A Better Understanding of Light

This chapter briefly traces the rocky road regarding the evolution of knowledge on the phenomenon of light, from Antiquity to the end of the Middle Ages, from the Western perspective, with a brief look at how optics and light are understood by scientists in the 21st century. The history of development covers contributions from the Middle East and Europe based on documents found relating to various civilizations, from Egypt to ancient Greece, ancient Rome, Roman and Arab–Persian civilizations to the end of the Middle Ages. The chapter also covers contributions since the scientific revolution 500 years ago and discoveries made during the first and second quantum revolutions, including transistors, laser diodes, lasers, quantum entanglement and teleportation. From a philosophical point of view, two major schools of thought emerged and spread: Neoplatonism, based on the teachings of Plato, and Scholasticism, based on the teachings of Aristotle.