For the past 50 years, the Canadian Scientific and Christian Affiliation has facilitated discussions about science and Christian faith in Canada. As part of our 50th-anniversary celebrations, we asked 50 CSCA members to comment on their personal connections to science, scripture, and Canadian scenery. We will share these contributions throughout 2023 in the hope that you will find them engaging and encouraging.
CSCA member of the week: Robert Mann, Professor of Physics, University of Waterloo.
1. Why did you choose your scientific discipline?
It was due to a combination of curiosity and what I thought were practical considerations. I was quite interested in math, but I thought that physics was a more practical route toward employment. It turned out that what I like about math (calculating) is what is done in theoretical physics. The added bonus — which really piqued my interest — is that the results of the calculations tell us something fundamental about our universe.
2. What is one of your favourite Bible verses and why?
Ecclesiastes 3:11 — God has set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. This testifies to the boundless curiosity of the human spirit that transcends time, driving us to an eternal journey to fathom the mind of God.
3. Which Canadian city or landscape do you love exploring and why?
Right now it is the Bruce Trail in Southern Ontario. I am in the process of walking it from the Queenston end to the Tobermory end. It is a beautiful landscape of limestone, streams, waterfalls, farmlands, forests, and meadows.