Banu Musa and the Science of Tricks

Meet Banu Musa

The three brothers Mohammed, Ahmed and Al-Hasan lived during the golden age of Muslim civilisation. Each excelled at a field of science; astronomy, mechanics and mathematics, but together they formed one scientific team that left a lasting legacy on science and the rise of the golden age.

Banu Musa authored more than 20 works of science and used to sign their books with their collective name. Their most famous book is the Book of Tricks or the Book of Ingenious Devices.

Solid Foundations of Knowledge

Banu Musa grew up in Baghdad. After the death of their father, Musa ibn Shakir who was an astronomer and friend of Al-Ma’amoun, Caliph Al-Ma’moun took care of the three brothers and entrusted them to the head of the House of Wisdom.

There, Banu Musa received the best possible education of the time and benefited from having access to ancient knowledge and the brightest minds then.

Translation Movement

During the early days of the golden age of Muslim civilisation a huge translation movement took place in Baghdad.

Ancient Greek, Indian, Persian, Chinese and other books and manuscripts were obtained and translated into Arabic to form the basis of further research and development by the scholars and scientists of the golden age.

Banu Musa played a crucial role in this movement by sponsoring translators, paying handsomely for translations and the acquisition of ancient books of knowledge.

Science of Tricks and The Book of Ingenious Devices

The Science of Tricks or mechanica is the old name for mechanics.

The most famous of the Banu Musa works, the Book of Ingenious Devices includes detailed description of 100 mechanical devices showing how they work and what their functions are.

The book is full of magic:

...temperamental moody jugs, bottles that take different liquids without mixing them, jars that dispense measured quantities of water automatically, oil lamps with non-diminishing oil, fountains that change their form automatically and many more.

Magical Devices

Some of Banu Musa’s devices offer useful and practical solutions to help people in their daily lives. Others were designed to impress and appear as if the work of a magician.

The three brothers presented magical looking devices that rely on key scientific principles in pneumatics and mechanics.

The Moody Jug

This Banu Musa device has a cool trick.

It is temperamental; water comes out of it only when the person requiring water appeals to it. Banu Musa used some basic principles of physics in designing this device.

The Haunted Bottle

A uniquely designed bottle with two heads. If water is poured in one and juice in the other, the two liquids don’t mix.

Then if the liquids are poured out from the bottle, the water comes out of the head in which the juice was poured, and the opposite for the juice – it comes out of the head in which water was poured

The Environmentally Friendly Jar

Banu Musa designed this jar so that a measured quantity of water is dispensed when the tap is open. The jar will then stop dispensing water for a period of time before the water starts to flow again until all the water in the jar is used up.

The action of this jar resembles to an extent that of a modern sink in a public toilet.

Legacy

Banu Musa were three remarkable 9th century scientists who left a huge mark on the Science of Tricks.

Despite the fact that many engineers came after them in Muslim civilisation and focused on the science of tricks, they didn’t have much more to add in the area of this science that Banu Musa excelled at - pneumatics.

Banu Musa and Modern Robots

Banu Musa’s work in the 9th century was remarkable. They devised machines that function automatically making life easier for people.

If one can imagine them appearing in the modern world, one would wonder what they may make of modern robots!