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Can Science Explain Everything? | World Science Festival

2026-06-12 Science & Technology
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Are there questions that science alone cannot answer? Might faith in God be the missing piece? Oxford mathematician John Lennox sits down with Brian Greene to explore humanity’s biggest questions, from the origins of modern science to the nature of consciousness, the meaning of life, and what it means to live in a word-based universe. Lennox argues that while blind faith is baseless, evidence-based faith has a role in both science and religion. He argues that the biblical worldview was the very foundation that made modern science possible, that mathematics reveals a universe grounded in divine intelligence, and that the questions transhumanists are racing to answer were settled 2,000 years ago. Greene brings the skeptical physicist's perspective, pressing on where God comes from, whether faith is truly evidence-based, and what it means to find meaning and wonder in a purely physicalist universe. This program is part of the Rethinking Reality series, supported by the John Templeton Foundation. Participant: John Lennox Moderator: Brian Greene ABOUT WORLD SCIENCE FESTIVAL: The World Science Festival (WSF) is a multimedia organization bringing the most transformative ideas in science to global audiences. Through long- and short-form videos spanning physics, cosmology, quantum mechanics, biology, neuroscience, consciousness, medicine, space exploration, the dilemma of free will, artificial intelligence, engineering, robotics, and beyond. WSF gathers world-renowned scientists, artists, and thinkers for dynamic discussions, debates, lectures, performances, films, and immersive live experiences. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in New York City, the World Science Festival is a production of the World Science Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our mission is to cultivate a public informed by science, inspired by its wonder, convinced of its value, and prepared to engage with its implications for the future. With live events reaching millions worldwide and hundreds of millions of digital views, WSF continues to expand its global impact through festivals, educational initiatives like World Science U, and digital content that explores the near and far future of our world. FOLLOW WORLD SCIENCE FESTIVAL: Website: https://worldsciencefestival.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/worldscifest/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@worldscifest X(Twitter): https://twitter.com/worldscifest Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/worldsciencefestival LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/world-science-festival Chapters 00:00 Introduction: Science, Religion and the Big Ideas 01:08 Welcome to the Conversation: Brian Greene and John Lennox 01:43 John Lennox: Mathematician, Algebraist and Big Thinker 02:15 Where Does Mathematics Come From? Discovery or Creation? 04:23 Would Alien Intelligence Share Our Mathematics? 07:45 The Universe as a Word-Based System: Genesis and John's Gospel 09:54 Can Science Tell Us Everything? 11:12 The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics 14:25 Does Invoking God Kick the Can Further Down the Road? 17:57 The Bible as Evidence: History vs. Story 22:12 Is Christianity Falsifiable? The Resurrection Claim 27:26 Personal Revelation: The Russian Bible Story 34:04 Brian Greene's Search for Meaning Without God 47:25 God of the Gaps vs. Gaps That Science Opens 58:09 What Would Close the Gaps? Hypotheticals on Origin and Life 1:05:45 Why Are There So Many Different Religions? 1:16:25 How Faith in Christ Changes Human Relationships 1:20:12 How John Lennox Faces His Own Mortality 1:23:07 The Simulation Argument and What It Tells Us About God Can Science Explain Everything? | World Science Festival https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCShHFwKyhcDo3g7hr4f1R8A

Top Comments (10)

@redarcus 2026-06-13

Thank you Brian. I am a scientist, and I am not a believer. However, this is a wonderful interview, and it's an example of how human beings should talk to each other regardless of their worldview. Warm greetings from Germany.

44 3 replies
@danielhsilver 2026-06-13

I'm reminded of a scene in Asimov's Foundation where an entire speech by a visiting diplomat was subjected to detailed logical analysis and it was found that, regardless of the impression that something had been said, in fact, nothing was said.

32 2 replies
@paulduncan2226 2026-06-15

Enjoyed again how Brian interviews with respect that allows room for the person to explain (as best they can) what convinces them.

15
@djayjp 2026-06-13

As a mathematician, it seems he needs to learn more about the nature of probabilities, statistics, and coincidence. Extremely unlikely occurrences are GUARANTEED to happen every day (to many of our 8 billion across the globe). To the individual, it may seem miraculous, yet consider that the more unlikely such a coincidence is, the more one is likely to assign wonder to its occurrence (and false attribution, confirmation bias, etc). In fact, they are directly proportional to one another. It's really a form of bias called magical thinking.

12 3 replies
@johnnyleopard3 2026-06-13

Exquisite conversation ❤

8
@WayneFrancis 2026-06-13

And John Lennox ignores all those that don't have the transformation he and others experienced. I used to believe. I was a practicing Roman Catholic and another Christian pointed out how our reasons for believing were based on unsound premises and fallacies. I thought we were missing something but I recognised my reasons for believing were not sound. I continued to believe knowing I had no good reason. I looked for a good reason talking to many clergy of many different denominations and even 2 rabbis and didn't hear a single sound reason to believe in "God", to be fair the Roman Catholic priests and the rabbis didn't try to give me a reason but focused on living a life I could be proud of. Eventually my emotional mind let go of the belief. I'm not sure when and it wasn't something I wanted to do. So if the Abrahamic god, or any other god for that matter, did exist it obviously doesn't care if I believe or not. Everything for John points to god regardless of what might be observed.

6 2 replies
@kA-dc6zq 2026-06-14

John Lennox seems a good man. It's hard for me to criticize a mathematician. But his claims are not satisfying. Thanks anyway.

5
@Mitch_De_Jong 2026-06-18

Big fan of John Lennox and big fan of World Science Festival. Of course I started watching this immediately

3
@dmobrie1 2026-06-14

Wonderful interview Brian. Thank you for listening while also challenging.

3
@SailboatDiaries 2026-06-15

This is probably the highest ratio of real humans to bots that I have ever seen in a comment section, and for that I give you a gold star ⭐️

2

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