johannesburg, must pass this way, on long winding roads which have now been upgraded from the narrow, pot-holed roads of the past.
When I changed the look and feel of my blogsite (yet again 
), I decided to use this photograph as a metaphor for the site: the long and winding journey on the path of knowledge and wisdom through critical thinking.
I really don’t understand the big hoo-hah over the blowing of trumpets (known locally as vuvuzela’s) at the FIFA Confederations Cup matches currently on the go, at various stadiums around the northern half of South Africa.
I was at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg last night, where I’m working as a Venue Manager providing support for the Media-IT and Broadcast network, and had the privilege of witnessing the sheer ecstasy and unbridled admiration of the South Africans supporting their team affectionately known as Bafana Bafana. Accompanying the wild gyrations and joyous singing of the fans, was the unmistakable sounds of the vuvuzela, in varying degrees of loudness. There is no doubt that the sound it emits is loud, shrill even, but when blown by elated fans in unison, it has a hypnotic tone that screams “come join the party.”
However, there have been complaints by some grumpy members of the public about the noise it makes. These complaints seem to emanate from those people who have just heard the sounds over the television or radio; they have not actually been in a stadium surrounded by hundreds of singing, vuvuzela-blowing fans to experience its magical effect and the euphoric atmosphere it helps create. Thus far, I have heard of just one complaint from a soccer player; Xabi Alonso, playing for Spain. He says that FIFA should ban it (the vuvuzela) because it is not a nice sound to hear. Apparently that didn’t affect his team from thumping New Zealand, five goals to nil on the opening night of the Confederations Cup tournament. Now imagine if I could get every sound I didn’t like banned; Beyonce, Backstreet Boys, The Pussycat Dolls and a host of other pop stars, would become just bad memories.
There have been absurd claims by some that the vuvuzela is a South African, cultural phenomenon, but this is so far from the truth that it needs to be dismissed with utter contempt. The vuvuzelais not an artifact of African culture; it is just an instrument that helps express the pure joy being felt by a soccer fan, most of whom happen to be Black. If you were at the game last night between South Africa and the hapless New Zealanders, then you would have witnessed scores of White South African fans happily blowing the vuvuzela, albeit with some difficulty. At the after-match press conference last night FIFA President, Sepp Blatter summed it up quite nicely when he said:
“It’s a local sound and I don’t know how it is possible to stop it. I always said that when we go to South Africa, it is Africa. It’s not western Europe.” and “It’s noisy, it’s energy, rhythm, music, dance, drums. This is Africa. We have to adapt a little”
The vuvuzela is here to stay. Visitors to the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup next year, are in for a treat; a most amazing assault on the senses and an experience in pure joy. But the vuvuzela will require some stamina, an open mind and a willingness to have fun. I recommend that you pick up one at your nearest sports outlet and start practicing.
