Maybe fundamental theories tend to be simple and beautiful. But the physicists may be inadvertantly searching for God, who is Beauty and Simplicity itself.
As one physicist stated, I eventually came to the idea of God, and realized that the theologians were already there.
The current buzzword among scientists in this regard seems to be "elegant". The last several years I keep hearing scientists use it on television or in print when describing theories or observed phenomena.
That would likely be Robert Jastrow, who in God and the Astronomers (1992) had this to say:
For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak. As he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.May I add that the philosophical thought of your namesake, Saint and Doctor of the Church Thomas Aquinas, seems to be holding up very well these days? :^)
Thanks so much for your post Aquinasfan!
The young scientist says “Look at how wonderful I am for discovering this!” The wise scientist says “Look how wonderful God is; look at what He has done!”
Of course! A theory of everything that involves talking snakes, psychic surgeries and a 6000 year old earth makes much more sense!
I’m guessing when the physicists talk about god, they are talking about a force much more abstract than a tribal war diety who brings plagues of locusts or turns people into pillars of salt.