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"Ratio et Spes" Laureates
The winner of the Ratio et Spes International Science Award this year was Prof. Michael Heller, cosmologist, philosopher and theologian. The honours also went to Tom McLeish, a Professor of Natural Philosophy of the University of York (England).
Ratio et Spes is an award granted jointly since 2020 by Nicolaus Copernicus University and the Vatican Joseph Ratzinger-Benedetto XVI Foundation for an outstanding interdisciplinary scientific publication or a series of publications that fall into an annually determined focus.
The fourth edition was associated with the theme "Man in the Universe". According to the jury, the best contribution to this theme is the recent publication "Infinitely Multiple Universes. From Einstein to Infinity" by Prof. Michal Heller, who received the "Ratio et Spes" award also in recognition of his overall output.
This year's honours also went to Prof.Tom McLeish, a British philosopher mainly for his works "Faith and Wisdom in Science" and "The Poetry and Music of Science."
Prof. Michal Heller, winner of this year's "Ratio et Spes" Science Award, is Professor Emeritus of the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Kraków and an associate member of the Vatican Astronomical Observatory. He is also an ordinary member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, an ordinary member of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences in Kraków, as well as a recipient of the prestigious John Templeton Award, a Knight of the Order of the White Eagle and a recipient of the Erasmus and Anna Jerzmanowski Prize.Prof. Heller is the founder of the Copernicus Centre for Interdisciplinary Research - now part of Jagiellonian University in Kraków. His research interests revolve around relativistic physics, in particular relativistic cosmology, geometric methods in physics, philosophy of nature and history of science, as well as issues on the borderline between science and theology. He is the author of numerous scientific papers and popular science books.
Prof. Tom McLeish is Professor Emeritus of the Department of Physics, Engineering and Technology at the University of York in England. He is also associated with the University's Centre for Medieval Studies and the University of York's Humanities Research Centre. Prof. Tom McLeish conducts scientific research in the fields of matter and biological physics. He collaborates with chemists, engineers and biologists. His publications have won awards in the United States and Europe. He currently heads the UK's Physics of Life network, which supports research on physics and biology, as well as medical research. He co-leads the interdisciplinary Ordered Universe project studying scientific treatises from the 13th century. Professor McLeish's research areas include science, theology, society and history, and art and science. His publications are narratives between theology and science. Prof. Tom McLeish served as Vice-Chancellor for Research at Durham University, was chairman of the Royal Society's Education Committee and served on its Council. He also served as a trustee of the John Templeton Foundation.
