Research Guides: Summer Reading Program 2023: Dr. Matthew Wiesner

Dr. Matthew Wiesner, Associate Professor of Physical Sciences

The Reading

"Georges LeMaitre and Fred Hoyle: Contrasting Characters in Science and Religion" PDF article
"Georges Lemaıtre was a jocular Roman Catholic priest and Fred Hoyle a bluff Yorkshireman who despised organized religion. Both were giants of twentieth century cosmology but espoused diametrically opposed cosmological models. This paper explores the extent to which ideology, and particularly religion, played a part in the controversies over the big bang and steady-state theories."

The Reflection Question

While George Lemaître and Fred Hoyle disagreed on some fundamental principles, their disagreements did not interfere with their friendship. How might the practice of hospitality bridge the gap between differing opinions and beliefs, even in the study of the sciences?