The Language of Science

Science and Islam has always been an interesting
topic for the people of learning.

Physicist Jim Al-Khalili travels through Syria, Iran, Tunisia and Spain to tell the story of the great leap in scientific knowledge that took place in the Islamic world between the 8th and 14th centuries.

 Its legacy is tangible, with terms like algebra, algorithm and alkali all being Arabic in origin and at the very heart of modern science - there would be no modern mathematics or physics without algebra, no computers without algorithms and no chemistry without alkalis.

BBC Science and Islam by Jim al-Khalili

For Baghdad-born Al-Khalili this is also a personal journey and on his travels he uncovers a diverse and outward-looking culture, fascinated by learning and obsessed with science.


From the great mathematician Al-Khwarizmi, who did much to establish the mathematical tradition we now know as algebra, to Ibn Sina, a pioneer of early medicine whose Canon of Medicine was still in use as recently as the 19th century, he pieces together a remarkable story of the often-overlooked achievements of the early medieval Islamic scientists.




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Can Ants Speak?

What are they saying? Scientists study ants to determine how they communicate. (1) Science has recently discovered that ants can speak. It is the truth stated in the Quran 1400 years ago... Interesting point. Videos worth watching.

 09/08/2009 - ABC NEWS

   

WHAT DOES QURAN SAY ABOUT ANTS?

[27:18] When they approached the valley of the ants, one ant said, "O you ants, go into your homes, lest you get crushed by Solomon and his soldiers, without perceiving."



         

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WHAT DO SCIENTISTS SAY? (2)

 Advances in audio technology have enabled scientists to discover that ants routinely talk to each other in their nests. Most ants have a natural washboard and plectrum built into their abdomens that they can rub together to communicate using sound.

 Using miniaturised microphones and speakers that can be inserted unobtrusively into nests, researchers established that the queens can issue instructions to their workers. The astonished researchers, who managed to make the first recordings of queen ants “speaking”, also discovered that other insects can mimic the ants to make them slaves. Rebel's large blue butterfly is one of about 10,000 creatures that have a parasitic relationship with ants and has now been found to have learnt to imitate the sounds as well as using chemical signals.

Science and Islam: Lost and Found

History shows that the Muslims increased in civilization and progressed in relation to the strength of the truths of Islam; that is, to the degree that they acted in accordance with that strength. And history also shows that they fell into savagery and decline, and disaster and defeat amidst utter confusion to the degree of their weakness in adhering to the truths of Islam.



The hidden history of science, the gap between Greeks&Roman and modern times, has been revealed in an exhibition shown at the Museum of Science in London. Many people named it as dark ages which has now been turned out to be The Golden Age of the Muslim world. Visitors will have the opportunity to see the Muslim inventors of the basics of camera as well as of the first engines, Astrolabes (forefathers of GPS), the founder of the first university in the world, the father of optics, the master of modern architecture the pioneering surgeon who invented the first catgut which is stil in use in operations, the first man who flew 1000 years before Wright brothers, the developer of mathematics and the founder of algebra and modern trigonometry, the best ever experts of pharmacy and so on and so forth can be observed in this exhibition or can be read through the book named “1001 Inventions: Muslim Heritage in Our World” by Salim T S Al-Hassani.

Interview: Science Vs Islam?

Swan, 56, Engineer, English

It’s nice to be here in such an informative exhibition. I’m impressed by it. I’m an engineer and knew many things about Muslim scientists already, however, I didn’t see some of the interesting ones before. Of course all of the items exhibited here are attractive, but, to me, the most attractive one is the elephant clock of Al-Jazari. Here I have seen that the period that people of Europe call the dark ages were only dark for us. We were poor. There were many diseases and people were dying out of hunger as well as epidemics and surely was in a bad situation.

But, when I look back at the history here in this exhibition, they were not even busy with those which we dealt with. They were inventing robots, founding hospitals and universities, they were having good life styles, inventing coffee and musical instruments which were all luxurious in those ages for us. There is only one thing that I cannot understand, howcome such a sophisticated and developed culture leant back?
(To get the answer, please refer to the quotation in the headline, which was extracted from Ustad Bediuzzaman’s faourite work, Damascus Sermon, at the very beginning of the article).