Science correspondent James Randerson reports today on the Bristol University professor who argues it is futile for scientists to battle against beliefs such as creationism. Using a cardigan he claims once belonged to mass murderer Fred West (fear not, the article explains it all), Bruce Hood suggests humans are "hardwired" for religion and supernatural beliefs.
"I think it is pointless to think that we can get people to abandon their belief systems because they are operating at such a fundamental level," said Prof Hood. "No amount of rational evidence is going to be taken on board to get people to abandon those ideas."
Last week we reported that brain scans of nuns reveal neural circuits flickering into life when they feel they are in the presence of God. So, are humans predisposed to religion and belief - even in parts of the world, such as Europe, where society is supposedly secular? Add your thoughts below.
