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Heidi B. Hammel joined The Planetary Society's Board of Directors in 2005.  A Senior Research Scientist with the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado, Hammel herself lives in Ridgefield, Connecticut.She[…]

Heidi Hammel believes religion and science are not mutually exclusive.

Topic: What do you believe?

Heidi Hammel: What I think these really cosmic and mind bending things do, is they give humans the freedom to play with their imagination. And I think that people shouldn’t be scared of it. If you, someone who believes devoutly in God, this just talks to the wonder of God’s creation and God’s creativity, that he’s made this amazing world that we are privileged to be allowed to explore. I don’t think there’s any inherent conflict. I think religion and science operate in different regimes. Religion is a belief system that tries to give meaning and comprehension to peoples’ lives. Science is more about the mechanics of the universe around us, and the way in which it works. And I don’t think those things have to be mutually exclusive.


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