The Empire of Reason
Description
In this program physics professor Jim Al-Khalili provides evidence that medieval Islamic scientists were among the first to insist that scholarly theories be backed up by experimental observation. Traveling throughout Syria and Egypt, Al-Khalili profiles Ibn al-Haytham, whose proof that light travels in straight lines helped establish the discipline of optics, and Al-Biruni, who more than 1,000 years ago estimated the size of the Earth to within a few hundred miles of the correct figure. Al-Khalili also explains how the trade needs of an expanding empire played a role in turning the practice of alchemy into modern chemistry.
Runtime
52 min
Series
Subjects
Genre
Date of Publication
[2012], c2009
Database
Films on Demand
Direct Link
https://www.remote.uwosh.edu/login?url=https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=102638&xtid=47837
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