ÒEiseley and Galileo: Their ViewsÓ .

             Loren Eiseley was an anthropologist, an author, and an educator in the United States, in the 20 century. Eiseley wrote anthropology for the lay person in a poetic style. Loren Eiseley was educated at the University of Nebraska and the University of Pennsylvania. He began his academic career at the University of Kansas in 1937 and Oberlin College in 1944. Besides serving as a professor of anthology, he also served as a consultant to museums, foundations, and U.S. government and was the host-narrator of the television series Animal Secrets, in 1966.

             EiseleyÕs scientific research was directed towards the dating of index fossils of the Pleistocene Eboch and the extinction of Ice Age fauna. He was best known for his examination of human evolution. EiseleyÕs writings covered the wide range of questions on evolution and its implications for humanity. He published more than a dozen books including, The Unexpected Universe, in which I will be comparing to the works of Galileo.

             Galileo Galilei was an Italian natural philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician who made fundamental contributions to the sciences of motion, astronomy, and strength of materials and to the development of the scientific method. GalileoÕs formulation in various subjects of science marked the beginning of a fundamental change in the study of motion. Galileo also wrote many books. I will be looking at a book translated by Stillman Drake, called Discoveries and Opinions of Galileo . .

             ÒEven without a final truth, there is such a thing as scientific progress and growth in understanding the natural world . . . The vain presumption of understanding everything can have no other basis than never understanding anything. For anyone who had experienced just once the perfect understanding of one single thing, and had truly tasted how knowledge is accomplished, would recognize that infinity of other truths of which he understands nothing,Ó this taken from the introduction to GalileoÕs Commandment.