Persian Science, Scientists, Poetry, Poets and their Impacts on World Civilization – A Volume of Facts* Mo Jamshidi, Ph.D. DEgr., Dr. H. C. Lutcher Brown Endowed Chaired Professor University of Texas, San Antonio, TX, USA [email protected] http://www.wacong.org/persiansciencehistory (active - can download slides) San Antonio – November 17, 2017 * This lecture is dedicated jointly in memory of Prof. Maryam Mirzakhani, Stanford University and Prof. Lotfi Zadeh, University of California at Berkeley OUTLINE 1. Goal and Project Plan 2. Medicine and Science in Persia (Bou Ali • Sina, Razi, Biruni, Khwarizmi, Khayyam) 3. Poets of Iran (Rumi and Saadi) 4. Recent Scientists, Engineers, and Poets 5. Summary of Key Impacts 6. Tributes to Maryam Mirzakhani (with a short video) and Lotfi Zadeh 7. Final Remark Book Project Goal is … to create a historical and factual account of what the Persian citizens (Persian,• Meads, Azari’s, Turk’s, Kurd’s, Elamite’s, Gilanese, Baluchi’s, et. al.) scientists and poets have achieved for the past 25-30 centuries and how their work have impacted the world civilization at large. Book Project Plan This project is unavoidably tied with the History of Persia and now Iran and• throughout the years, in spite of political problems and invasions, the Iran, like only a few nations in the world, have always kept their identities and they do not celebrate an “independence day”. List of Individuals (Tonight’s lecture) 1. Bou Ali Sina 2. Razi 3. Biruni 4. Khwarizmi 5. Khayyam 6. Moulana Rumi 7. Saadi Shirazi 8. Current professional : Hesabi, Reza, and Samii 9. Special tributes to Maryam Mirzakhani and Lotfi Zadeh Renowned Physicians of Ancient Iran Bou Ali Sina Avicenna Avicenna AKA Bou Ali Sina, Sheikh-Al-Rayeese Born August, 980 AD Place of Birth Village of Afshana, near Bukhara, Greater Khorasan, Persia (Today’s Uzbekistan) Nationality Persian (Iranian) Religion Shite Moslem Death June 1037 (57 years) Place of Death Hamadan, Persia (Today Iran) Parents Father: Abdullah, Mother: Setareh Married Never married Map of Persia in 10th – 12th centuries Medicine in Post-Islam Persia Avicina … The celebrated Iranian physician and philosopher Bou Ali Sina (Avicenna• , 980-1037) wrote 100 books on many subjects including his most famous compendium, Canon of Medicine. • His magnum opus (best, most popular, or most renowned achievement ) is one of the classics of medicine ever written. • He extensively studied herbal medicine from China, India and Persia. Medicine in Ancient Persia • Avicenna like his predecessor Farabi (872- 950) (another• well known Iranian scientist) was an outspoken empiricist (based on observation & experience) and insisted that all theories must be confirmed by experience. • He argued against the blind acceptance of any authority and improved distillation techniques. Renowned Physicians of Ancient Iran Famous quote: “I grew so big that no city could hold me, But my price went so high that every buyer sold me.” Content of Cannon of Medicine Part1: Nature of the human body, anatomy, physiology and definition of various diseases. Part 2: This part deals with simple treatments of many illnesses. Part 3: The pathology of 21 human organs constituted the third part. Part 4: Symptoms and diagnostics of various diseases are presented in the fourth part of The Cannon. The fifth and final part is dedicated to drugs and medicines and pharmacopeia - a manual to help prepare compound medicines. Renowned Physicians of Ancient Iran Avicinna Moon Crater [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avicenna_(crater)] Renowned Physicians of Ancient Iran Razi - Rhazes Rhazes AKA Zakaria Razi Born 854 AD Place of Birth Rayy, Persia (Today’s suburb of Tehran, Iran) Nationality Persian (Iranian) Religion Moslem Death October 15, 925 (71 years) Place of Death Rayy, Persia (Today’s suburb of Tehran, Iran) Parents Zakariya ibn Yahya Married Married Map of Persia in 10th – 12th centuries Renowned Physicians of Ancient Iran • His genius was apparent at his 11th age. At the time he was 30 years old, he moved to Baghdad where he studied at the “House of Wisdom,” to enhance his medical knowledge. It was in Baghdad, where young Razi met Al-Tabari (An Islam covert from Judaism of a family Called “Merv”). • He contributed in key areas of medicine in his many books like: • a) Kitab al-Hawi, al-Kabir, translated as a “Comprehensive Book of Medicine • b) Kitab al-Mansouri, written in honor of Rayy’s ruler Mansur Ishaq – covering diets, drugs, medicated cosmetics, toxicology, laxatives, antidotes, and remedies of pharmaceutical interests, etc. c) He built hospitals in Baghdad and Rayy. • d) He discovered “alcohol” and sulfuric acid. • e) He is known as the FIRST PEDIATRICIAN in the history of medicine Renowned Physician Razi of Ancient Persia The Bulletin of the World Health Organization (WHO), May 1970, paid tribute to him by stating: "His writings on smallpox and measles show originality and accuracy, and his essay on infectious diseases was the first scientific treatise on the subject." Renowned Physicians of Ancient Iran Razi’s Crater [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Razi_(crater)] Renowned Scientists of Ancient Persia Abu-Reyhan Biruni A Biruni was a versatile genius scholar and scientist who had equal facility in physics, metaphysics, mathematics, geography and history. Rhazes Abu-Reyhan Biruni Born 15 September 973 Place of Birth Kath (now called Biruni), Khwarazm or Greater Khorasan, Persia (now Kara- Kalpakskaya, Uzbekistan) Nationality Persian (Iranian) Religion Moslem Death 13 December 1048 Place of Death Ghazna, Khorasan Province, Persia (now Ghazni, Afghanistan) Parents Unknown Married Married Renowned Scientists of Ancient Iran Map of Siljuk Persian dynasty (10th Century) Map of Samanid Persian dynasty (11th Century) Renowned Scientists of Ancient Persia - Biruni A page of the Astronomy Book of Biruni A description of eclipse and positions of sun, various phases of the moon and earth in his book Biruni’s Estimation of Earth’s Radius Biruni 1000 years ago used an instrument called Astrolabe to measure angles of a mountain summit and sun’s horizon, leading to a 1% accurate estimation of Earth’s radius. Biruni’s Moon Crater Biruni is an impact crater that lies on the far side of the Moon, just beyond the eastern limb. This portion of the surface is sometimes brought into sight due to librations of the Moon, but due to its location the crater is viewed from the side. Biruni lies to the south of the crater Joliot, and to the northeast of Goddard. It is named after the great Ghaznavid Scientist Biruni. The rim of Biruni forms a somewhat irregular circle, with a slight outward bulge in the northeast wall, and a somewhat wider inner wall to the west. The interior floor is relatively flat, with a few tiny craterlets to mark the surface. The most notable of these is Biruni C near the northeast wall. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Biruni_(crater) Renowned Scientists of Persia Khwarizmi Khwarizmi was a legendary Persian scientist of 8th and 9th Centuries who created the mathematic’s field of algebra and created the notion of recursive computing – Algorithm. Khaweazmi Mohammad Khawrazmi Born 780 AD Place of Birth Khwarazm (now Khiva), in greater Khorasan province of Persia (now in Uzbekistan). Nationality Persian (Iranian) Religion Moslem (Converted from Zorastrian) Death 850 AD (70 years) Place of Death Baghdad, Abbasid Dynasty Capital Parents Unknown Religion Indication is that as a youth he was a Zoroastrian and converted to Islam later on Married Unknown Renowned Scientists of Ancient Persia Renowned Scientists of Ancient Persia Khwarizmi Contributions and Achievements Algebra - al-Kitāb al-mukhtaṣar fī ḥisāb al-jabr wal-muqābala translated as Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing. The 0-9 decimal system devised by Khwarizmi after he learned the concept of “zero” from Hindu mathematicians. Pre-zero time, he used Geometry to solve algebraic Equation ax2 + bx + c = 0 Renowned Scientists of Ancient Persia Khwarizmi Summary – Khwarizmi is one of the most consequential scientist, mathematician, and astronomer in our 21st Century civilization. He is credited with the following lasting contributions: Algebra: He was the first who created branches in mathematics. He is the “Father of Algebra”. Algorithm: He invented the notion of algorithm in computing. Some consider him as the “Forefather of computer science”. Digit Zero “0” : He used the Hinus’ work on a dot later called zero number and developed the (0-9) decimal counting system impacting arithmetic all the way to our current 21st Century. World Map and Calendar: He made lasting impacts to trigonometry, astronomy, geography, calendars, etc. Final Points: NASA – Space agency of United States has dedicated a North Moon Crater in honor of Khwarizmi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Khwarizmi_(crater) Renowned Scientists of Ancient Persia Khayyam Omar Khayyam is a genius Persian scientist who was a mathematician, an astronomer, an astrologer, a physician, and yes a poet of 11th and 12th Century The west knows him mostly as a poet due to the 19th Century translation of Englishman Edward Fitzgerald (31 March 1809 – 14 June 1883) poetry works, known as the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. His Scientific contributions have not been appreciated in the West. Khayyam Omar Khayyam Born May 18, 1048 AD Place of Nishabour, Persia (now in Khorasan Birth province of Iran) Nationality Persian (Iranian) Religion Moslem Death December 4, 1131 AD (83 years) Place of Nishabour, Persia (now in Khorasan Death province of Iran) Parents Father: Ibrahim Married Never Married Renowned Scientists of Ancient Persia Khayyam Renowned Scientists of Ancient Persia Khayyam Astronomical Work : The Jalali Calendar In mid-11th Century when the Seljuk Sultan Jalal – Al-Din Malik Shah of Persia needed a calendar and charged a group in the capital Isfahan to come up with a calendar. The group, led by Khayyam, finished their work in 8 years and on March 15, 1079 a week before the Persian New Year Nowruz.