Sadiq Seminars

"In addition to his knowledge of Islamic sciences, Ja'far Al-Sadiq was also an adept in natural sciences, mathematics, philosophy, astronomy, anatomy, alchemy and other subjects..."

--Wikipedia entry on Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a.s.)

Would you like to learn something cool and new?

Are you interested in learning about what fascinates your fellow TMA members? Perhaps you've learned something awesome in one of your classes that you would love to share with others? Or maybe you're just curious to see the highlights of other fields without devoting years and debt into getting a degree.

The Sadiq Seminars are a way to do all of these, and more!

What is a Sadiq Seminar?

A Sadiq Seminar is a short presentation given by a TMA member on an interesting topic related to their field of study. These presentations, which usually last 30-40 minutes, are held every other Wednesday, and can be about anything from quantum mechanics to psychology to mathematics to computer programming. After the seminar, there is an opportunity to discuss the topic with the speaker in a friendly environment, and enjoy some free dinner!

Past Sadiq Seminars

Here are the details and abstracts of the previous Sadiq Seminars we have held.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Presenter: Sr. Hajer

Field: Psychology

Title: Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations for Salaat

Abstract:

Intrinsic motivation is the desire to perform a behaviour effectively and for its own sake. How many times have we felt this desire for Salah? Can you remember or count the many times you've prayed effectively simply because you were drawn to the action itself. We will be discussing why this is imperative to your growth as a Muslim, and how the opposing motivation: extrinsic motivation, can hinder your spiritual education. Extrinsic motivation is defined as the desire to behave in certain ways to receive external rewards or avoid threatened punishment. Psychological studies of human behaviour have shown that extrinsically motivated people have lost or severely reduced the love they feel- for an action they once would pay to do. We will this trace back in history to the very beginnings of Prophet Adam (A.S), and you will discover, which type of motivation you fall under. Most importantly, we will discuss how someone can rekindle the fire that extrinsic motivation put out.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Presenter: Br. Miqdad

Field: Physics

Title: The Illusion of Certainty

Abstract:

Our repeated everyday sensory experiences have led us to construct a notion of a consistent, stable, ever-present, subsisting, concrete, ‘solid’ universe around us; a ‘certain’ world & reality; for were it not so, how would we so calmly swing our legs off our beds every morning - bleary eyed & sleepy - if we weren't certain that there was a solid floor waiting to catch us?...

Almost everyday in our lives, in countless ways over and over again, we are constantly told of the ‘superiority’ of the current age of science over the ‘ superstitious’, ‘non-empirical’ ways of religion; of the past. The modern ‘Scientific Method’ is hailed as being THE paradigm & system of thought that allows humans to make progress in pursuit of greater knowledge and understanding of the world...

The aim of my talk will be to closely examine the ‘certainty’ with which we view the world around us; on the physical and intellectual plane. In the process I hope to introduce the listeners to some truly mind-blowing discoveries that physics has made over the past 100 years; the way it threw our notion of certainty out the window, humbled us, and forced us to rethink and question the way we view the world. I hope to then link the discussion with epistemology (the Theory of Knowledge), where I will particularly talk about the theory of science; its awesome power, but also its limitations which we must keep in mind; before finally ending off with some observations on ways in which all of this links to the worldview that is promoted by Islam Insha Allah.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Presenter: Br. Samir

Field: Honours Science

Title: The earth, the heavens, and what is between them

Abstract:

This presentation will be a conglomerate of information from various courses that I have undertaken and am currently undertaking, specifically, Introductory Astronomy, Environmental Geology, and Evolution.

With reference to the title, I will present a brief history about our planet Earth and its place in the heavens. Setting that as a stage, I will move on to "what is between them" referring specifically to the human being and his evolutionary establishment on the earth. Keeping in mind that human evolution is a sensitive topic, I will present the idea purely under the umbrella of scientific language and methodology so as to dispel some misconceptions that arise as a result of improper understanding of and approach to the subject.

It's my final term. I have focused my study in biochemistry, graduating with Honours Science.

Science Rocks!

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Presenter: Br. Maysum

Field: Pure Mathematics

Title: One, Two, Three, ... Infinity

Abstract:

In this talk, we will be counting to infinity (and, if time permits, beyond). But can infinity can even be counted to? What exactly is infinity? Is infinity a number? What is a number, anyway?

These questions and more will be explored during the seminar, which is meant to be an introduction to the mysterious mathematics of infinity. After straightening out the foundations of what we understand about finite numbers, we will attempt to apply the same principles to the infinite... and in the process, we'll briefly ponder on some philosophy, have a taste of some mathematical experimentation, and determine if there really is enough room for you in heaven after all.

The seminar will be saturated with deep ideas in pure and abstract mathematics. That being said, there is no prior mathematical experience necessary to appreciate the main ideas that are presented. In fact, being mathematically illiterate might actually be helpful, because you won't be as devastated when infinity breaks all of the normal laws of math. But be warned -- intuition alone can be entirely unhelpful when tackling the infinite.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Presenter: Br. Abdullah

Field: Systems Design Engineering

Title: Design and Implementation of SUAV

Abstract:

People have dreamed of flying since early history. Until today, we are still fascinated when we watch birds fighting against gravity, and they do it so easily which makes us wonder how. The answer is simple, ALLAH is the perfect creator and HE made it possible. But, it still follows the physical laws, so let's try to figure it out.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)! Sounds fancy and complicated. Well, yes it is, but not if we understand how it works.

In this presentation, I will discuss the design and fabrication of a modular, low cost, and small unmanned aerial vehicle (SUAV). The SUAV design is optimized based on aerodynamic and structural analyses. Instrumentation and control features are embedded to enhance navigation automation.

Note for Robotics lovers:

1- UAV are aerial robots

2- If time permits, I'll end up with a small presentation about robots.

I have my Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering and I am currently pursuing my Masters of Science in Systems Design Engineering and I am interested in Robotics. I hope we all enjoy this seminar and benefit from it.