Why does the Catholic Church have more Nobel laureates than Berkeley?

Question

Berkeley (a notoriously secularist institution) has had 22 affiliates who were awared a Nobel Prize whereas the Pontifical Academy of Sciences has had 41 (all but one of which were in fields of science). So why do secularists suck so badly at science compared to Christians when it's supposed to be the foundation of their beliefs? I don't get it.

Mojo: I'm just asking. No need to be so harsh. I'm just wondering why the most secularist intellectual institution in the West can't accumulate as many Nobel prizes as the Catholic Church. Why is that?

LJAY2000: Berkeley has been around for 139 year and the Nobel prize has been around for just over 100. Are secularists bad at history too?

AM Sweeney Todd: Only when you compare apples to oranges (which no respectable scientist would do...right?). 61 is the figure of anybody who was associated in a variety of ways. A direct comparison between those involved at the time of the award is accurate and gives my numbers. Is bending the truth common among secularists?

Godless: All appointees are voluntary servants of the Catholic Church. Obviously it's secular since it's science, but that's different than "secularist". Do secularists have problems with language as well?

Rafael: Yes, a per capita comparison would be very interesting, considering the Pontifical Academy of Scientists is composed of only 80 members.

Mojo: I don't understand. I compared the most preeminant secularist intellectual institution in the Western Hemisphere with the most preeminant Christian intellectual institution in the Western Hemisphere. I didn't compare the Catholic Church to a no-name University, so I fail to see your point. Are you saying that secularists are intellectually crippled, so that I need to compare the foremost secularist institution with a deficient Christian institution to be "fair"?

LJAY2000: There are only 80 current members of the Pontifical Acadamy of Sciences. They not only exceed Berkeley in terms of raw awards, but the per capita contrast is even more severe. But I was being nice and ignored the per capita comparison.

Answer 1

The Academy is also secular. From the website:

"The Academy is an independent body within the Holy See
and enjoys freedom of research. Although its rebirth was the result of an initiative promoted by the Roman Pontiff and it is under the direct protection of the ruling Pope, it organises its own activities in an autonomous way...

Its deliberations and the studies it engages in, like the membership of its Academicians, are not influenced by factors of a national, political or religious character. For this reason, the Academy is a valuable source of objective scientific information which is made available to the Holy See and to the international scientific community."

Answer 2

The Nobel Prizes are awarded by the Nobel Foundation of Sweden to men and women who have rendered the greatest service to humankind. Between 1901 and 2007, more than 750 Nobel Prizes were handed out. Of these, at least 162 are Jews. What does that tell you? Also, the Pontifical Academy members are NOT all Catholic. And the members of the Academy are also affiliated with their respective universities. A University is not the same thing as an Academy. All the members of the Academy went to a University before they became members. Actually, UC Berkeley is not considered the pre-eminent university; that distinction belongs to Harvard University. So....what exactly is your point?

Answer 3

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nobel_laureates_associated_with_University_of_California%2C_Berkeley

61 Nobel Prize winners are associated with Cal Berkeley.

12 of those are in Economics or Literature, the other 49 are in scientific fields.

So Cal beats Notre Dame 49-41.

EDIT: Bending the truth? I bow before the master.

FURTHER EDIT: For example, the first name on the list, Ernest Rutherford, was made a Fellow of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in 1936, 28 years after his Nobel Prize. So Nobel laureates admitted to the PAS afterwards count, but Nobel laureates teaching at Cal don't count?

Answer 4

Obviously, Christianity is not nearly the enemy of science as some people would like to believe. The fact so many Catholics have won Nobel Prizes for their work in science proves the point.

Answer 5

And the sum ratio of Nobel prizes to all other secular institutions as opposed to Christian ones is? I call straw man....
Also, please remember that it was these great Christian academic institutions that were trying so hard to promote the geocentric model of planetary motion.

I am not sure we are thinking of the same per capita measurement, but I was merely saying that you should compare the total number of science prizes won by secular institutions to the total won by Church ones. I would be extremely interested in the results.

Answer 6

Berkley has been around for less than 100 years. The Catholic Church has been around for 2,000.
I think Berkley seems to be doing quite well. The Catholic Church has no laureates in science BTW

You are also pitting the largest world wide organization against a small public institution in California. By percentages Berkley has the Church beat by a mile.

Answer 7

Wow. Going from that to 'secularists suck at science when compared to Christians' demonstrates such an inability to think I can't even begin to answer how wrong you got it.

**
No, you aren't asking that. You are using 1 fact to support a completely unrelated claim that 'secularists suck so bad at science when compared against Christians.'

I mean, are you serious? How many Nobel laureates come from Liberty University, or Oral Roberts University, or all the other Christian universities?

You have serious problems. I suggest remedial education.

**

When you jumped form one institution to the entirety of Christianity, you are the one who made the leap. Not me.

And yes, it is quite clear that you don't understand.

Get an education and try again.

Answer 8

They are more liberal.

So, catholics are more liberal than the most liberal university in the States?

That's something to be proud of.

Oh, is that good old Catholic "cut and paste" Crusader up there? Not for long, God willing...

Answer 9

A big reason is that practically the entire western world was brainwashed into belief until quite recently.

Next time you are sick, maybe if you prayed to get better instead of trusting science to cure you, you would understand.

Answer 10

Berkeley CA? i luv Berkeley