Glasses, as a common vision aid, have penetrated into all aspects of people's lives. From a simple monocle magnifying glass to a complex multifocal glass, its evolution is full of the intersection of technology and humanity. However, the invention of eyewear did not happen overnight, but after hundreds of years of exploration and innovation. So, who exactly invented glasses?
As early as the mid-13th century, the English scholar Bacon began to think about how to help people improve their eyesight. He discovered that many people were unable to read clearly because of poor eyesight, which inspired him to invent a tool that would aid his vision. To this end, he made a lot of experiments and attempts, and although he failed many times, he did not give up.
After one rain, Bacon was walking in the garden when he noticed that the cobwebs were covered with raindrops. When he looked at the leaves through the raindrops, he was surprised to find that the veins were so much magnified that even the tiny hairs on the leaves were clearly visible. This discovery excited Bacon, who thought it might be the vision improvement he had been looking for.
Back at home, Bacon couldn't wait to start looking for a transparent object that could replace the raindrops. He first found a glass orb, but when he looked through it, the words on the book were still blurry. At this time, he came up with the idea of using a diamond and a hammer to cut a piece of glass into a thin piece of glass. When he approached the book with the piece of glass, he was pleasantly surprised to find that the words had become clear. At this moment, Bacon's experiment finally succeeded, and he was ecstatic.
Subsequently, Bacon made further improvements to the glass sheets. He found a piece of wood, dug a round hole, attached the piece of glass, and attached a handle to it, so that it could be easily held. In this way, a simple prototype of glasses was born. This invention not only facilitated Bacon's own reading, but also provided important inspiration for later spectacle making.
However, although Bacon invented the rudiments of glasses, it was the Italians who really popularized and popularized glasses. Around 1280 AD, a Florentine scientist, Sovenno de Gorri Amadi, began experimenting with the use of convex lenses to correct farsightedness. He revealed his invention to a monk named Alessandro Dilla Spina. Dilla Spinner then spread the technique and pointed out how to make glass lenses with curved shapes. By the 14th century, many Italians began to wear glasses, and the habit gradually spread throughout Europe.
Over time, the techniques used to make glasses have been improved and refined. In the 15th century, concave lenses were also made to correct myopia. However, because lens grinding techniques were not fully developed at the time, the surface of lenses with good results was often not smooth enough and the curves were not uniform enough. This limits the popularity and application of glasses to a certain extent. Until the 17th century, lens manufacturers still faced difficulties in producing lenses of good quality, which also affected the development process of optical instruments such as microscopes and telescopes to a certain extent.
In the 18th century, with the advent of the Industrial Revolution, lens manufacturing technology was greatly improved. More precise grinding tools and materials were used, and the quality of lenses was greatly improved. At the same time, with the in-depth study and understanding of optical principles, the design of glasses is becoming more and more scientific and reasonable. For example, the invention of bifocals is one of them. Invented in 1780 by the American scientist and diplomat Benjamin Franklin, these glasses can achieve different focal lengths on the same lens, thus meeting the needs of vision at different distances.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, with the rapid development of science and technology, the types and functions of glasses have become increasingly rich. In addition to the common myopia and farsightedness glasses, there are also glasses with various functions such as anti-blue light, anti-fatigue, and color-changing. At the same time, the material of glasses has gradually transitioned from the original glass to lightweight materials such as resin and plastic, making it more comfortable and lightweight to wear.
Overall, the invention of glasses was a long and tortuous process. From Bacon's first attempt to the emergence of modern high-tech glasses, the wisdom and efforts of countless scientists and craftsmen have been condensed. Nowadays, glasses have become an indispensable part of people's daily lives, not only helping us to improve our vision problems, but also shaping our visual world to some extent.