A Journey between the colours of the stars | Mohamed Amine Zouhri | TEDxESITH

Introduction

• The journey between the colors of the stars is a topic that involves exploring the various phenomena and celestial bodies in the night sky, including stars, planets, meteors, and comets (1m17s).
• The speaker's personal journey involved overcoming a significant obstacle, which was a stutter that lasted for 22 years and was the biggest challenge faced in life (49s).
• The night sky offers messages and information that can be used for personal and social growth, and every time one looks up at the sky, they receive a message or information (1m6s).
• The topic of the speech is a journey between the colors of the stars, and it involves exploring the various celestial bodies and phenomena in the night sky (1m14s).

The Milky Way and its names

• The image being shown is of the Milky Way galaxy, also known as the "dérivé de la voie lactée" or "wadi an-nujūm" in Arabic, which translates to "the valley of the stars" (2m0s).
• The name "Milky Way" comes from the Arabic word "al-burīd," which means "the one who seeks the path," and the Amazigh language, in which it is referred to as "abrid n waḵlim" (2m14s).
• The various names for the Milky Way, including "la voie lactée" in French, all refer to the same celestial body, and the closest name to the truth is the one that reflects its meaning (2m37s).
• The Amazigh language has a term "Asif Athran," meaning "valley of the stars," which refers to a large number of stars in the universe (2m43s).

Amazigh and Arab Star Knowledge

• The ancient Amazigh civilization in North Africa, which is the ancestor of the current population, used to observe the stars to determine the time for sowing and harvesting (2m55s).
• They followed a set of star constellations that appeared at specific times of the year, and many star names originated from the Arabic language, with around 75% of star names being Arabic (3m22s).
• In Moroccan culture, there is a saying that mentions the "Mishbuh" star, which is also known as "Al Kaus" or "The Bow," and is associated with the phrase "If you see the Mishbuh in Morocco, it's time to harvest, and if you see it in the evening, it's time to sow" (3m32s).
• The "Kasharil" or "Orion's Belt" can be seen in the sky today if one goes out at night, and it rises in the east, opposite to the sunset (3m53s).
• Another star, "Abt al-Jawza'," or "The Navel of the Central One," has an Arabic origin, but its name was later changed to "Betelgeuse" in French (4m13s).

Colors of Stars and People

• The colors of the stars are a result of nuclear reactions that occur within them, and each color provides a vast amount of data and information about the star (4m29s).
• Just like stars, people can be seen as having their own colors, which are a result of their interactions and experiences, and these colors can be seen as a reflection of their personalities and characteristics (4m44s).

Understanding the Stars

• The universe is full of celestial bodies, each telling a story of the cosmos, and humans have tried to understand the stars and their colors to uncover the secrets of the universe in various ways throughout history (4m57s).
• One of the things humans have done is look up at the sky and see a collection of stars, but in the past, people did not know that these stars were actually distant suns (5m32s).
• The ancient Greeks and Amazigh (Berbers) were among the first civilizations to look up at the stars and try to make sense of them, but they did not know what these white dots were (5m41s).
• The ancient Amazigh people believed that the stars were jewels in the sky, and they considered them to be precious stones like carnelian and diamonds, which held significant symbolic meaning for them (6m1s).
• The carnelian and diamond had a great symbolic significance for the ancient Amazigh, and this can be seen in their jewelry and even in the Tazirit symbol, which contains references to carnelian (6m23s).
• The ancient Greeks, on the other hand, believed that the stars were holes in the sky, like a ceiling with holes that let in light, and this was their interpretation of the stars (6m44s).
• However, over time, it became clear that this interpretation was incorrect, and a new understanding of the stars and their colors emerged (7m5s).
• The ancient Amazigh and Greeks are not the only ones who have provided explanations, and it's not a shame to seek knowledge and try to find the truth, which is what drives the pursuit of understanding (7m8s).
• A quote from Ibn al-Haytham's book "Manazir" states that for someone who seeks knowledge and truth, it is their duty to be skeptical of everything they read and to question it until they are fully convinced, which helps develop critical thinking skills (7m22s).
• This quote emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and skepticism in the pursuit of knowledge and truth, and it is a well-known saying of Ibn al-Haytham (7m37s).

The Scientific Method and the Islamic Golden Age

• The concept of the scientific method, which was developed by scholars of the Islamic Golden Age, is a new approach to understanding the world, and it is based on the idea of seeking knowledge and truth through observation, experimentation, and evidence (8m21s).
• The scientific method is a way of unifying different explanations and interpretations of natural phenomena, and it is a common language that can be understood by people from different backgrounds and cultures (8m49s).
• Scholars of the Islamic Golden Age, such as Ibn Maimon, Jabir ibn Hayyan, Al-Razi, and Al-Khwarizmi, were united by their pursuit of knowledge and their desire to understand the world, despite their different religious and cultural backgrounds (9m1s).
• Despite the differences in language and ideology, people are united by their pursuit of scientific knowledge and their desire to serve humanity and find solutions to problems, as long as they are searching for the truth (9m33s).
• The pursuit of truth allows people to find common ground and intersecting points, which can bring them together and help them find practical solutions to problems (10m2s).

Astronomy and its branches

• The discussion aims to explore the colors of the stars and their impact on humans, and how humans can relate to the stars in the sky (10m15s).
• Astronomy is a vast and complex science that has emerged from human curiosity and the desire to understand the universe (10m19s).
• The field of astronomy encompasses various specialties, including the study of galaxies, star constellations, exoplanets, comets, and the geology of planets (10m48s).
• There are different types of astronomy, such as astrophysics, which studies the nature of celestial objects, and astronomy that deals with the calculation and measurement of celestial bodies (11m23s).
• The "Quarter Majib" is a tool that was used by scholars of the Islamic civilization and was widely used by students of universities in Fez, particularly those specializing in the sciences of timekeeping, astronomy, and mathematics (11m15s).
• The second specialization in astronomy is the science of timing, which is used by scholars to determine the beginning of the Hijri months, when to start fasting, when Eid al-Fitr will be, the direction of the Qibla, and when the sun will rise and set (11m36s).
• This science relies on computational and geometric astronomy, using calculations such as logarithms and various tools that humans have developed to determine distances to stars, depths, and heights of mountains or valleys (11m55s).
• The quadrant is used to determine the height of an object, and the astrolabe is a tool used to determine the position of the sun and stars (12m19s).

Lunar Craters and Ibn al-Banna al-Marrakushi

• The Moon is the celestial body that we see for the longest number of days in a year, and it has craters called "seas" that were previously thought to be the result of volcanic activity (12m55s).
• However, research by scientists has shown that these craters are actually the result of the impact of meteorites on the Moon's surface (13m18s).
• In recent years, the International Astronomical Union has named these lunar craters after scientists who have made a significant impact on the history of science (13m38s).
• Ibn al-Banna al-Marrakushi was a Moroccan scholar who studied in Marrakech and later at the University of Al-Qarawiyyin, where he excelled in mathematics and astronomy, making significant contributions to the field of astronomy and having additions in the field of numerical sequences (13m50s).
• His real name was Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Uthman al-Azdi, and he was nicknamed Ibn al-Banna al-Marrakushi because his father was an architect in Marrakech (14m9s).
• Ibn al-Banna al-Marrakushi's story is one of struggle and perseverance, as he was able to overcome difficult circumstances in Marrakech and rise to become a prominent figure in the fields of mathematics and astronomy (14m31s).
• In Morocco, the sultans gave great importance to people who studied science, and Ibn al-Banna al-Marrakushi was among those who were close to the palace (14m57s).

Star Composition and Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin

• Scientists were able to understand the composition of the universe by analyzing the light emitted by stars, and recently, the James Webb Space Telescope has captured an image of a vast number of stars (15m19s).
• The image, taken by a team of engineers using the James Webb Space Telescope, shows a vast number of stars, with the image being roughly circular in shape (15m43s).
• The image is so vast that it is difficult to comprehend, with the stars appearing as tiny dots, similar to grains of sand (15m50s).
• Every star in the universe has a unique code called a barcode that can be used to identify it, similar to how products are identified with barcodes on Earth (16m2s).
• This code is determined by the light emitted by the star, which carries information about its internal composition (16m55s).
• By analyzing the light spectrum, or specter, of a star, scientists can determine its composition and properties (17m11s).
• Each star has a unique barcode that can be used to identify it, and scientists use this information to learn more about the star's internal composition (17m22s).
• One of the first scientists to discover this concept was a woman named Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, who faced significant challenges in pursuing her education in science in Europe during a time when it was difficult for women to do so (17m32s).
• Despite these challenges, Payne-Gaposchkin went on to study astronomy at Harvard University, where she made significant contributions to the field, including the discovery of the composition of stars (18m17s).
• Payne-Gaposchkin's work involved analyzing the light spectra of stars to determine their composition, which was a groundbreaking discovery at the time (18m31s).
• The color white gives a rainbow of colors when passed through a prism, and by analyzing the spectrum of light from stars, scientists can determine the materials present in those stars (18m48s).
• The spectrum of light is made up of different colors, each corresponding to a specific wavelength, and by analyzing these colors, scientists can determine the composition of the star (19m0s).

Star Classification and Properties

• The discovery of helium in the sun's spectrum was a major breakthrough in understanding the composition of stars, and it was found that the sun's spectrum contains hydrogen and helium (20m4s).
• Scientists have discovered that the color of a star is related to its surface temperature, with blue stars being hotter and red stars being cooler (21m14s).
• The classification of stars into different types, such as O, B, A, F, G, K, and M, is based on their surface temperature and color, with O being the hottest and M being the coolest (21m5s).
• The study of the composition and color of stars has helped scientists to better understand the universe and the properties of celestial objects (20m37s).
• The discovery of the composition of stars has also helped scientists to understand the life cycle of stars and how they evolve over time (20m46s).
• The analysis of the spectrum of light from stars has also led to a greater understanding of the properties of the universe, including the discovery of dark matter and dark energy (20m40s).
• The study of stars has also led to a greater understanding of the universe on a larger scale, including the discovery of galaxies and galaxy clusters (20m43s).

Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin's Discovery

• Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin was a pioneering astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of astrophysics, including the discovery of the composition of stars (21m0s).
• The concept of stars and their colors is being discussed, with a focus on understanding the composition of the stars and their relation to the Earth and the Sun (21m37s).
• The classification of stars based on their colors, such as blue, is being explored, with the example of a blue star being mentioned (21m57s).
• A significant proportion of the materials found in the Sun are also found on Earth, opening up a new area of research for scientists to study the planets and their composition (22m14s).
• The formation of the Earth and the planets in the solar system is attributed to the leftovers from the formation of the Sun, which is referred to as the "disk" (22m37s).
• The process of matter changing state with increasing temperature is being explained, with the example of ice turning into liquid and then gas (22m55s).
• The conclusion is drawn that stars with high surface temperatures, such as those above 25,000 Kelvin, have a specific category, and those with lower temperatures, below 3,500 Kelvin, have another category (23m12s).
• The discovery that more than 90% of the stars in the universe contain a significant proportion of hydrogen and helium is being discussed (23m30s).
• A comparison is being made between the composition of the Sun and the Earth, with the example of hydrogen being more abundant in the Sun than on Earth, by a factor of 2,800 (23m49s).
• The idea that the conditions on Earth are unique and may not be found on other stars is being explored, with the suggestion that it may be possible to find similar conditions elsewhere in the universe (24m1s).
• The scientific facts were published with Professor Harlow Shapley at Harvard University, who was the supervisor of the research (24m30s).
• When Harlow Shapley saw the discovery made by Cecilia Payne, he realized that there are zones of hydrogen and helium in the stars, but his professor, Henry Norris Russell, initially mocked the truth (24m48s).
• The discovery led to a struggle among people over the scientific truth, with some people initially denying it, as seen in the quotes from articles at the time (25m6s).
• However, after years, the truth was reconfirmed, and it is essential to understand that sometimes, even when faced with problems or people who try to discourage us, we must stay convinced and confident in our choices (26m5s).
• It is crucial to remember that the same people who initially denied the truth may later be the ones who try to bring us down, but we must continue to move forward and persevere (26m38s).
• Ultimately, even if people do not initially believe in us or our choices, we must stay focused and keep moving forward, as seen in the example of Cecilia Payne's discovery (26m46s).