Seeing things
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The bright sparks illuminating the mysterious world of LIGHT AND SIGHT People have long been fascinated by what light is or how our eyes detect it. Here are some of the trailblazers who saw the light. Light rays from the object travel in straight lines.
This image on the screen appears upside down.
Alhazen In the 10th century, this Islamic scholar wrote the highly influential Book of Optics. Through experiment, he proved that vision occurs when light enters the eye. He also discovered that refraction, or bending, of light is caused by light rays moving at varying speeds through different materials. Alhazen noticed that when light travels through the small hole in a CAMERA OBSCURA, the projection on the other side appears upside down. He therefore worked out that light rays must travel in straight lines.
Roger Bacon
16th-century spectacles
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This 13th-century English scholar placed great emphasis on EXPERIMENT AND OBSERVATION in science. Inspired by the work of Alhazen, he investigated the effects of mirrors and magnifying glasses. Bacon was one of the first people to suggest that lenses could be used to improve a person’s vision. In 1267, Bacon gathered all his major ideas into a big book called Opus Majus.
Camera obscura
