I'm en route to Malaysia right now (sitting at JFK in NY) for a research trip. I have never been been to Malaysia so I'm really looking forward to it. In the mean time, I wanted to keep you busy pondering about our existence. Here is another 9 minute excerpt from Sagan's Pale Blue Dot (see earlier post Sagan on Science, Religion, and the Universe). I think Pale Blue Dot was the only book that Sagan read for an audio book, and the person putting these clips out is doing a great job of utilizing it. I also have it somewhere on a cassette - but don't have any means to play it anymore (a "morbid obsession with Sagan"? ;) ).
So here is Sagan - Consider again that pale blue dot:
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.
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6 comments:
Thanks, watching that just made my morning. I understand your fascination with Sagan. Really wonderful stuff.
You know, they do still sell tape decks. You need not be deprived of your entire Sagan collection.
Tangentially related, I help run a big science fiction convention in July in MN. There are always a lot of great costumes, but my favorite from this year was a guy wearing a maroon turtleneck and tan corduroy blazer. He'd written out billions and billions on ticker tape and was wearing it draped around his shoulders. Brilliant!
The odds of creation of an environment suitable for life, sustained long enough for the life to create itself, then propagate to form intelligent form to observe the Universe, (as if the Universe wanted itself to be witnessed and observed one day)...anyone who knows simple physics and chemistry would argue that these odds are so meagre that the number of chances needed for it to happen by itself, even only once, are perhaps millions of times more than the number of subatomic particles in the Universe and number of femto-seconds passed since the Big Bang.
I really need to screw up the last bit of any talent left in my skull to join this Pale Blue Dot Cult.
One might very well ask...how come the Universe and life got created then, if it wasn't by itself? God? Proof?. I would simply say...well I don't know. And being an amateur astronomers and a (proto)scientist, I wouldn't start commenting on things and making judgements and drawing conclusions about things I have little knowledge of...neither ridicule any. I am not one from Sagan's troupe.
I hope you have a great flight and a wonderful time in Malaysia. *grin*
It's semi-rainy season at the moment, so it can get pretty wet here. Public transport is kinda spotty, but navigable. Drivers on the roads are a little insane; but jaywalking is expected.
However, we are a friendly and warm bunch. If you are staying until Ramadhan, you will get to enjoy the crazy variety we have to offer for iftar.
Anywhich, I hope you have a good time!
Thanks once again for posting Carl Sagan's great stuff. You seem to be a bigger Sagan fan than me :).
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