When
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Scientists today are involved in countless aspects of our daily lives, from the moment we wake, to the time we hit the sack. Whether it's food, healthcare, transport, security, work, environment, social services, or leisure, there are few aspects of modern life untouched by science.
Clearly, societies all over the world have placed huge amounts of trust in science to a degree unprecedented in history. But has anyone stopped to think what all this means? What are the implications of our brave, new world, both the good and the bad? What does the past tell us about trust in science. And what happens when communities stop trusting in their scientists?
The 2013 Winter Gathering assembled some of the world's leading scientists, philosophers and historians of science to help answer these questions and more. From 29 November to 1 December Fellows and friends joined, among others, Emilie Savage-Smith, professor of the history of Islamic Medicine at the University of Oxford, whose latest publication is An Eleventh Century Egyptian Guide to the Universe; the philosopher Jerry Ravetz author of the seminal work, Scientific Knowledge and its Social Problems, and The No-Nonsense Guide to Science; Usama Hasan, researcher, imam and fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society; and Ziauddin Sardar, author of Explorations in Islamic Science, for a feast of ideas and argument on the topic of Trust in Science. If you thought that science is only about discovery and invention, awe and wonder, The Winter Gathering invited you to think again!
**PLEASE NOTE, ACCOMMODATION AT SARUM COLLEGE IS NOW FULL**
As before our base is Sarum College, which offers friendly, comfortable accommodation in single, twin and double rooms, mostly en-suite, and all halal catering. The weekend - inclusive of accommodation, all meals and refreshments from Registration at 4-6pm on Friday 29 November through to lunch on Sunday 1 December - is FREE for Fellows. Booking fee for non-Fellows is £50.
We reserve the right to charge a cancellation fee of £50 as appropriate.
Accommodation in Sarum College is limited. Book soon to be sure of your place. Further accommodation is available nearby on a bed and breakfast basis. We can supply a list of local bed and breakfast establishments, however, it will be up to you to make your own bookings and be responsible for your own accommodation costs. All other meals and refreshments are inclusive in the booking fee and will be provided at Sarum College. Fellows using bed and breakfast places will be reimbursed.
Prayer facilities will be available.
Programme:
Muslim Institute 5th Winter Gathering
29 November - 1 December 2013
Sarum College, Salisbury
Theme: ‘Trust me: I am a scientist’
Friday 29 November
4-6pm: Registration
7-8pm: Dinner
8-8.10pm: Welcome address by Merryl Wyn Davies
8.10 - 10pm: Opening Keynote: Does Scientific Knowledge still have social problems
Dr Jerome Ravetz in conversation with long-time friend and co-author Professor Ziauddin Sardar
Saturday 30 November
8.00-9.00: Breakfast
9.30-11.00: Can Statistics Make Us Well?
Dr Saliha Afzal and Dr Hashim Reza describe how medical research is conducted today and assess the long-term implications of a data-driven approach to wellness.
Chair: Mohammed Amin
11.00-11.30: Coffee Break
11.30-1.00: ‘Whitehall Calling’
Professor Waqar Ahmad in conversation with Suniya Qureshi as he reflects on three years at the heart of the last Labour government as Chief Social Scientist to the Deputy Prime minister John Prescott.
1.00-2.00: Lunch
2.00-3.30: Science as Metaphor
Avaes Mohammad reflects on his personal journey from scientist to artist. Whereas he once used science for research, he now adopts scientific principles as metaphors in his poetry and plays.
3.30-4.00: Coffee Break
4.00-5.30: Islamic Creationism and Problems of Trust in Science
Dr Usama Hasan describes what happens when entire communities lose faith in what scientists have to say.
Chair: Andrew Brown
7.00-8.00: Dinner
8.00-9.30: Performance
Scenes from The Crows Plucked Your Sinews
Written and directed by Hassan Mahamdallie and performed by Yusra Warsama.
Followed by a Q & A
Sunday 1 December
8.00 - 9.00: Breakfast
9.30-11.00: Lost History
Professor Emilie Savage Smith reflects on the state of the history of Islamic science at universities around the world. As some of the leading names begin to retire, who will be tomorrows’ manuscript-hunters?
Chair: Professor Iftikhar Malik
11.00-11.30: Coffee Break
11.30-12.30: What Science Means to Me
Panellists: Prof Misbah Deen, Leyla Jagiella and Sarah Pickthall
Chair: Samia Rahman
12.30-1.00: Closing Thoughts and Muslim Institute’s Next Year Programme
Hassan Mahamdallie
1.00-2.00: Lunch & Departure
Prayer facilities will be available in the Tindall Room