Humankind Series continues with “Science of the Middle East”

West Shore Community College’s Humankind Series continues with “Science of the Middle East” on March 6, at 12:30 and 7 p.m., in the college’s Center Stage Theater.

Dr. Yunus Telliel, who teaches religion and philosophy at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, will examine the powerful, and rarely discussed, influence Arab science had on Western science. He will also discuss how this influence is thriving today. Telliel will also trace how science has changed under Islam.

WSCC’s Professor of Biological Sciences Dr. Mike McKinney is excited about this opportunity for students and the community. He stated, “Many great contributions have been made to math and science by Western civilization, but many contributions have also been made by people in Asia and the Middle East, and other areas.”

Dr. McKinney went on to say, “I am excited to have Yunus Telliel here to talk about some of the contributions that people from the Middle East have made. My desire is that both our students and people of our community will understand that math and science discoveries are made by people in regions other than the West.”

Now in its second year, WSCC’s Humankind Series explores a different topic and a different of region of the world each year. Last year, the focus was on science and Western Africa and this year the focus is on place and the location is the Middle East.

For the next event, WSCC will present Middle East journalist for the New York Times, New York Review of Books, and other publications Robert Worth, author of “A Rage for Order: The Middle East in Turmoil from Tahrir Square to Isis,” on March 13, at 12 noon and 7 p.m., in the Center Stage Theater.

The Humankind Series will close the year on April 16, with Professor of Philosophy at South Dakota University Lucian Stone. Stone will present “The Middle East Does Not Exist: A Cosmopolitan Reckoning” on campus at 12:30 p.m., in the Center Stage Theater. That evening, there will be a screening of the movie “A Moment of Innocence,” at 6 p.m., followed at 7:45 by Stone’s presentation “Personhood, Identity, and Change.”

The Humankind events are free and open to the public. Check out Facebook (Humankind by West Shore Community College) for more information

For further information about the series contact Brooke Portmann, bportmann@westshore.edu, 231-843-5866 or Thomas Hawley, thawley@westshore.edu, 231-843-5803.