Natural Science / Cognitive Science
and Five College Astronomy Department
Adele Simmons Hall, Room 218
Hampshire College
Amherst, MA 01002
Office Phone: (413)-559-6160
Email: 
Blog: Irtiqa - A Science & Religion Blog
Popular articles and interviews
Blog: Irtiqa: A Science & Religion Blog ; Film Reviews: Film Autopsy Blog
Social Media in Pakistan, a discussion on VoA’s Access Point with Ayesha Tanzeem, January 24, 2013
The Amherst Alien and Dr. Salman Hameed, a short interview-podcast with Monte Belmonte for WRSI, 93.9-The River, January 15, 2013
Muslim thought on evolution takes a step forward, The Guardian, January 11, 2013
The Last Podcast: Salman Hameed on the end of the Mayan Calendar, a short interview-podcast with Monte Belmonte for WRSI, 93.9-The River, December 19 , 2012
Blasphemy Laws are Darkening Pakistan’s Skies, The Guardian, November 9, 2012
Andromeda wants to kick our asteroid, a short interview-podcast with Monte Belmonte for WRSI, 93.9-The River, June 13 , 2012
When Evidence is Powerless TEDx talk at Amherst College, January 21, 2012
How do Muslims view modern science and evolution? a public lecture at the Tech Museum, San Jose, CA, January 15, 2012
On Mars and the ethics of Martian exploration (mp3) on Musings on Our Insanely Huge Universe, a monthly segment on the Bill Newman Show on WHMP (AM1400, FM96.9), February 7, 2012 (last 15 minutes of the podcast).
Are Evolution and Religion Compatible? A discussion on Al Jazeera’s show The Stream, December 6, 2011
On the discovery of a new earth-like planet and the question of life on Mars (mp3) on Musings on Our Insanely Huge Universe, a monthly segment on the Bill Newman Show on WHMP (AM1400, FM96.9), December 6, 2011 (last 15 minutes of the podcast).
Why are some Muslims calling to replace GMT with Mecca time? Religion Dispatches, November 4, 2011
On Dark Matter and our Insignificance (mp3) on Musings on Our Insanely Huge Universe a monthly segment on the Bill Newman Show on WHMP (AM1400, FM96.9), November 1, 2011 (last 15 minutes of the podcast).
An old Earth for all Muslims. But how does evolution fit in? An opinion piece for Earth Magazine, October 2011
Neutrinos, Diamond Planet, and Physics Nobel Prize (mp3) on Musings on Our Insanely Huge Universe a monthly segment on the Bill Newman Show on WHMP (AM1400, FM96.9), October 4, 2011 (last 15 minutes of the podcast).
Luke Skywalker’s planet and Back to the Future for Neutrinos a short interview-podcast with Monte Belmonte for WRSI, 93.9-The River, September 28, 2011
Science, Religion, and the Building of Scientific Culture in Pakistan (published under the title of “The Science of Scriptures”), Sunday Magazine, Pakistan Express, Tribune, August 28, 2011
On the theory of two moons of early Earth a short interview-podcast with Monte Belmonte for WRSI, 93.9-The River, August 5, 2011
Conversation about the movie The Tree of Life, on the Bill Newman Show on WHMP (AM1400, FM96.9), August 1, 2011 (second half of the podcast).
Searchers in a Desert, Movie review of Nostalgia for the Light, published in Science, July 22, 2011 (vol. 333, no. 6041, p. 407)
Interview about alien abductions, Pluto and the universe on the Bill Newman Show on WHMP (AM1400, FM96.9), July 5, 2011 (first half of the podcast).
Aliens: Are they already here or are they probing Uranus? a short interview-podcast with Monte Belmonte for WRSI, 93.9-The River, June 6, 2011
When Evidence is Powerless an oped in The Guardian, June 24, 2011
Looking to the Heavens: Telescopes versus Terrorism in Pakistan, Sunday Magazine, Pakistan Express, Tribune, June 5, 2011
Interview about the documentary “Nostalgia for the Light” on the Bill Newman Show on WHMP (AM1400, FM96.9), June 6, 2011 (second half of the podcast).
Popular Science as a Guide for Popular Geopolitics? a post for the USC Trans/Missions blog on Media, Culture, Religion, Society, May 13, 2011
The New Frankenstein: Science, Fiction, and Ethics (about the new Danny Boyle production of Frankenstein) a short interview-podcast with Monte Belmonte for WRSI, 93.9-The River, April 21, 2011
Doomsday in 2012: A bad idea goes global a post for the USC Trans/Missions blog on Media, Culture, Religion, Society, April 14, 2011
Muslims must be free to debate issues such as evolution without fear an oped in The Guardian, April 9, 2011
Superpoking Mubarak (about the use of social media in the North-African uprisings) a short interview-podcast with Monte Belmonte for WRSI, 93.9-The River, February 16, 2011
Science versus science fiction (about supernova in 2012 and sliding astrology) a short interview-podcast with Monte Belmonte for WRSI, 93.9-The River, January 26, 2011
Hampshire opens Center for the Study of Science in Muslim Societies, an interview with Amherst NPR station, WFCR, November 15, 2010
Goldiclocks Planet, a short interview-podcast with Monte Belmonte for WRSI, 93.9-The River, October 7, 2010
Was it really necessary to remake “Let the Right One In” in English, w/ Kevin Anderson, 3QuarksDaily, October 18, 2010
The Purple Interview: Faith, Hope, Science and Caprica, an interview with Purple State of Mind, February 2, 2010
Capricology, a weekly online discussion of science, technology and religion in the television series, Caprica, hosted by ReligionDisptaches.
Darwin in the World - Evolution and Faith in the 21st Century, a BBC debate held at Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt, on November 14, 2009
Creationism in the Muslim World, an interview with Word of Mouth on New Hampshire Public Radio, September 30, 2009
Alone on the dark side of “Moon”, review of the movie, Moon, w/ Kevin Anderson, Daily Hampshire Gazette, July 14, 2009
Creationism in Turkey, an interview on PRI’s The World, July 1, 2009
10 minutes with Salman Hameed, an interview with Religion News Service, February 11, 2009
Reject Zero-sum game on Darwin, oped in Providence Journal, February 14, 2009
Darwin’s Disciple: Hampshire professor promotes theory of evolution in Muslim world, an article based on an interview with Daily Hampshire Gazette, January 10, 2009
How to quell the rise of Muslim Creationism, Guardian Science Blog, December 12, 2008
Evolution and Islam, an interview on PRI’s The World, December 11, 2008
How to stop creationism gaining a hold in Islam, an interview with the New Scientist, December 11, 2008
Nature and Natural Disasters, published on the Internet Magazine, Chowk (October 2, 2006)
Listening to the Cries of Baby Stars, published on the Internet Magazine, Chowk (April 16, 2006)
The Travelogue of an Astronomer, published in the Weekend Magazine section of Daily Dawn, Pakistan (October 17, 2004)
Searching for Identity in Our Little Corner of the Universe, published in the Science section of Daily Dawn, Pakistan (June 7, 2003)
Select popular articles that reference related research work:
Islam and Science: The Road to Renewal, The Economist, January 26, 2013
An interview with the Turkish newspaper, Taraf, May 20, 2012.
Complex Islamic Response Emerges from Study SciDev Net, June 29, 2011
Does Islam Stand Against Science? Chronicle of Higher Education, June 19, 2011
Evolution Abroad: Creationism Evolves in Science Classrooms Around the Globe, Scientific American, March 2011
Hampshire College Announces Center for the Study of Science in Muslim Societies, Ascribe, October 27, 2010
Origin of a translation, Egypt Today, January 2010
The Cosmos at T2F 2.0, In the Line of Wire, December 24, 2009
Human in the Cosmos, Aga Khan University News and Events, December 22, 2009
Study of acceptance of evolution among Muslim physicians, AScribe Newswire, November 12, 2009
In Turkey, fertile ground for creationism, The Washington Post, November 8, 2009
Creationism, Without a Young Earth, Emerges in the Islamic World, The New York Times, November 2, 2009
Islam’s Darwin Problem, The Boston Globe, October 25, 2009
Evo Education: Panelists consider science in Islamic states, The McGill Daily, April 6, 2009
God and Science: An inner conflict, Live Science, January 15, 2009
Update on Islamic creationism, National Center for Science Education, December 15, 2008
Move over creationists, Andrew Sullivan’s Daily Dish, December 12, 2008
Evolution arguments headed for Islamic world, Live Science, December 11, 2008
Life, the Universe, and Everything, The News (Pakistan), December 6, 2008