Science in Saffron: Skeptical Essays on History of Science

There is much talk of the glories of ancient Hindu sciences in India today. Landmark discoveries in every field of science, from mathematics to medicine, are being credited to ancient scientists-sages of India. Science in Saffron places such priority claims in a comparative global history of science. While fully acknowledging the substantial contributions of Indian geometers, mathematicians, physicians, artisans and craftsmen, it challenges their glorification for nationalistic purposes. It also questions the neo-Hindu scientization of yoga and Vedanta pioneered by Swami Vivekananda.

Contents

Introduction
Who Discovered the Pythagorean Theorem?
Nothing That Is: Zero’s Fleeting Footsteps
Genetics, Plastic Surgery and Other Wonders of Ancient Indian Medicine
Yoga Scientized: How Swami Vivekananda rewrote Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra
References and Index
The author

Meera Nanda is an independent scholar based in the United States. Her education has been in both science and philosophy, and her research interests include the history of science, Hindu nationalism and the subversion of scientific temper, postmodernism and right wing environmentalism, apart from the philosophy of science.

She has been a John Templeton Foundation Fellow in Religion and Science (2005-2007), and Visiting Professor at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali. Her essays in various academic and popular journals have been widely read and discussed. She is the author of Prophets Facing Backward: Postmodernism, Science and Hindu Nationalism; Postmodernism and Religious Fundamentalism: A Scientific Rebuttal to Hindu Science; and The God Market.