Al-Biruni (0973–1048)

There is a tendency for those of us in the sciences to lament not living in an earlier age when there were so many fundamental things waiting to be discovered. We fantasize being a Newton uncovering the mechanics of the universe in a few simple equations, inspired by a falling apple.

But what if Newton had been born even earlier? This work suggests that it may not be better. From the thinking exhibited in this book, it is clear that Al Beruni had the mind of a great mathematician and physicist, but it is also clear he lacked earlier work to build on and create breakthroughs. Thus, he engages, for example, in complex trigonometric calculations to estimate the distance from the summit of the mythological Mount Meru to the horizon and using these calculations to show that the earth must be a sphere if the writings of Hindu scholars are correct. It's a splendidly mathematical approach to an absurd speculation, but it carries the mark of genius, which Al Beruni surely was.

Alberuni's India, claimed to be his masterpiece, is a dispassionate, and for the most part, non-judgmental exploration of Indian culture in the 11th century. There is a great deal of minutia about astrology, units of measure, and calculations of time, but these are interspersed with observations of Hindu philosophy and culture that are predictive of current scholarship.

This edition is an abridgment of a complete English translation that can be found online, but an examination of the full work indicates that the excisions by the editor are not overly zealous. Beyond its cultural and historical interest, Alberuni's India allows one to experience an exquisite mind operating in the obscure milieu of the Central Asian renaissance, with its strange blend of Islamic religiosity, Greek philosophy, and Indian proto-science.… (more)