Parallel Universes

Peace, one and all…

Following on from the previous two posts, I found a very interesting BBC documentary on parallel universes.  It makes for interesting viewing (and also made my head hurt)!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

The 4th Dimension

Peace, one and all…

Following on from the previous post, here’s an excellent and interesting video of Carl Sagan.  In this video he explores the 4th dimension.

The 4th Dimension

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

The 10th Dimension

Peace, one and all…

Here’s an interesting video I found on You Tube, on the 10th Dimension.  Enjoy!

The 10th Dimension

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

Islam and Science on the BBC

Peace, one and all…

There have been a number of interesting programmes on the BBC recently, including a series of 3 programmes on Science and Islam.  They are available on BBC iPlayer and so I wanted to link to them.  May God make them beneficial.

• Islam and Science 1: the Language of Science
• Islam and Science 2: the Empire of Reason
• The Sky at Night: the Light Fantastic
• The Hubble Telescope

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

Black Holes

Peace, one and all…

This week the History Channel have been running a fascinating series of programmes on space.  Entitled The Universe, these programmes have explored a different aspect of space.  Last night they ran a fascinating programme on black holes.  The programme charted how black holes are born, what they do and how, in certain circumstances, very small ones seem to disappear or evaporate.

I find the thought of black holes terrifying, but also strangely fascinating – rather like staring over the edge of a very tall building.  The images shown on the programme were beautiful, in a very dark way – appropriately enough given what they do.

I was particularly interested in what the scientists said of tiny black holes – i.e. microscopic black holes that exist in the frankly bizarre world of quantum physics.  What struck me was the apparent fact that, in this bizarre sub-atomic world, information is not destroyed.  In other words, these tiny black holes don’t swallow everything – or at least, what has been swallowed in still in some sense ‘there’.  I don’t understand how – not being a scientist – but I was struck with a sense of awe and wonder at the strangeness of the universe we live in.  Allah!

Another recent programme focused on cosmology and what scientists believe may happen to the unfolding universe.  A number of theories seem to exist (as they always do).  One such theory holds that the universe will come to an end in a ‘big crunch’.  Another argues that the universe will continue to expand forever, until the stars eventually all die out and the universe is filled with the corpses of long-dead stars and galaxies.  I have to say that I found this prospect alarming.  Of course, I will be dead long before it happens, but the idea that the universe will simply remain a dead shell – or an orange with all the juice sucked out it – strikes me as unfair.  But, then, is an emotional reaction to a possible physical act really appropriate?

At any rate, all is as God wills it to be – and that is sufficient for me.

Wa akhiru da’wana an il hamdu lillahi rabbil alameen.

Further reading:

• Hubble Space Telescope
• LISA

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

The Star Altair

Peace, one and all…

According to Sol Station, Altair is a main sequence, white dwarf star.  It has approximately 1.7 times the mass of the sun.  Unusually, it also has a very fast rotation – it rotates once every 10.4 hours (or something close to that). 

Although no evidence for a Jupiter-like planet has come to light, it is apparently a decent candidate for having an earth-like planet.  Allah!

As the star above shows, Altair is part of the Aquila constellation (which means ‘eagle’ in Latin).  Altair itself is derived from the Arabic term al-Ta’ir, meaning ‘the bird’.  According to medieval astrologers it was a star of ill-omen, being connected for some reason to attacks by reptiles (source).

At any rate, such things aside, it is a very bright and beautiful stellar object.  Praise be to God for the beauty of the night sky!

Image credits: NASA & Sol Station

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

Looking to the Heavens: Some Pictures

Peace, one and all…

Following on from my recent random thoughts, here are some pictures of the cosmos.  Here are two pictures of the oddly, though appropriately named Sombrero Galaxy:

And again:

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

Looking to the Heavens: Random Thoughts

Peace, one and all…

During the holidays, I read Alistair McGrath’s Glimpsing the Face of God.  It was sitting on the shelf of the local libary and so I thought I’d give it a whirl.  It was an interesting book, though I didn’t enjoy the second half quite as much as the first.  The main thrust of the book was about exploring the meaning of life, and how Christianity offers the best account of this meaning.  There were some interesting reflections on the meanings that looking to the heavens can suggest.

Looking to the heavens can prompt us to consider origins and meanings.  I have often looked at the stars with a sense of awe, at their majesty and haunting beauty.  It can, however, also leave us with a sense of despondency, as we consider the isolation and distances involved.  This resonates with me in some ways.  I can recall being frightened of the sheer vastness of space as a child.  It could sometimes feel so very lonely and isolated, for all its undeniable beauty.  McGrath discussed both these points very forcefully, though I was less impressed by some of his conclusions.

Insha Allah, as time and enthusiasm permits, I’m going to be posting more pictures of the cosmos, as well as some of my subsequent reflections.

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

The Lord of Sirius

Peace, one and all…

‘And that it is He who is the Lord of Sirius’ (Surah al-Najm 53:49).

I have always loved gazing up at the night sky.  It has always evoked in me a strong sense of the beauty and grandeur of life.  If I recall correctly, I believe it was Socrates who said ‘Philosophy starts from a sense of wonder’.  My own philosophy started from looking at the stars of heaven in wonder.

Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky.  According to Sol Station, Sirius A is a blue, main sequence star.  It is much heavier and brighter than our own sun and is some 8.6 light years away from us, with a much dimmer companion star, known as Sirius B (source).

Given this brightness, it is perhaps small wonder that Sirius has played a role in many cultural and religious systems.  The ancient Egyptians accorded a very important place to Sothis (almost universally believed to be Sirius).  Sirius was thus one of the few stars to receive a cult, in commemoration of her supposed role in the annual Nile innundation (see Erik Hornung, Conceptions of God in Ancient Egypt, 80).  There is also an apparent reference to Sirius in the myths of ancient Ireland.  n Hindu mythology, Sirius is known Mrgavyadha (‘deer hunter’) or Lubdhaka (‘hunter’) and is believed to represent the god Shiva.  In medieval Europe, Sirius was one of the 15 Behenian fixed stars, which were important in kabbalistic magic. 

However, perhaps the most famous reference to Sirius is found in the Dogon people, where visitors from Sirius are said to have taught the Dogon their culture.  However, it has to be said, that this interpretation remains controversial.  Nevertheless, Sirius remains extremely important to the Dogon. 

The pagan Arabs are said to have venerated Sirius, which thus explains the context for the Quranic passage quoted above.  The aim, it seems, of this verse is to emphasise that for all its brightness, Sirius is still only a created thing and thus only God is truly worthy of worship.

Wa akhiru da’wana an il hamdu lillahi rabbil alameen

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman