This is normally Matt’s brief but I thought people (in the UK at least) might be interested to know that a three-part series on Science and Islam, fronted by Prof Jim Al-Khalili, starts at 9 pm tonight on BBC4.
The first part is all about Al, or al-Hassan Ibn al-Haytham to give him his full name, an Islamic scientist born in 965 AD whom Al-Khalili describes as the ‘first true scientist’.
Al-Khalili’s earlier documentary, Atom, on the birth of modern physics was very watchable, so tonight’s offering should be good.
The programme should be good. A couple of years ago the (excellent) Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester had an exhibition on the influence of islamic science on the west, so be prepared for a few eye opening revelations of how important “discoveries” in optics and dynamics made during the 17th-18th centuries in Europe were rediscoveries. It also makes one think as to what went wrong with the islamic enlightenment that all these discoveries were lost or not developed.
Absolutely Brian – I suspect there is much more in this than is commonly supposed since I believe we owe algebra and algorithm to our Islamic ‘forebears’.
Alchemy, star names such as Algol, Mizar, Altair but not “arabic” numerals or the zero, to whom we are indebted to the Indian subcontinent.
Cheers Stephen. I’m still waking up from a three week digital hibernation. TV/radio science listings for the UK will return from next Monday.
Well, I watched episode 1 last night (now available on iPlayer) and, while my appetite was whetted, it wasn’t quite satisfied. The pace is a bit langorous. Al-Khalili scored some impressive points (_e.g._ the deciphering of at least some hieroglyphics well before Young and Co. got hold of the Rosetta stone) but seems to have developed au unfortunate propensity for hyperbole. “There wouldn’t be any Chemistry without alkali!’ he declared at one point, listing some of the various ‘Al’s that can be credited to islamic scholars. Well, even my son scoffed at that one…
But there was enough to bring me back for another helping next week… here’s hoping!
I watched on iPlayer last night and felt it was a little long. Didn’t quite see the benefit of the scene with the doctor and the eyeball (nearly wrote it iBall!). The hieroglyphics were quite interesting, but I also cringed at the alkali part.
Still, I’ll tune in next week, it’s either that or Master Chef.