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Islamic Developments in Optics

March 25, 2023 · 16 min

Show notes

While al-Haytham's visual theory was a clear triumph, his work also had a more subtle but profound effect. His treatment of light as a quanitity which was related to but independent of vision was an important step on the path to our modern understanding of optics. In this episode we explore the other parts of his 'Book of Optics' as well as the achievement of his forgotten contemporary Ibn Sahl.

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