Allahabad: The six Nobel Laureates at the Science Conclave, IIIT-Allahabad must have collectively answered this question at least a hundred times and all the time successfully avoided hitting the nail on the head!!

While students bombarded them with questions regarding Quantum Physics, Relativity, String Theory, Semi conductors, Astronomy, Thermodynamics, Quantum Mechanics, Black Holes and Worm Holes which they were all too eager and enthusiastic to answer, one question that got most of them entangled was: "Does God Exist?"

Nobel Laureates Prof. Jerome Friedman, Prof. Harold Walter Kroto, Sir Anthony James Leggett, Prof. Martin Lewis Perl, Prof Claude Cohen Tannaudji, Russian Mathematician Slavnov and Andrei Alekseevich were all at their wits end trying to give a 'short and simple' yet detailed explanation to satisfactorily answer this question that has plagued mankind since the beginning of time.

Full Coverage of the Science Conclave 2008

Most of them politely refused to answer theological questions, while the others tried to be politically correct.

Prof Jerome Friedman, himself an atheist and the most out-spoken of the six on this subject said that there are many questions that modern science fails to answer. "For example while the Big Bang theory may explain the process of evolution, it does not satisfactorily explain the origin and development of man. Further there are many 'holes' in the Big Bang theory. Hence we as human beings create our own explanation or 'stories' for such phenomena. While these 'stories' may satiate the hunger for answers to questions like Does God Exist or try to cover up for certain unanswered phenomena, we still do not have a correct scientific answer to such questions,"

Friedman said that many people believe that God is Nature and that could be partially correct. Over the generations many 'stories' and theories have originated to explain things, which cannot be fathomed by science.

"Such phenomena exist on the Para-normal plane and in a different space-time continuum that cannot be measured or fathomed or calibrated. Hence it is not possible for modern science to measure or quantify such Para normal phenomenon probably existing - if it does - in a different realm that doesn't answer or confirm to the laws of physics or science."

Mathematician Slavnov was skeptical while answering the question, probably not wanting to hurt religious feelings and sentiment of the students.

Friedman refused to answer any further questions on theology or theological and paranormal issues.

Prof Martin Lewis Perl said that such a question required a very detailed explanation and an answer could not be given in just a Yes or a No.

However, all of them echoed the feeling that the existence of God was a matter of faith, which was a very personal thing.

By: Flynn Remedios at IIIT-Allahabad