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Is it possible to reconcile belief in the Bible with modern science? Last Tuesday night, renowned physicist and author Dr. Gerald Schroeder attempted to answer that question in a packed Rapaporte Treasure Hall. Schroeder, a former Physics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, spoke mainly about conflicts between scientific accounts of creation and the biblical narrative found in the first chapter of Genesis. He was sure to note, at the start of his talk, that he is unable to address every contradiction between the Bible and science, saying "I would never contend that every claim the Torah makes has a scientific understanding."
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The presentation lasted nearly an hour and a half, touching on topics such as the seven days of creation story and evolution. Schroeder distributed copies of the first chapter of Genesis and used a white board while close reading the text to convey complex concepts in physics. The event concluded with a question-and-answer session. 
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A central component of his lecture hinged on the shortness of the Biblical record of creation. The brevity of the Bible, according to Schroeder, necessitates a deeper analysis. "We have to try to understand whether or not going beyond the simplistic reading of the text is necessarily bending the Bible," he said. 
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The talk also addressed an apparent contradiction between the Bible and most museums: While the Bible claims that humans were created 6,000 years ago, modern science claims that humans emerged 70,000 years ago. Schroeder pointed out that this contradiction is rooted in a definition of terms. It's possible that the Bible refers to humans that are farther along in the evolutionary chain. He said, "The first thing you have to do is define your terms. Humans go back 70,000 years ... [the museums] are totally correct ... The biblical definition of a human is a being that looks like you and me."
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The event was cosponsored by the Brandeis Orthodox Organization, Meor Boston, Hillel at Brandeis, Brandeis University Conservative Organization, Brandeis Reform Chavurah, Brandeis Reconstructionist Organization, the Neuroscience Club, and the Physics Club.
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BOO Education Coordinator Aaron Wengrofsky '15 said in an interview with the Justice that Schroeder "Was someone who could not only relate to the Orthodox community, but ... the science community, the broader religious community and ... the entire Brandeis and broader Boston community."
The nature of the crowd contributed to the success of the event. "It was a success just based on the fact that people seemed to really respond to him well and ask a lot of questions ... I saw a lot of different people there, a lot of diverse people there."
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Students in attendance gave Schroeder high marks. In an interview with the Justice, Zevvy Goldish '15 commented, "Gerald Schroeder presented a fascinating synthesis of modern science with traditional Torah interpretation that was thought-provoking and enlightening."
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Other students criticized Schroeder for sometimes being unclear. Rachel Salston '12 said in an interview with the Justice, "I was very impressed with Gerald Schroeder's passion and enthusiasm for his research in connection to the book of Genesis; however, a lot of the information was clouded by his enthusiasm and it was at times difficult to understand what was actually being presented."
Schroeder's background as a well-established physicist and scholar of the bible makes him a unique speaker.
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According to his website, "Gerald Schroeder has spent his career revealing the hand of God in the intricate discoveries of physics." He has 30 years of experience and currently resides in Israel where his work focuses on radiation control. He has been present at the detonation of six atomic bombs.