Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health, sat down with HuffPost Live at Davos on Saturday and discussed the intersection of faith and science.
"For me, somebody who is a 'show me the data' kind of scientist, but also a believer [in God], I don't see a discordance there," Collins said. "In fact it enriches my experience, each basically harmonized with the other. It gives you a view of life that is actually quite satisfying, and not in any way in conflict."
When comparing science and faith, Collins said each can be applied to answer different questions, and if you mix the two together you get conflict.
"It is certainly true in the United States that there is an uneasiness about certain aspects of science, particularly evolution, because it conflicts, in some people's minds, with their sense of how we all came to be," Collins said. "But you know, if you are a believer in God, it's hard to imagine that God would somehow put this incontrovertible evidence in front of us about our relationship to other living organisms and expect us to disbelieve it. I mean, that doesn't make sense at all. So as soon as you kind of get over the anxiety about the whole thing, it actually adds to your sense of awe about this amazing universe that we live in, it doesn't subtract from it at all."
Collins also shared how technology can benefit health care.
"Technology is driving much of the advances [in medicine]," Dr. Francis Collins said. "But... if we're interested in human health, we've got to be sure the technology doesn't run away with itself."
"Now with the combination of technologies and the empowerment of individuals... you can start to individualize the approach each of us can take" to improving health, Dr. Collins continued.
Collins also participated in a panel led by Arianna Saturday morning called "Health is Wealth."
See Collins' interview above, and read more from Davos below:
"For me, somebody who is a 'show me the data' kind of scientist, but also a believer [in God], I don't see a discordance there," Collins said. "In fact it enriches my experience, each basically harmonized with the other. It gives you a view of life that is actually quite satisfying, and not in any way in conflict."
When comparing science and faith, Collins said each can be applied to answer different questions, and if you mix the two together you get conflict.
"It is certainly true in the United States that there is an uneasiness about certain aspects of science, particularly evolution, because it conflicts, in some people's minds, with their sense of how we all came to be," Collins said. "But you know, if you are a believer in God, it's hard to imagine that God would somehow put this incontrovertible evidence in front of us about our relationship to other living organisms and expect us to disbelieve it. I mean, that doesn't make sense at all. So as soon as you kind of get over the anxiety about the whole thing, it actually adds to your sense of awe about this amazing universe that we live in, it doesn't subtract from it at all."
Collins also shared how technology can benefit health care.
"Technology is driving much of the advances [in medicine]," Dr. Francis Collins said. "But... if we're interested in human health, we've got to be sure the technology doesn't run away with itself."
"Now with the combination of technologies and the empowerment of individuals... you can start to individualize the approach each of us can take" to improving health, Dr. Collins continued.
Collins also participated in a panel led by Arianna Saturday morning called "Health is Wealth."
See Collins' interview above, and read more from Davos below: