New Delhi, Feb. 28 -- For centuries, science and spirituality have been framed as two boxers in a ring; destined to fight until one is knocked out. We are often told to choose either the cold, hard logic of the laboratory or the warm, intuitive embrace of the spiritual.

Carl Sagan, perhaps the 20th century's greatest bridge-builder, disagreed. He didn't see science as a "spirituality-killer." Instead, he argued that the more we understand the mechanics of the universe, the more spiritual we actually become.

"Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality. When we recognise our place in an immensity of light-years and in the passage of ages, when we grasp the intricacy, beauty, and subtlety of l...