The Islamic mathematician Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi invented algebra and algorithms. Ibn Sina wrote on philosophy and medicine, publishing an encyclopedic book that European medical students referenced for centuries. Writings and inventions from the Islamic Golden Age, which lasted from roughly the seventh to the thirteenth century, continue to influence science, philosophy and other fields today. But has Islam lost its science? That’s a question Admah Sadri and Aaron Freeman have been pondering for a while, and they join Worldview to discuss their answers.

Sadri is a professor of sociology and anthropology at Lake Forest College. His latest book is an illustrated adaptation of the Persian classic Shahnameh: The Epic of the Persian Kings. Freeman is the former host of WBEZ’s Metropolis, as well as an author, stand-up comedian and artist-in-residence at the Chicago Council on Science & Technology. The two frequently chat on the YouTube Channel Sciency Optimist.