Carl Sagan died on December 20th, 1996. So on his death anniversary, here are clips from his last interview (also see last year's posting, God and Carl Sagan).
Carl Sagan's last interview, part 1
Carl Sagan's last interview, part 2
What is Irtiqa?
Irtiqa is Salman Hameed's blog. A few years ago (before Facebook killed many of the blogs), it used to track stories of science & religion, especially those related to Muslim societies. That is still one of its foci, but now it dovetails more of Salman's interests including film, astronomy, science fiction, and science outreach in both Pakistan and the US.
Irtiqa literally means evolution in Urdu. But it does not imply only biological evolution. Instead, it is an all encompassing word used for evolution of the universe, biological evolution, and also for biological/human development. While it has created confusion in debates over biological evolution in South Asia, it provides a nice integrative name for this blog. For further information, contact Salman Hameed.
The blog banner is designed by Muhammad Aurangzeb Ahmad. You can find all his creative endeavors at Orangie.
Salman Hameed
Salman is an astronomer and Associate Professor of Integrated Science & Humanities at Hampshire College, Massachusetts. Currently, he is working on understanding the rise of creationism in contemporary Islamic world and how Muslims view the relationship between science & religion. He is also working with historian Tracy Leavelle at Creighton University to analyze reconciliation efforts between astronomers and Native Hawaiians over telescopes on top of sacred Mauna Kea in Hawaii. He teaches “History and Philosophy of Science & Religion” with philosopher Laura Sizer, and “Science in the Islamic World”, both at Hampshire College. Salman and Laura Sizer are also responsible for the ongoing Hampshire College Lecture Series on Science & Religion, and you can find videos of all these lectures below. Contact information here.
LABELS
- Arab Spring
- art
- Astronomy
- Astronomy Pictures from Pakistan
- atheism
- beliefs of scientists
- Catholic Church and science
- creationism
- education
- education in muslim world
- ethics morality and science
- evolution
- faith and medicine
- film theater and television
- Friday Journal Club
- general
- history
- humor
- intelligent design
- Irtiqa Conversations
- Islam and Modernity
- islam and science
- Islamic Calendar
- islamic creationism
- Judaism and science
- media
- Muslims in Europe
- off topic
- Pakistan
- politics of science and religion
- posts by Nidhal Guessoum
- primates
- pseudoscience
- religion and environmentalism
- Religion and Health
- Religion and Technology
- Saturday Video
- science and Native religions
- science and religion books
- science fiction
- science in muslim world
- science of belief
- science of morality
- science religion and terrorism
- UFO religions
Blog Archive
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2007
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December
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- Human history in 60 seconds
- Lawrence Krauss on Science & Religion and more
- This is your brain on Faith
- Off-Topic: Uncertainty in Pakistan after Bhutto As...
- Nano-Bible, failed resurrection, and the four hors...
- Following Darwin's footsteps to paradise
- Conversion, He Wrote.
- Do you have any questions for the Al-Qaeda leaders...
- Carl Sagan on life, death, and religion
- Darwin on stage - "Trumpery"
- Christian God wins the (Intelligent) Design derby
- God out to get Shalom Auslander
- Saving lives from cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh
- Portions of Baghdad museum now open - but is it a ...
- Vaccinations, faith and science
- No Scientology for Germany
- Evolutionary firing
- Freedom, religion and Romney's nonsense
- God facing more legal issues
- The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
- Mess in Texas
- A science & religion debate but with calmer heads
- US$20 million for assessing quality of Arab univer...
- Doubt: A lecture by Jennifer Michael Hecht
- Science (of brushing teeth) and Religion
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December
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3 comments:
Thanks for posting this! I had not seen this interview and I'm glad you exposed me to it.
Thanks! You can also find a full collection of posts on Sagan's death anniversary here:
http://joelschlosberg.blogspot.com/
Given that your blog looks at science and religion you may be aware of Sagan's quote that '...the illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of a drug which helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world."
Sagan's worldview was significantly influenced by the spiritual and emotional-rational insights he gained from marijuana use. As a prophet of the impact of technology-science on the social world he is in my view unsurpassed. People like Jaron Lanier, Clay Shirky, with systems views of the world still have not dug as deep as Sagan into the way human nature orients to the world that we are creating.
Demon Haunted World was a wake-up call which will probably continue to pass under the radar as civilisation plunges into the rabbit hole of deepening crises in the years ahead. Human emotion and religion that carry us through day to day in an increasingly technological controlled world are not enough. Sagan wanted us to understand that a synthesis of spirituality, knowledge, and emotional human togetherness can be achieved, and need to be achieved, if we are to transcend the 'Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors'
Thank you for posting his last interview.
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