French Physicist Rewarded $1.4 Million by the John Temple Foundation

"The Templeton Prize honors a living person who has made an exceptional contribution to affirming life's spiritual dimension, whether through insight, discovery, or practical works."-The John Templeton Foundation.

This year the prize will be given to Bernard d'Espagnat, 87, French physicist and philosopher of science. The Templeton Prize, given annually by the John Templeton Foundation, is the largest annual cash prize given to an individual at $1.4 million. The award was first given to Mother Teresa in 1973.

D'Espagnat's nominated work focuses on tests of Bell's theorem. The theory states that either quantum mechanics explains the whole world completely or there is some other kind of reality that is away from that quantum mechanics does not detail at all. Since it would be at another level then that which we exist in, it would be nonlocal, or elsewhere from our present reality. What this means is that the other reality could affect ours while not being directly a part of it near instantly. If this is true it goes against the theory that light is the peak of speed in the universe.

The importance of this theory to the John Templeton Foundation moves from d'Espagnat's interest in how it would reflect the ultimate reality. He feels that the tests he has conducted fully illustrate not only the existence of such a reality but also the proof of a higher power. In the press release it says, "There must exist, beyond mere appearances... a 'veiled reality' that science does not describe but only glimpses uncertainly. In turn, contrary to those who claim that matter is the only reality, the possibility that other means, including spirituality, may also provide a window on ultimate reality cannot be ruled out, even by cogent scientific arguments."

Breaking that down, it seems he believes another reality that can only be partially seen or explained by science, exists. The existence of the reality means there is a chance that a way that it is only explained through a spiritual or religious way, and not scientific at all.

This is why his work has won the Templeton Prize. Giving a scientific reasoning that something may exist that may only be truly illuminated via spiritual means.

D'Espagnat goes on to further define what exactly is veiled, he calls it at one point, "a great, hyper cosmic God", that is in addition to the aforementioned independent reality, and more general Being. It means more a non-denominational "God" or at least could be, since again it is not fully knowable, if in theory it does exist.

That really is my problem with all of this. There isn't any conclusive, it is just there may be an independent reality, it may be only partly knowable but again if it exists. There doesn't seem to be much else to it, I'm sure d'Epagnat's tests were well done and intelligent, but this whole it could be this, maybe just doesn't do much for me. But in the end it is the Temple Foundation's money and they are free to do with it as they please. But even though it is such a large sum of money for an award, there is one other reason I question the importance of the award, it was once given to Billy Graham. I think that speaks a lot for the foundation.

Source: templeton.org