Vision & Camera 📷

Invention/Contribution:

• The camera obscura (dark room) was described in detail by Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen, 965–1040) in his Book of Optics.

• He explained how light travels in straight lines and how an image is projected upside down through a small aperture — the principle behind cameras.

• His experiments laid the foundation for modern photography, cinematography, and even the scientific method in optics.

Why it matters:

• First scientific explanation of vision and how the eye works.

• Replaced ancient Greek theories that “eyes emit rays” with the correct understanding: vision happens when light enters the eye.

• Directly influenced European Renaissance scientists like Roger Bacon, Kepler, and eventually the invention of the modern camera.

"I constantly sought knowledge and truth, and it became my belief that for gaining access to the effulgence and closeness to God, there is no better way than that of searching for truth and knowledge."

Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen) (965-1040)