1st Edition

Light-Based Science Technology and Sustainable Development, The Legacy of Ibn al-Haytham

282 Pages
by CRC Press

282 Pages
by CRC Press

282 Pages
by CRC Press

This book discusses light-based science, emphasizing its pervasive influence in science, technology, policy, and education. A wide range of contributors offers a comprehensive study of the tremendous, and indeed foundational, contributions of Ibn al Haytham, a scholar from the medieval period. The analysis then moves into the future development of light-based technology. Written as a... Read more

Preface



John Dudley



Introduction



Azzedine Boudrioua



Part One: History Guiding the Future, example of Ibn al Haytham





Chapter One: Ibn al Haytham’s Scientific Program



Roshdi Rashed





Chapter Two: Science, Philosophy and religion during the 10th century



Josef Van Ess





Chapter Three: From the Reasons of Light to the Lights of Reason: Remarks on the Nine Centuries Distant Ibn al Haytham’s and Albert Einstein’s Respective Approaches of Light as Conceived Physically



Michel Paty





Chapter Four: Translation and Studies of Ibn al Haytham’s Optics in Latin



Paul Pietquin





Chapter Five: Ibn Al-Haytham: The Founder of Scientific Pluralism



Hassan Tahiri (Portugal)





Chapter Six: The Famous Problem of Ibn al Haytham



Pierre Coullet





Chapter Seven: Ibn Al-Haytham: Founder of Physiological Optics?



Vasudevan Lakshminarayanan





Chapter Eight: Al Haytham's Influence on the Optics and Culture of Medieval Europe



Charles Falco





Part Two: Light-based technologies for the future



Chapter Nine: Photonic Technology: Recent Developments and Challenges of the 21st Century



Azzedine Boudrioua





Chapter Ten: Ibn al Haytham’s: From Basra, Earth to the Gale Crater, Mars



Noureddine Melikechi





Chapter Eleven: Modern electron optics and the search for more light: the legacy of Ibn al-Haytham



Mohamed El-Gomati





Chapter Twelve: Atomic-scale time with new light sources



Majed Chergui





Chapter Thirteen: The relevance of LED lighting for sustainable development

Biography

Azzedine Boudrioua

"I enjoyed reading this book written by world-leading scientists and historians with much experience in the history of science in general and science of optics; this is the main strength of this book. Another strong aspect of the book is that it's an international collective effort, containing contributions from people with multi-cultural and multi-faith backgrounds."
—Ali Al-Kamli, Jazan University, Saudi Arabia

"… a true presentation of the journey of science of light, starting with the pioneering works on optics by Ibn al-Haytham – an Arab mathematician and physicist, a thousand years back, and the influence of his scientific methods on the European renaissance. Ibn al Haytham was like a pole star, whose light guided the future scientists like Newton, Fresnel, Maxwell, Einstein and many others to unravel the mysteries of light."
—Zahid H. Khan, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India

"This book is very interesting: short complementary sections with high-level information on science evolution, technology and development over time and over space."
—Zohra ben Lakhdar, Faculty of Science in Tunis, Tunisia

"The broad approach includes cultural, social and historical aspects of light-based science and technology, and the chapters are written by international scholars with a wide range of backgrounds. The book will be very valuable to science historians, and people working in optics, photonics, vision science and many other light-based technologies."
—Alexander A. Sawchuk, University of Southern California, USA

"This book contains the contributor’s presentations at a 2015 conference to celebrate the legacy of Ibn al-Haytham (965-1040)—specifically, his philosophical, mathematical and experimental works as contained in the first three extant books of his Book of Optics. For readers who are not familiar with the translations and extensive scholarly commentary of A. I. Sabra, and A. Mark Smith, this book is a recommended