Are all scientists atheists, or is that a common perception held towards scientists? A recent survey done by Rice University sociologist Elaine Howard Ecklund who surveyed 1,646 faculty members at elite research universities, asking 36 questions about belief and spiritual practices say otherwise. The study, along with another one released in June, would appear to debunk the oft-held notion that science is incompatible with religion. Those in the social sciences are more likely to believe in God and attend religious services than researchers in the natural sciences, the study found. The opposite had been expected. In separate work at the University of Chicago, released in June, 76 percent of doctors said they believed in God and 59 percent believe in some sort of afterlife.

What the research concludes is that many scientists see themselves as having a spirituality not attached to a particular religious tradition. Some scientists who don't believe in God see themselves as very spiritual people. They have a way outside of themselves that they use to understand the meaning of life. More interviews are underway to ponder on these issues.

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