Collaboration has long been considered a key driver of innovation in science and technology. Accordingly, some of the most important scientific advances have emerged from knowledge centers. Today, when people think of a center that focuses on many organizations and encourages collaboration, they often think of Silicon Valley. But this is not the first place to realize this idea, there have been many centers established to pave the way for it, including Baghdad, Iraq, during the Golden Age of Islam in the 20th century. fourth religion (tenth century AD).
Around this time, when Europe was going through the “Dark Ages,” the House of Wisdom (Bayt-al Hikmah) was born. It was here that many of the great works of Persia, China, India and Greece were collected and translated into Arabic, including the works of Aristotle and Euclid.
Cultural and linguistic diversity has created lasting legacies of innovation in fields including algebra, geography, astronomy, medicine and engineering.
Automation machinery
Existing for about three and a half centuries, the House of Wisdom was home to a number of great thinkers. Among these were the Banu Musa brothers – three Persian scholars who lived in Baghdad in the 9th century, each with his own expertise: one was a mathematician, one was an astronomer, and one was an astronomer. is an engineer.
They translated works from other languages into Arabic, provided support to other translators, and invested money to purchase rare manuscripts. They are also involved in urban infrastructure development, and are even talented in music.
But their most notable contribution was automatic machinery, or automata. In a work published in 850 AD, The Book of Ingenious Devicesalso known as The Book of Tricksthey described machines that were considered the forerunners of modern robotics.
These automata include mechanical musical instruments and a steam-powered flute-playing robot. Teun Koetsier of Vrije University Amsterdam considers this mechanical “musician” to be the world’s first programmable machine.
Genius scientists
Another scholar who lived in the House of Wisdom at the time was Mohammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, whose name inspired a term we commonly use today: “algorithm” (algorithm). ).
In fact, the term “algebra” also comes from the title of one of his books – Kitab fi al-Jabr wa al-Muqabala – Handbook on calculations using completion and equilibrium.
This was one of (if not the) first publication in the world to cover the rules of algebra. He also made important contributions in the fields of geography and astronomy. Al-Khwarizmi collaborated with al-Kindi, also known by his Latin name Alkindus.
Al-Kindi was an Abbasid scholar. He was a citizen of the Abbasid Empire, which stretched across the Arabic-speaking region from present-day Pakistan to Tunisia, and from the Black Sea to the Indian Ocean. He was a mathematician, student of cryptanalysis and a pioneer in music theory who combined Aristotelian philosophy with Islamic theology.
Al-Kindi is credited with introducing Indian numerals to his fellow Arabic-speaking community. Together with al-Khwarizmi, he developed the Arabic numerals we all use today (i.e. the numbers 0-9).
He is also the author of the oldest known book on cryptanalysis and the use of statistical inference (a type of data analysis). Statistician Lyle Broemeling describes this as one of the earliest examples of both methods.
Al-Kindi’s personal library was so vast that it seems to have aroused jealousy in the hearts of the Banu Musa brothers, causing them to plot to quarrel with him, drive him from the House of Wisdom, and His institute was confiscated, becoming their property.
Disappeared without a trace
After centuries of “nurturing” wisdom and developing science and technology, the House of Wisdom was destroyed by the Mongols during the Siege of Baghdad in 1258 – without leaving any trace.
The fact that no archaeological evidence has been recorded has led some scholars to doubt its existence. Some say that the House of Wisdom does not exist as a physical place, but as a mental state.
In his book Greek Thought, Arabic Culture, Dimitri Gutas suggests that the House of Wisdom was likely romanticized as an “ideal national archive.” But Islamic Studies expert Hossain Kamaly said this view is not convincing.
However, Gutas himself agrees that between 800 and 1000 AD there was a large-scale translation movement in the Middle East, from which many complete and systematic translations of non-literary works emerged. Greek learning into Arabic was born. The translators are highly appreciated. Their social prestige and that of the elites who helped fund translation activities also increased.
Renowned science communicator and theoretical physicist Jim al-Khalili summarizes in his book Pathfinder:
[Đ]This is truly the House of Wisdom […] greatly expanded its scope from a mere palace library […] and then become an original center of scientific learning.
In other words, the House of Wisdom may be a small space, but it is a space where interdisciplinary knowledge intersects in a diverse and dynamic environment. It has left valuable legacies for modern science.
Scholars often received financial support from various caliphs – the political and religious leaders of Muslim countries. In other words, scholars only focus on receiving “scholarships” instead of applying for grants. Additionally, all ways of learning to acquire knowledge are equally respected, rewarded and encouraged, which leads to social stability and prosperity.
Although there is still much we do not know about the House of Wisdom, we still recognize that from past to present, rich ideas often appear in a dynamic, multidisciplinary environment. This makes us wonder: is there a clear division of majors as we usually do – which assumes that science, technology and social science are two opposing fields unrelated to each other? – is stifling innovation?
