Science and Islam

The lecture entitled ‘Science and Islam’ will be delivered by Ehsan Mahood, respected science writer and journalist.

The lecture will be based on the contents of his book which has been written to accompany a BBC television series. The event is part of the Cambridge Science Festival.

Ehsan is keen to dismantle the myth that Islam is fundamentally opposed to science as he charts a religious empire’s scientific heyday, its decline, and the many debates that now surround it.

The Islamic scientific revolution took place between 700 and 1400. From the development of algebra in 9th-century Baghdad; to Ibn-Sina’s textbook, Canon of Medicine which was studied in Europe’s universities until the 1600s. Ehsan’s book tells the story of scientists woven into a journey through the Islamic empires of the middle ages that enabled this revolution, and its contribution to science in Western culture.

Ehsan Masood is a writer whose work focuses mainly on science, international development and the politics of the Muslim world. He presented ‘Islam and Science’ on Radio 4 in 2009 and has written articles for Nature and Prospect Magazines.

He teaches international science policy at Imperial College London and is a trustee of Leadership for Environment and Development. He also advises the British Council on science and on cultural relations. Previous posts have included Acting Chief Commissioning Editor of Nature and Director of Communications for LEAD International and before that Opinion Editor of New Scientist magazine.

The lecture will begin at 6pm at the University Centre, Granta Place and is free and open to all above the age of 14.

The Cambridge Science Festival is the UK's largest free science festival offering adults and children alike the chance to get involved in some of the University's cutting edge research between 8 and 21 March.

To pre-order a copy of ‘Science and Islam: A History’ and to find out more about the Cambridge Science Festival please use the link top right of the page.