Today, if we start finding that our vision is impaired – if we have difficulty focussing on objects far away, or squint in an attempt to read a book – we book an appointment with an optician to get a diagnosis of our eyesight and expect to have it corrected with glasses. We take it for granted that the medical knowledge is there.

When Were Corrective Glasses First Developed?

Initially people used a form of magnifying glass to allow them to focus on objects. Because the… Continue reading →

As with many of humanity's greatest discoveries, the original understanding and insight behind the development of the lens was born out of a desire for something else. Ever since the dawn of humankind, man has struggled to find and maintain a source of heat. Fire was the answer, but producing flames was no small feat for our ancient ancestors. The Stone Age method of utilising flints or rubbing sticks was effective, but time consuming and unreliable. Climatic conditions could adversely effect th… Continue reading →