Science in the Muslim World

Men Objectify Scantily Clad Women

2009-12-23T11:18:00.000-08:00

Anecdotally, Muslim women often speak of feeling "protected," "safe," and "respected" when they wear the hijab (religiously mandated modest dress that covers the shape of the body and includes the headscarf or veil). Now there may also be evidence to show that their feelings are rooted in scientific fact.

When psychologist Susan Fiske and a team of researchers at Princeton University performed MRI brain scans on heterosexual men who viewed a series of images showing both scantily clad and fully clothed men and women, they found that the men had an unmistakable response to women wearing less clothing.

The less they wore, the more likely it was for the premotor cortex and the posterior middle temporal gyrus to light up. These are the areas of the brain associated with tool use, hand manipulation, and the urge to take action.

According to Fiske, the results of the study have important implications for women, especially in the workplace as it has previously been shown that viewing sexualized images of women can affect how men perceive women and interact with them afterwards.

Muslim women weigh in on the hijab and issues of modesty.

Anousheh Ansari: The First Muslim Woman in Space

2009-12-22T11:01:00.000-08:00

Like many people, you may have dreamed of visiting the moon, doing a space walk, or just having fun with the weightlessness astronauts experience once they leave Earth's atmosphere. Unheard of just a few years ago, space tourism is a new industry catering to such dreams.

The high cost of civilian space travel, however, means that only a handful of people will sign up for the adventure.

In September 2006, Anousheh Ansari became one of the privileged few, paying an estimated $20 million for ten days in space. The experience, made possible through the collaboration of the Russian Federal Space Agency with the US-based Space Adventures (the only company to have successfully launched private explorers into space), included a ride aboard a Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft and eight days at the International Space Station (ISS). Accompanied by NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin, Ansari was the fourth person ever to participate in the Space Adventures program since it began sending civilians to space in 2001.

Ansari (whose first name Anousheh means "happy" or "fortunate" in her native Farsi) was the first female client of Space Adventures as well as the first American of Iranian descent to visit space. She was also the first Muslim woman to make such a trip.

Controversial Invention has the Potential to Save Lives

2009-12-21T10:49:00.000-08:00

We have all heard horror stories about parents forgetting their children in the car while they run errands or go to work. In worst case scenarios, children left alone can suffocate and die within just a few minutes, especially when it is hot outside.

Osama Ismail, a Syrian communications engineer who works for the Abu Dhabi police, has invented a device that sends messages to the parent's mobile phone, reminding him or her that their child is alone in the car. In addition, the device rolls down the windows a bit and activates the car's air conditioning. If the parent does not respond within 11 minutes, a loud alarm goes off.

Critics of the device say that some irresponsible parents may depend on it instead of taking proper care of their children. Although he sees value in the device, Chairman of Pediatrics at Mafraq Hospital, Dr. Taisser Atrak, said, "As a safety expert, my advice for parents is they should not leave their children in the car alone."

Arab Inventors Face Many Challenges

2009-12-20T10:46:00.000-08:00

What do an inflatable jacket for motorcyclists that acts like an airbag, a pen for blind people that writes in Braille, and a milk bottle that washes babies’ mouths after feeding all have in common?

They are all uniquely Kuwaiti inventions—patented with the help of the inventors’ office at the Kuwait Science Club, but never produced. The club, which is working to encourage innovation among Kuwaiti citizens, sponsors the patents, which cost US$20,000 to register.

The office’s director, Khaled Al-Hasan, told The National newspaper that "the biggest challenges [are] turning the patented idea into a prototype, and the inventors’ lack of experience in dealing with industry and commerce."

“In Kuwait, we cannot make a prototype; we have to send it to China or

Germany

,” he said.

The challenges faced by inventors are not limited to Kuwait alone, however. A new report found that "the Arab world makes up only 1.1% of global scientific publishing and the low level of investment into research has led to relatively low levels of innovation throughout the Arab world."

Using Local Honey to Treat Allergies

2009-12-19T10:40:00.000-08:00

"There emerges from their bodies a drink of varying colors, wherein is healing for men: verily in this is a Sign for those who give thought." (Qur'an 16:69)

When people get allergy shots, they are attempting to increase their tolerance to the substances that cause their symptoms. This is done by injecting small amounts of the substance into their bodies over a period of time. Some people claim that eating local honey can produce the same effect. The idea is that the bees local to your area will visit all the flowers that are causing your allergies, allowing you to build up tolerance to the pollens the honey contains. Thomas Ogren, author of "Allergy-Free Gardening," is a believer in local honey immunotherapy, but also says that caution must be used since honey can also trigger potentially life-threatening allergic reactions in some people. According to Ogren, a quarter of a teaspoon daily is plenty to start with.