Dr. Charles “Chick” Keller

Los Alamos Faith And Science Forum News:

The Los Alamos Faith And Science Forum 2024 Summer Lecture Series kicks off at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 5 at SALA Event Center, with a presentation by Dr. Charles F. “Chick” Keller on “Galaxies vs. People Interacting with the Creator”.

In the last 10 years we have discovered just how enormous the universe is. We already knew the enormous number of stars in each galaxy, and now Hubble and Webb telescopes have shown us countless galaxies. And the Gaia satellite has found that most stars have planets. The theological implications are numerous as, even if intelligent civilizations are extremely rare, say only one in each galaxy, there are billions relating to God each on their own cultural ways. This talk will explore some of those implications.

Keller entered Catholic seminary after High School. After four years of philosophy and theology he was worried that theologians didn’t know enough about what science had shown, that might require updating of traditional theology. He studied Physics and Mathematics at Penn State and received a PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics from Indiana University in 1969. Keller joined Los Alamos National Laboratory where he worked in a variety of computer-based studies, including climate change. He eventually became the highly respected director of the Institute for Geophysics and Planetary Physics at Los Alamos. Keller was one of the founders of PEEC, the Pajarito Environmental Education Center, locally known as the “Nature Center”. In 2017, he was named one of the “Living Treasures” of Los Alamos.

Keller has read widely about aspects of science as it impacts theological concepts and is a founding member of Los Alamos Faith and Science Forum, where, over the years, he has given a number of talks on issues where faith and science intersect. He is a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church.