Medieval Islamic Science 800-1258
Algebra 8-10
House of Wisdom, Baghdad- 800-1258
Holy War page 379
https://youtu.be/Hm4Sg086uLg
People came far and wide to see the collection of books and some even stayed to study them. Over time the Grand Library turned into a University. People studied philosophy, medicine, mathematics, alchemy, physics and astronomy.
The house of wisdom is seen as so important to the era that it's construction and destruction mark the start and end of the era.
They copied paper making technology from China and employed both Christians and Persians to translate texts to Arabic. Documents could be in Greek, Latin, Hindu Persian or Chinese and the house of worship had a full time team of translators. They translated the famous works of Aristotle and Plato and the world only survive in English today because of the Islamic translators in the golden age. In turn these translators wrote the Quran in their languages and the religion was able to spread further.
When the Caliph won a war they often asked for valuable scientific books and papers. Sometimes over money and gold.
They paid scientists and scholars and developed the most accurate compasses and clocks.
Developed to fufill the 5 pillars - Getting a more accurate direction to Mecca for praying and ensuring everyone did it 5 times a day.
The oldest true observatories, in the sense of a specialized research institute, was established.
Baghdad was a crossroad for trading and so was exposed to different cultures and ideas. Also, the Islamic focus on reading the Quran meant that Baghdad had a high percentage of people who could read.
Muhammad Ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi
al-Khwarizmi was awarded a position of teacher at the house of wisdom. He was asked by the Caliph to create a map of the known world. al-Khwarizmi attempted to do this as accurately as possible. He sent two teams in opposite directions using the stars to navigate. Using an astrolabe, they measured the altitude, longitude and latitude. People had believed the earth to be a sphere for 600 years by this point. They estimated the size of the earth with incredible near accuracy.
Later, he focused his efforts on math and introduced the decimal point to the west from India.
Latinized name is Algorithm - an algorithm is a set of instructions that help you arrive at an outcome. Like a recipe. In math an algorithm is a set of instructions that help you figure something specific out. Diverging algorithm.
Create an algorithm
He invented Algebra - from the Arabic for "restoring the broken parts."
al-Khwarizmi needs your help planning a new building for the Caliph's university.
Insert algebra problems
Banu Musa- Ingenious devices- 850
Ibn Sina AKA Avicenna 980-1037
Philosophy for beginners p96
Born in modern day Uzbekistan on the silk road. Surrounded by scholars. His family were very intelligent. Ibn Sina was a child prodigy and was more intelligent than many adults. His father had influential connections with the greatest scholars of the time. Because of this he developed an ego and wasnt too likeable. He was smart and he knew it but he also enjoyed letting others know it.
He studied philosophy and medicine.
Sultan became sick and Avicenna was the one who saved his life. The sultan gave him access to the library.
Wrote a encyclopedia of medical procedures. So successful that it was used in universities in Europe for 700 years. He wrote the first book on the application of medicines, drugs and herbs.
“There are no incurable diseases – only the lack of will. There are no worthless herbs – only the lack of knowledge.”
Islamic science helped improve their knowledge of medicine. Many islamic doctors developed knowledge of medicine and surgical tool that we used today. While the best doctors in Europe at the time still believed disease was punishment from God or the work of the devil, Islamic doctors believed that natural factors were to blame.
Avicenna also wrote one of the first books on preventative medicine and introduced the concept of quarantine.
He often debated other scholars but was often reviled as rude and a snob.
One day, he himself became sick and he felt nobody could treat him as well as he could treat himself. So he administered, 8 celery seed enemas in one day. However, unknown to him, his assistant was conspiring against him and doubled the doses. This caused Avicenna great pain and when he had the assistant help prepare him opium as a painkiller, the assistant again doubled the dose killing Avicenna.
Avicenna was a brilliantly intellectual man but he upset a lot of people and made them feel stupid. This might've been what caused his assistant to kill him. Avicenna failed to have the intelligence to avoid such a fate.
Abu Rayhan al-Biruni (973–1048)
In Spain
Averroes- 1126-1198
Mentioned in The Canterbury Tales (1387) and The Divine Comedy (1320). Averroes was a philosopher in medieval Spain. At the time the southern half of Spain was Islamic and Cordova in particular was a academic city.
One man invented a magnifying glass that made it easier to read. Another created a pair of wings and attempted to fly from a marinette only to discover that birds use their tails to land and he had forgot to make one. His wings broken his fall but he severely hurt his back when he crashed into the street below.
Averroes believed that it should be obligatory for people to study logic and philosophy as well as religion. Believed they are compatible.
Truth isnt afraid of Truth
If something in the Quran is demonstrated to be false it's just an allegory
Arabic Influence on Spanish
Ojala
https://www.nature.com/news/collaboration-strength-in-diversity-1.15912#/ref-link-1
End
As you walked down the halls of the house of wisdom you'd pass astronomers, alchemists, philosophers, speaking all kinds of languages. It's thought that a reason for their success was their diversity. Situationed on the trading roads known as the silk road, they came into contact with many different people from different places, cultures and religions. Studies show that when you work with people different from yourself you make fewer assumptions. You are also more likely to think more deeply about things because you prepare for counter arguments to your own point of view. In other words, people who see things differently from one another have an opportunity to explore truth instead of resting on jointly held preexisting beliefs.
Eventually a Caliph came to power who didnt like an allegorical reading of the quran and didnt like the scientists saying so. So he discouraged science that contradicted the holy book.
Destroyed by a Mongol Invasion in 1258
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