My second (I think) post on the SDMB! I discovered this interesting historical figure today from BBCand wanted to share.
Here is his Wiki page: Ibn al-Haytham - Wikipedia
That guy’s parents obviously never read the story of Riki Tiki Tembo…
Damn. Impressive guy.
I’ll have to try and work him into some conversations just to spread the knowledge.
Yes, this guy’s one of my faves! When I was much younger, I saw a little snippet about him on Burke’s ‘Discovery’, and how his scientific ideas lead to much greater things. A line that sticks with me was Burke talking about how, before Hasan’s science, people assumed light came from the eyes and bounced off of things. “‘Rubish!’ Says Al Hasan!” Burke intones. It’s become the standard phrase whenever I realize things aren’t as they seem, especially in scientific or historical arenas.
Rubbish! (I like 
)