Dr. Francis Collins on reconciling science and faith
Dr. Francis Collins, former director of the NIH and the Human Genome Project, on finding common ground and the role of science and faith in his life.
Listen 50:53Dr. Francis Collins has had quite a career. He’s a physician and geneticist who was director of the International Human Genome Project. It successfully sequenced all three billion letters of our DNA, leading to many medical breakthroughs. He also served as director of the National Institutes of Health under three presidents, from Obama to Biden, until his retirement in 2021.
Now he’s worried about how the divisiveness in the country, driven largely by our politics, is warping our thinking, driven by false information that fuels hatred and mistrust. He believes, though, that all is not lost. His new book, The Road to Wisdom, is his blueprint for finding common ground. He joins us to describe how valuing truth, science, faith and trust are not incompatible and why wisdom involves experience, common sense, insight and morality.
WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.