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Epictetus said, "Content yourself with being a lover of wisdom, a seeker of the truth." One could say this is the very purpose of Ryan Downie's life. What drives him, he said, is knowledge and understanding, an insatiable desire to learn.

"Truth has always been important to me. I was raised in the evangelical Christian tradition and became a Christian at a very young age," he said. "By the time I graduated high school I believed the ministry was my calling, specifically theology and apologetics. But in my pursuit of truth, knowledge and understanding I began to harbor deep doubts and ironically Bible college became something of an incubator for those doubts."

Instead Downie began to focus his studies on science, philosophy and logic and as a consequence of these studies said he fell in love with the beautiful and rigorous world of mathematics.

"Besides acquiring a love of mathematics, my continued studies have also overturned my Christian persuasion and have brought me to a place of agnosticism with respect to the existence of God. This was very difficult for me, but God's continued silence causes me to think that such a being likely does not exist," he said.

He enjoys reading, writing, debating, music and most of all learning. Some of his favorite subjects are, of course, mathematics (all of it), cosmology, quantum physics, possible worlds philosophy, philosophy of religion and logic. He holds a bachelors degree in biblical studies and holds a master's degree in mathematics with plans to get a PhD as well.

Downie is married with two children.