Off the beaten path: Islamic Science

Sorry about the lack of posts this week. Something about January. Between the needs of work and maybe the weather, I cannot get excited about much. But I got to admit I got interested in a book review from The Times Literary Supplement with the headline: Islamic science and the long siesta Did scientific progress in the Islamic world really grind to a halt after the twelfth century?.

I must admit to having disappointed one half of my family with my inability to cope with higher mathematics. They had gone into science and I had an early interest in science. Then I took algebra. They did hope that my interest in history would lead me into higher education. It probably should have done so. Still, I have an interest in science and history and that headline just begged me to read it. And I was glad that I did. Even if it does not answer the question posed by its subheadline.

By the way, my understanding is that the Arabs invented algebra.