French Philosopher of Science Wins Templeton Prize

A French scholar who studied the philosophical implications of quantum physics was awarded the 2009 Templeton Prize on Monday. Bernard d’Espagnat, Professor Emeritus of Theoretical Physics at the University of Paris-Sud, was both a physicist and a philosopher of science, and he earned his $1.42 million prize from the John Templeton Foundation especially for his study of “veiled reality,” which the foundation described as "a hidden yet ultimate reality beyond time, space, matter, and energy -- concepts challenged by quantum physics as possibly mere appearances."