Wisdom & the Cult of the Holy %

by Asa Boxer

The Language of Wisdom

Referring back to Neil deGrasse Tyson’s 2006 lecture at the Salk Institute, you’ll recall that he impugned the authors of a certain article in Nature discussing the 15% of the most elite and illustrious among scientists who still believed in God, saying the authors had “missed the story!” Correcting those poor, misguided writers, the reverend Dr. Tyson addressed his audience, declaring, “What that article should have said is, How come this number isn’t zero? That’s the story!”

But who’s missing the point? The more salient (and far more interesting) question following his survey of scientific heroes who all held spiritual beliefs would have been: How come it works? What is it about spiritual concerns that marks the most brilliant minds? What is it about their frame of mind that has helped bring about the most significant, consciousness-altering insights? That is the more interesting story to be sure! What is the source and wellspring of wisdom?