In his latest book, Deciphering the Cosmic Number, historian of science Arthur I Miller investigates the bizarre friendship between quantum physics pioneer Wolfgang Pauli and famed psychoanalyst Carl Jung. Read our review of Miller's book

Together, the two great thinkers delved into mysticism, numerology and alchemy in their quest to understand the universe and themselves. Miller tells New Scientist about his experience writing the book.

What drew you to write about the relationship between Jung and Pauli?

As a physicist I was, of course, aware of Pauli's scientific achievements; meanwhile, my interest in creative thinking had led me to Jung. Almost by accident, in the 1980s, I spotted on a library shelf a book they co-authored, The Interpretation of Nature and the Psyche. This really intrigued me. What did the apparently austere Pauli have to do with Jung, who routinely delved into the occult and whose reputation sometimes suffered for it?

Their book is actually made up of two essays. Jung's is on synchronicity – nothing unexpected there. But Pauli's was a real eye opener. He wrote on Johannes Kepler and explored how his scientific achievements had to be understood within the times in which he lived. This involved looking into alchemy, mysticism and religion. Amazingly, he included his own research in this area. This dazzled me. I had never imagined him to be an expert on such esoteric material and so passionate about it. I had to know more about both of them. What was their connection? Who was the real Wolfgang Pauli?

What was the most interesting thing you discovered?

I was amazed that each considered the other's work to be of equal importance – for Jung, quantum physics and for Pauli, Jung's analytic psychology with its emphasis on alchemical symbols, numbers and myths, as well as Eastern religion and philosophy.

read more at: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17023-why-two-geniuses-delved-into-the-occult.html?full=true