When people base their belief system on current scientific theory and accept such theory as the "truth," rather than informed opinion, they risk engaging in "scientism," says a UC Davis scholar, who compares the viewpoint to religious fundamentalism. Psychology professor Charles T. Tart says those who espouse scientism believe in a world based on material science, without regard to the spiritual side of life. A "scientistic" outlook is prevalent now because traditional religion is not working as well for people in our culture and because science is very successful in explaining physical things, he reports in a recent paper in the Journal of Humanistic Psychology. Eventually, society becomes spiritually shallow, morally bankrupt and psychologically unhealthy. But Tart, whose studies bridge science and spirituality, argues that the constant questioning and answer-seeking process of pure science allows for a spiritual aspect in life, the unknown. That dimension allows people to have meaning in their life.