World’s Smartest Man Says God Exists

by Clyo Beck

“World’s Smartest Man Says God Exists” is a ridiculous-sounding title to me, since I feel certain that there is nothing that is not God. To say God “exists” – as though God is outside of us – rather misses the point.

Still, I could not resist the siren call of that cheap tabloid ring when composing my title. Perhaps I should also add a picture of an alien, as well, a la that ridiculous but highly profitable tabloid, The Star, but I digress.

I just watched a video about Chris Langan (I.Q. 200) and that video is embedded further down in this post. I stumbled upon Langan’s name while paging through Time Magazine’s online descriptions of the top ten non-fiction books for 2008. (I am, after all, a literary junkie. I love non-fiction books about ideas and admire the writers who craft them.)

Number ten on the list is Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers: The Story of Success. I saw Gladwell in conversation with Charlie Rose, read The Tipping Point and the prospect of reading more books by him cheers me immensely. Thus, my eyes opened wider as I read the summary of his book and, voila, they lit upon Chris Langan, a name I had never heard. So what did I do?

You got it. I “googled” him. What else?

Of course, one of the first results in the search was an entry in Jimmy Wales’ fabulous Wikipedia. I click on the link, the page opens, I start reading, and I get to this:

He [Langan] has been quoted as saying that “you cannot describe the universe completely with any accuracy unless you’re willing to admit that it’s both physical and mental in nature” and that his CTMU “explains the connection between mind and reality, therefore the presence of cognition and universe in the same phrase.”

He calls his proposal “a true ‘Theory of Everything,’ a cross between John Archibald Wheeler’s ‘Participatory Universe’ and Stephen Hawking’s ‘Imaginary Time’ theory of cosmology.” In conjunction with his ideas, Langan has claimed that “you can prove the existence of God, the soul and an afterlife, using mathematics.”

My heart soars, at that point, because it’s so beautiful to have a brilliant man who understands science affirm my own thoughts and feelings on the issue. It always feels good to have others affirm what we believe.

We get into trouble, of course, when we can’t tolerate hearing anything else. Yet, I must admit that Langan’s words are a balm to my soul.

Although I am no member of mensa, I am waiting for that day when good old rock-solid empiric science surprises itself by using its tools to prove the existence of God.

Perhaps then most of the fighting over God can end, although the human race surely likes to indulge itself in anger and iracibility. (It’s the adrenaline rush we’re addicted to, I’m certain, but that is another topic for another day.)

Kindness is really all that God requires. Yet, connecting with God, and maintaining that connection so that we can genuinely be kind to everyone we meet in every moment is not easy. Going to church or reciting scripture is much easier. (And telling people they are going to hell is not only easier than being kind, but gives the predicter that coveted adrenaline rush.)

In any event, here’s a video introducing Chris Langan. I like him, and this video made me smile. I hope it does the same for you.