Jim Al-Khalili - Lessons from the past: science and rationalism in medieval Islam 

Jim is a true scientist who teaches people both what to think and how to think.

His lectures are always inspiring!

This was a cheering lecture. Our ancestors were a lot cleverer than I thought. There was so much more invention than I thought.

Jim Al-Khalili increased my intelligence

Advice from a theoretical physicist, nothing less. Fantabulous

I don't think the emperor Charlemagne ever visited Baghdad but the two empires did exchange embassies and I think Harun el Raschid sent the Frankish emperor an elephant as a gift.

I found this talk interesting, informative and not a little surprising. It is right that we give credit to whoever first develops new ways of thinking, regardless of their race, religion or culture. It almost goes without saying (!) that, of course, the Theory of Gravity is no more 'Christian' than any other scientific theory is 'Islamic' or 'Secular'.

Wonderfully informative and enlightening, thank you!

Old - but gold! :0)

Very interesting, very cool speaker!

Thank you very much, very enjoyable lecture :)

I am inspired by you.

One good reason not to define God as the singularity is people will then presume the singularity also performed in all the tales of the bible.

can anyone help me im looking for a Jim Al-Khalili documentray on paradoxes can anyone please help i cant find it agian

Is this the same as "The Forgotten Legacy of Arabic Science"?

I enjoyed Mr. Al-khalili's lecture, but hasn't he already given this talk?

He is being diplomatic & doesn't go into the politics of how the Turks transformed the religio-philosophical based Muslim civilization into a formidable war machine. How the Turks shifted the empire's focus totally in the direction of the military endeavor at the expense of philosophical & scholarly progress. That transformation was necessary bc the Muslim empire had fragmented into weak sultanates with corrupt rulers. The Turks saved the Muslim empire from corruption & disintegration. They reunited much of the old empire, implemented the canon as a war machine & reinstated the Muslims as the foremost military power. With much to their credit they also had their down falls. They were criticized for overly leaning towards militarism at the expense of social & scientific progress. But may be that was forced upon them, since their home lands bordered directly with Europe, an ever watchful enemy of the Muslim empire. Truth be said that civilizations rise, go through the cycle of decline during which either they're invaded or experience revolts, after which reformist movements struggle to return to past glory. The conversation Mr Khalili is intentionally avoiding is the role of the European invasion of the Muslim in WW2 & subsequent British betrayal of their Arab allies post that war. Namely the cutting up & colonization. A calamity still with us today & evident in the proxy colonization through ruthless puppet regimes. That conversation will never be struck, & neither Khalili nor his audience would dare approach these causes, if they want to keep their comfy jobs that is. Instead they would have us believe that the patient got sick all by himself & no virus was involved. And understandably so, as we have seen what awaits the truth sayers nowadays. Forge for them the history bro Khalili, tell them exactly what they want hear, we won't blame you, live, survive til God says otherwise.

Nothing about suicide bomber theory?

I thought Steven Pinker was Canadian.

1:10:40 ..."climate change is a good example." Of what? People believing in an idea despite having no evidence for it? Plenty of bloggers on "climate change" know a hell of a lot more about the science than you do, Professor. Give us some evidence for man made global warming, without a. speculating, or b. referring to climate models (neither of which is evidence).

Human society is complex than just being curious. A mind of politician will always be different from a mind of a scientists. Reality is, even their no "modern science", still you have a society to manage. Religion is more about managing life, and science became part muslim society during its golden as because to manage a society they needed people who can think deep and finally get some smart solution. Science can move forward keep away talking about GOD, because scientific method can not define a supernatural event or thing. At the same time, religion should not play any role in the way science thing whether it is evolution or astronomy. Evolution or origin of universe as explained of contemporary scientist should be considered as the understanding human on origin of life and universe. Understanding is one thing, belief is different. Belief is " GOD created human", understanding is talking about "How GOD might have created it". In the end science explain how things happen in the nature.

Newton spent more time on alchemy than 'physics' as such. Modern day physicists like Jimmy here are embarassed by this and dismiss it with a wave of the hand. What fool would dare dismiss any aspect of Newton without inspection?! Go and inspect for yourself, Alchemy is not what has been mistakenly presented by bods such as Jimmy here. Go well.

Excellent but, Jim! Why are you not talking about Al-Ghazali to create the ignorant, misogynist, homophobic Islam that we have today?

Errr...why bother speaking to western audience? They dont need it. You should be speaking to muslim audience.