Maria Spiropulu, Physicist at CERN,
the European Organization for Nuclear Research, Geneva.
“I believe nothing to be true if it cannot be proved. If you believe something, then you don’t need proof of it, and if you have proof, you don’t need to believe it.”
DFQ #007:
What do you believe but cannot prove?
Belief and knowledge, or proof, are two sides of the same coin. The coin, in my view, is understanding. In order to achieve understanding it is not absolutely necessary to prove anything, but one might also need to question some core beliefs.
Again, it’s a question of duality, Black/white, time/space, now you see it, now you don’t.
Based at CERN Maria Spiropulo is in a unique position to observe and to comment so eloquently on this aspect of the nature of reality.
For me this question invites an exploration of the relationship to belief and proof. For example-many years ago my body experienced an injury that resulted in significant restriction of ankle flexion. After this- I experienced running as an activity that resulted in pain, awkwardness and increased ankle immobility.
Through work with a coach, I experienced the power of visualization to achieve a different outcome. After 1 session I was able to run for the first time in over 30 years. Up to that moment, I would have bet any amount of money that I could not run and the experience of attempting it would result in pain and increased discomfort. I had an event, I had proof(through experience) and that led to a belief of what is possible.
For me, this experience changed my perceptions and expanded my awareness of the power of belief- and the way in which belief limits what I considered as possible. Even in science, with double blind experiments the proof the establishment of causal relationship extends as far the scope of the experiment. There may be more, there may be exceptions that we are not aware of because we have not yet asked the question that will take our understanding to the next level.
Maria makes a distinction between proof and belief- I suspect belief also colors our perception of what is proof
I believe in destiny, GOD..I cant give proof … Yes I do believe in scientific experiments too since there are logical explanations…
Its a powerful thought by Maria and can actually be talked for hours
Simple and smart proposal Dr. Spiropulu.
I believe in God, I believed humans are good, I believed in that we all want a better world and hardly can find a way to proof it, something that can convince everyone. There are arguments for the one who believe and not even and argument for the one who don´t not believe.
In science, in technical, in business I ask for a proof, a real proof.
And I feel sure and comfortable living in this two realities.
There is great potential inside us all, but we have to believe it first before we can prove it.
Almost everything..I generally take the word of experts.