Larson, E. J. and L. Witham. 1998. "Leading Scientists Still Reject God." Nature 394: 313.
In a previous survey, Larson and Witham find that the scientific profession as a whole still contains many religious individuals. This follow-up study finds that “among the top natural scientists, disbelief is greater than ever.” The percentage of leading natural scientists (in this sample, members of the elite National Academy of Sciences) who believe in God has been dropping steadily over the twentieth century, from the time James Leuba conducted his original survey on the topic in 1916. Several different areas of specialization are contrasted, such as biology, physical science, mathematics, and astronomy, and the results are compared to Leuba’s. The authors believe this information may call into question assertions about the religiosity of scientists and the neutrality of science with respect to religion.
