Questions regarding the origin of mankind have riddled the minds of great thinkers for centuries. All of the authors of the selections we have read rely on different types of evidence to make their arguments about origins. Among these are scripture, observation, mathematics, and physical findings. Although all of these types of evidence are compelling, I believe that when attempting to explain the origins of the universe and biological life, that physical findings are the most convincing. Gamow's The Creation of the Universe and Cavalli-Sforza's "The Great Human Diasporas" have the most persuasive arguments regarding the origins of our universe and the human race.
             All the different authors have their own resources to support their personal ideas about creation. Throughout his book, St. Augustine uses a great deal of scripture to back up his ideas. When questioning the universe's creation, Augustine says "All these praise you, the creator of everything...'Therefore you spoke and they were made, and by your word you made them' " (St. Augustine, 225). However, Galileo says, "I think in the first place that it is very pious to say and prudent to affirm that the holy Bible can never speak untruth- whenever its true meaning is understood" (Galileo, 181). Galileo also states that "...the Bible is not chained in every _expression to conditions as strict as those which govern all physical effects" (Galileo, 183). These statements just go to show that scriptures from the Bible cannot efficiently suffice a complete explanation for our creation in terms of scientific fact. Although observation is important to knowledge and fact, it is not exactly relevant to the subject matter, considering that no one was there to observe the creation and man was too primal to record anything. Mathematics is the means to understand all physical happenings around us
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