Science

Physics

Optics

	Ibn Al-Haytham on Eye and Brain, Vision and Perception
	By: Professor Charles G. Gross, Fri 28 September, 2012 Professor Charles G. Gross Ibn al-Haytham was the major figure in the study of optics and vision in the Middle Ages and his influence was pervasive for over 500 years. In this article, Professor Charles G. Gross, a renowned neurophysiologist of vision, outlines his original theory of vision and describes aspects which are less well known, namely Ibn al-Haytham's insights into visual physiology and visual perception. Professor Gross concludes that, although Ibn al-Haytham's unique synthesis of physics, mathematics and physiology into a new theory of vision and its historical importance have been recognized, his insights into the psychology of perception and their influence remains an important and potentially fertile area of research.
	Ibn al-Haytham: An Introduction
	By: Nader El-Bizri, Sat 11 June, 2011 Nader El-Bizri This presentation focused on the historical and epistemic bearings of the scientific legacy of the celebrated polymath al-Hasan ibn al-Haytham (known in Latin as Alhazen). A particular emphasis was placed on his remarkable revolution in optics, while situating his research in the broader context of his ingenuous investigations in geometry, his development of the methodological rudiments of scientific experimentation, and his mathematization of the principal notions of classical physics and natural philosophy. This line of inquiry accounted for the channels of transmission, adaptation, and expansion of his research in optics, within the European intellectual milieu, and up till the seventeenth century, while also revealing the multilayered nature of his tradition in underpinning the scientific investigations of Franciscan mediaeval opticians, and of guiding the theoretical debates of Renaissance artists and architects over the best methods of constructing pictorial perspective.
	Reflections on the Optics of Time
	By: Dr. Charles M. Savage, Mon 30 May, 2011 Dr. Charles M. Savage Based on the outstanding achievement of Ibn al-Haytham's work in optics, which paved the way for the "Optics of Space," Dr. Charles M. Savage develops in this stimulating article a vibrant plea for the need for a complementary understanding of the "Optics of Time." The reflection argues that time is ripe for a mature and open appreciation of the gift of life on this planet, otherwise we stand the risk of abusing one another and the richness of the resources nature has stored up for us. In so doing, we can implement a vision of a "sustainable history," an important concept introduced by Prof. Nayef al-Rodham. This will require our reflective abilities to co-create a "sustainable future" as well.
	Taqi al-Din ibn Ma‘ruf and the Science of Optics: The Nature of Light and the Mechanism of Vision
	By: FSTC Limited, Mon 30 June, 2008 In this article, some aspects of Kitab Nūr hadaqat al-ibsār wa-nūr haqīqat al-anzār (Book of the Light of the Pupil of Vision and the Light of the Truth of the Sights) of the renowned Ottoman astronomer Taqī al-Dīn ibn Ma‘rūf, who lived in Istanbul in the 16th century, is discussed in detail in order to show the high level and quality of the scientific research carried out during the reign of the Ottoman Empire.
	Kamal Al-Din Al-Farisi’s Explanation of the Rainbow
	By: FSTC Limited, Fri 23 May, 2008 This article focuses on a critical presentation of the arguments put forward by Kamal al-Din al-Farisi about the formation of the rainbow. This optical phenomenon was explained simultaneously but independently by two scientists, Kamal al-Din al-Farisi and Theodoric of Freiberg. Surprisingly, their theories of the rainbow were nearly correct in some respects and somewhat similar to our present understanding. This study reveals that Kamal al-Din al-Farisi was well ahead of his time in his assumptions related to most of the above mentioned topic.
	CHILDREN'S ACTIVITY: How to Make a Pinhole Camera
	By: FSTC, Thu 16 March, 2006 Would you like to make a wonderful camera in just five minutes? This short exercise will help you to create your very own pinhole camera! Just follow the simple steps in this exercise and you will be able to see the world in a whole new way.
	Camera Ibn Al-Haytham
	By: FSTC Limited, Fri 03 October, 2003 The camera is one of the most powerful instruments ever invented. Still photographs and moving pictures have provided man the ability to record and display images of every kind - from the first few cells of a human embryo to galaxies, billions of light years away.