Muslim Contributions to Science – Sultans of Science Exhibition

29:12

7 Feb 2011

History of Science, Astronomy

Abdul Wahid Khan

Sean Lee-Ying

This video presents Abdul Wahid Khan, a Muslim science teacher, touring an exhibit at the Ontario (Canada) Science Center entitled, “Sultans of Science:  1000 Years of Science Rediscovered” from May 2009.  The format of the video is of the narrator being given a tour by a guide, Sean Lee-Ying, in a white lab coat.

The exhibition focuses on instruments and tools created by Muslims to help with their daily lives, including doing astronomical measurements, moving water, measuring time, flying machines, optics, medicine, Nobel prize winners.

Khan inserts some needed additional information about important figures.

Evaluation:

There is little here on Islam, other than various individuals being Muslim.

The science presented in the exhibition is generally correct, although it focuses more on tools and instruments than experimental research.  Unfortunately, Sean Lee-Ying, the tour guide, stumbles over most of the names and many of the technical terms.

The dates, although rarely given, are correct; because the tour guide is not giving a practiced lecture, the historical context is largely lacking.  Although the beginning of the video suggests it will be talking about the “Golden Age”, some of the material presented is more contemporary than that.