Why?

As a child this was both my favourite question and most effective tool at school. It did get me into some hot water at times for overusing it to the point where the adult in questions knowledge on the subject ended and my "whys" continued. It was the love of this question which drove me to follow the career path that I have in becoming a scientist. The drive to understand as much of the universe as I can has propelled me to study and grasp at the enormity of creation. I see the stars and I want to know why they are there, why they burn so long how they stay up. I look at a bird and want to know why it flies, why it is the way it is. Almost everything in life still provokes the question why in me. Even the knowledge I have propels me to ask why that is the case, is there more I can know, is there something I have missed so far. It is an absolute thirst for knowledge and understanding, I have to know the answers. In this quest I have become knowledgeable in a number of subjects ranging from quantum chromodynamics to philosophy. And yet through all of this there was one thing missing. I spent years studying creation looking for answers, years scrabbling round in the dark trying to find the theory behind the practical. It wasn't until I "rediscovered" God last year that I started a new why quest, a new path of knowledge to follow. In coming to know God I saw that all the knowledge the world had to offer was great, but there could be no true understanding of it unless there was a knowledge of the guy who created it all and his reasons for doing so. I don't claim to know the mind of God or even have a tiny glimpse of his reasons for creation. However as I have been coming to a closer knowledge of God my past studies and knowledge have been illuminated with a new light. God has given us an amazing universe in which to live, a fabulous amazing place. It is a wonder to behold, there are many amazing sights and experiences on Earth, and yet he also created a fantastically intricate and beautiful universe to situate it in. God has provided us with all of this, and he also gave us the curiosity and ability to look at his creation and begin to understand it. Despite the observable disputes between science and religion there is much we can learn from each other. As the late, great Albert Einstein said; "A legitimate conflict between science and religion cannot exist. Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."