This is from Calamities of Nature and takes a clever dig at the concept of spirits and souls. Enjoy!
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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Blog Archive
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2011
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July
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- On "The Bill Newman Show" Monday morning
- Saturday Video: A glimpse of Yemen
- Advantages of being an academic
- On Spirits and Souls...
- A fact-check on Zakir Naik's rant against evolution
- An excellent analysis of the Oslo attack coverage ...
- The Faraday Institute Summer Course(s)
- Schools and dinos in the Himalayan foothills
- Saturday Video: Plato's Allegory of the Cave with ...
- Review for "Nostalgia for the Light"
- In Pakistan for a few days...
- The Ramadan crescent issue – this year's edition
- Saturday Video: The Genius of Omar Khayyam
- Religious motivations for the Crimean War
- The Global Innovation Index 2011
- Saturday Video: Maz Jobrani on Persians and Arabs
- Adjustment issues for Muslims in UK and Germany
- "Arabick Roots" Exhibition at the Royal Society
- Tim Minchin's animated movie: Storm
- Genome mapped for a Pakistani: Now what?
- Scientific output of Nigeria and other Sub-Saharan...
- On "The Bill Newman Show" tomorrow morning
- Ziauddin Sardar's interpretation of the Qur'an
- Pictures from the Sharjah Conference
- Saturday Video: On Deciphering the Indus Script
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July
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5 comments:
Nice. But hey let me give you a hint. Let us say...a software. You cannot feel its texture, measure its weight and size, note down its temperature, or see its colour. In short, it has no physical parameters. But then, it is there, and it affects us too.
So I had left a comment on Zakir's link when he posted this. And he suggested I leave it here for a response from you since you are the source. I can't deny the cartoon made me smile but here's my two cents worth on it...
something which is within the scope of science can remain a mystery till a mind open enough to consider the impossible tries to unlock it...in doing so many impossibilities have become a reality for us in this day and age. Simply because something is not within the 'scope' of science in our minds yet (the word scope itself limiting the possibilites of scientific discovery and understanding for one), or because people don't care enough to explore it (because it doesnt affect them or seems improbable) does not mean that an idea can be ridiculed or discarded so as not to be even considered for a minute. Science encompasses all...and we don't yet know, nor can we, what 'all' actually means. we can only try. why limit the possibility of discovering something by categorising what should and should not be research-worthy?
Well, people say today that spirits and souls are beyond the scope of science. This is because science cannot probe into these (yet). The minute science discovers the spirit or the soul, it will automatically fall into the scope of science. Just because science cannot probe into them tday, that does not mean science can never do it. So why riicule?
@ Akbar
Good one.
Shaham and Akbar,
I actually agree about not limiting the scope of science (this is a big issue in philosophy of science) and also on the fact that there might be things other than those in science that are valuable (kind of the last point in the cartoon). However, the cartoon would be valid if it was taking a dig at those who already claim the valid existence of things like spirits and souls - not the potential existence of something yet to be discovered. But I don't disagree with your basic premise here...
good to hear a sane point of view...i feel comfortable with the cartoon now :) quite a relief to hear someone who can articulate the argument such that it doesn't remain one./.. at least in my mind anymore...thanks for responding :)
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