Jörg Matthias Determann's Blog, page 13

Article on outer space and pedagogy

Many thanks and شكرا كثيرا to the marvelous team of Al-Fanar Media for publishing another article of mine in both English and Arabic. It is entitled “Using Outer Space as a Safe Space in Your Courses.” Mohamed Elhawary generously invited me to write this piece. Charles Huckabee was an excellent editor, as always, after Jeanne Vaz had commented on my first draft. Finally, I acknowledge a massive debt to several incredible people for enlightening exchanges about teaching science with science fiction. They include my dear friend Emad El-Din Aysha as well as my hardworking research assistants Kara Dauletkanova, Mila Zhanat and Moom Thahinah. https://www.al-fanarmedia.org/2024/03...

Interview for Women In Astronomy blog

A big thank you to Nicolle Zellner of Albion College for interviewing me about my Springer book Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Astronomy: A Modern History! Our written exchange appeared under the title “DEIA Activism in Astronomy” on the Women In Astronomy blog on February 29, 2024. This site is maintained by the American Astronomical Society’s Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy. I am very grateful to Jeanne Vaz for proofreading my draft responses. Like the book itself, this interview is ultimately also the product of fruitful conversations I have had with dozens of astronomers and activists over the years, including Meg Urry and Chanda Prescod-Weinstein. https://womeninastronomy.blogspot.com...

Article on teaching with children’s literature in the History of Science Society Newsletter

Morgan Valenzuela and John Paul Gutierrez have my deep gratitude for including an article of mine in the History of Science Society Newsletter. My essay, which appeared in volume 53, no. 1 (2024), is entitled “Globalize your History of Science Courses with Children’s Literature.” Summer Al-Jarrah Bateiha, Sadia Mir and Jeanne Vaz kindly commented on an earlier version of my article. Patty Paine’s helpful suggestions are always at the back of my mind, as I reflect about my pedagogy. Finally, I thank my daughter Maria for reading much children’s science fiction in Arabic and German with me. https://hssonline.org/blogpost/198746...

Book launch on Blogging Theology

I feel utmost gratitude toward Paul Williams for interviewing Shoaib Ahmed Malik and me about our edited volume Islamic Theology and Extraterrestrial Life: New Frontiers in Science and Religion (I.B. Tauris). Our interview, which we recorded on StreamYard, was released on Paul’s channel Blogging Theology. I thank the producer, Affan Khan, very much for his vital work. Finally, I am indebted to Byrad Yyelland for generously allowing me to use our shared office at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar to connect with Paul and Shoaib, who were speaking from London and Dubai respectively. You can watch our video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GIOd...

Participation in NASA astrobiology workshop

I am filled with feelings of gratitude to Jordan Bimm of the University of Chicago for inviting me to be part of the NASA workshop Communicating Discoveries in the Search for Life in the Universe (CDSLU) in February and March 2024. I am incredibly excited to exchange perspectives about the potential discovery of life beyond Earth with a diverse group of scientists, scholars and science communicators. They include Jordan’s co-organizers Mary Voytek and David Grinspoon, among others. I particularly look forward to contributing to a white paper summarizing key insights from the event. I also want to acknowledge the essential work of Hana Mamnoon and her colleagues at Knowinnovation in bringing us together. You can find more information about this and other activities on the website of the NASA Astrobiology Program: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/news/as...

Release of edited volume on Islamic Theology and Extraterrestrial Life

I am infinitely thankful to the wonderful people of I.B. Tauris, including Sophie Rudland, Nina Hayes-Thompson, Faiza Zakaria (and many others), for releasing Shoaib Ahmed Malik’s and my edited volume Islamic Theology and Extraterrestrial Life: New Frontiers in Science and Religion this month. Our list of distinguished contributors comprises Ayub, David Solomon Jalajel, Emad El-Din Aysha, Faisal Abdullah, Hamza Karamali, Ilham Ibrahim, Moamer Khalayleh, Mohammad Mahdi Montasseri and Richard Playford. Adriana Brioso designed a spectacular cover. Are you interested in writing or commissioning a review of our book? Would you like to interview any of us? If so, you can get a free copy by contacting me or our publisher. Otherwise, you can purchase the book in a variety of formats from the Bloomsbury website: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/islamic...

Gathering on Teaching and Learning in Qatar

My fellow members of the Qatar Teaching and Learning Forum (QLTF) and I are extraordinarily grateful to Francisco Marmolejo and his colleagues at Qatar Foundation for supporting our event “Badir: Starting New Conversations on Teaching + Learning in EC.” Badir, which means “Initiate,” will take place in Education City’s Think Bay on February 12, 2024. It includes a presentation of mine entitled “Globalize Your Pedagogy with Children's Books.” This gathering would not be possible without the exceptional leadership of Peter Martin and the outstanding work of his graphic design students at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar. The registration form is here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA...

Article by Christopher Graney on the website of the Vatican Observatory

I want to thank Christopher Graney very much for another discussion of my I.B. Tauris book on Islam, Science Fiction and Extraterrestrial Life on the webpages of the Vatican Observatory. I previously shared a review of his from 2020. Now, I have come across a longer article of his posted on the same website the following year. His essay is entitled “Faith and Science (Fiction), but Different.” View it here: https://www.vaticanobservatory.org/sa...

Interview on Islamic Futurism for Deutschlandfunk Kultur

Dankeschön and thank you very much to Nabila Abdel Aziz for interviewing me for the program Religionen (Religions) on Deutschlandfunk Kultur! It is a great honor for me to appear in an episode entitled Islamischer Futurismus – Befreiendes Denken in die Zukunft (Islamic Futurism – Liberating Thought into the Future). The show, which was broadcast on January 14, 2024, also features Ouassima Laabich and Nilgün Akıncı of the project Muslim Futures. Listen to us here: https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/...

Presentation at New York University Abu Dhabi’s Astronomy Camp

Many thanks and تشكرات to Mohamad Abbas for inviting me to speak at New York University Abu Dhabi’s fourth annual Astronomy Camp. This event for high school and university students is organized by NYUAD’s Center for Astrophysics and Space Science in partnership with the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences and Technology. I am honored to give a presentation about on “Muslim Cultures and Extraterrestrial Life” via Zoom on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, at 5pm United Arab Emirates time. You can read more about this year’s Astronomy Camp and register here: https://nyuad.nyu.edu/en/events/2024/...