This is absolutely fantastic! This excerpt is from Sagan's book, Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space (the chapter is titled, A Universe not made for us). The segment is about 9 minutes long - and Sagan can say a lot (with the prefect choice of words) in 9 minutes.
(Tip from richarddawkins.net)
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
-
▼
2010
(309)
-
▼
July
(24)
- Noah's ark and the missing luggage problem...
- Oh boy - he knows how to make us realize our small...
- Satellites for the Arab-Muslim world
- Eco-Islam and a "green Imam" in Tanzania
- Dancing Soul - A trippy Sunday, courtesy of Werner...
- Sayyid Qutb liked "Gone with the Wind"?
- Galileo's middle finger rises again in Florence
- Film Autopsy (Review) of Inception
- Crucial primate fossil find from Saudi Arabia
- ‘God & Physics’ Conference in Oxford
- Falling trees and spilling oil: Acts of God?
- Solar Eclipse from Easter Island
- Is "Islamic Fundamentalism" on the rise in Turkey?
- Sagan on Science, Religion, and the Universe
- If you are looking for movies...
- Early Life on Earth: a Moroccan makes a historic d...
- Stem-cells debate in a play
- Jon Stewart on NASA's outreach to the Muslim world
- A "Miracle" in Chakwal, Pakistan?
- The psychology and sociology of miracle cures
- NASA reaching out to the Muslim world
- Population Explosion in the Muslim World
- Who/What created Faisal Shahzad?
- APPNA meeting and Mars
-
▼
July
(24)
9 comments:
Salman, are you morbidly obsessed with Sagan?
Excellent blog.
Fancy the content I have seen so far and I am your regular reader of your blog.
I am very much interested in adding http://sciencereligionnews.blogspot.com/ in my blog http://nasa-satellites.blogspot.com/ .
I am pleased to see my blog in your blog list.
I would like to know whether you are interested in adding my blog in your blog list.
Hope to see a positive reply.
Thanks for visiting my blog as well !
Waiting for your reply friend !!!!!
I wish I can express as eloquently as Sagan so that I can put my counter argument. :)
In short, Sagan knows only half the truth. Sad that he died with it. I admire him for his intelligence and humble attitude. I don't agree with his views, though.
After seeing this blog, I must say that it looks like people like Sagan and Richard Dawkins have influenced your thinking. Trust me, Dawkins too knows only half the truth. :)
Akbar,
No, just pleasantly obsessed :)
He was an amazing writer - and his words drew me to astronomy.
Ali:
"In short, Sagan knows only half the truth. Sad that he died with it. I admire him for his intelligence and humble attitude. I don't agree with his views, though. "
Don't feel sad for him. He lived a fulfilling life and died a happy man (see earlier posts here and here).
As far as "half-truth", Sagan was keen on evidence - and perhaps it is better to underestimate what we know than to overestimate.
But it is also totally okay to disagree with his views...
Thanks a million bunches for posting about legendary Carl Sagan. If I have a choice to get one person from past to relive, I would without a blink of eye choose Carl Sagan.
You made my day. I had never listened to this one.
this is awesome.thank you so much
Salman,
"As far as "half-truth", Sagan was keen on evidence - and perhaps it is better to underestimate what we know than to overestimate."
Yes it is better to underestimate than to overestimate.
But my question is why estimate something that I am 100 percent sure of? You only estimate when you do not know. But I know. So I am not relying on any estimation at all when I say Sagan or Dawkins knows half the truth.
I feel sad because such a brilliant mind like Sagan could not see the evidence even when he was so keen to see it. Perhaps the methodological naturalism of science took him on a ride!
And in my humble opinion, it is not that Dawkins does not see this evidence. I have a feeling that he knows more than 'half the truth.' (Ha ha) But for whatever reason he projects himself as if he only knows half the truth. (Ha ha again) If that is so, he must be enjoying looking at his ability to take others on a ride. :)
Salman:
At least I agree with you here. The Solar System (book) composed by Carl Sagan was my first book on astronomy (1986) which my father got from a library. That was when I stepped into the world of astronomy, my obsession "morbidly" strengthened further by the TV series Cosmos, again by Sagan (1987). (PTV used to telecast at least one science program daily in the dictator's era...now more than a dozen channel in Pakistan spewing nothing but BS, no science programs anymore)
Post a Comment