The Uzbek Embassy in the U.S. capital has unveiled a monument dedicated to the medieval Central Asian scholar Abu Rayhan al-Biruni, whom Uzbekistan venerates as its scientific genius. Uzbek Ambassador Furqat Siqiqov highlights that Biruni uniquely connects his country with the U.S. due to his groundbreaking research in physics, mathematics, astronomy, and natural sciences. Siqiqov notes that a thousand years ago, well before Christopher Columbus reached the continent, Biruni had already discovered the existence of land in the Western hemisphere. Dr. Fred Starr, a leading expert at the American Foreign Policy Council and Central Asia Caucasus Institute, shared insights from his research and a new book on Biruni. He describes Biruni as a polymath who saw numbers as keys to the secrets of the universe. Starr encourages both Americans and Central Asians to study Biruni's work and appreciate his significant academic contributions.