No one believes that science is always objective. But how much are the ideas, experiments, and even conclusions of science shaped by the surrounding culture? Social scientist Kalim Siddiqui, director of the Muslim Institute in London, wants to know. So he has invited Islamic scientists working outside the Muslim world— he estimates there are 500,000 of them—to attend a conference in London this winter to examine the question. Siddiquis own opinion is that modern science is ‘laden with the values of Eastern political and economic systems.” For example, he says, John F. Kennedy’s “nationalistic goals” spurred the research that led to the 1969 U.S. journey to the moon. A different set of values—as in the Muslim ethic, perhaps—would result in scientists addressing more mundane problems: basic nutrition, feeding people, and treating disease in developing countries,” suggests Siddiqui. For more information, contact: Kalim Siddiqui, The Muslim Institute, 6 Endsleigh Street, London,...
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