The magnifying power of clear glass and crystal was probably discovered by the early Greeks and Babylonians.  Can you imagine the amazement of an artisan who, looking through a primitive lens, is suddenly exposed to the ferocity of weevils infesting their bread, or the wondrous detail in a feather or cobweb? Would we have inherited the brilliance of Galileo and Copernicus, several hundred years later, if not for these early crafts-folk?

A glass lens will bring distant objects closer, make the smallest particles appear larger, and provide relief for our aging eyes as our natural lenses harden with age (a condition called presbyopia – spectacles were probably invented around the 11^th century).  Even the simplest microscopes and telescopes will expand your universe. Continue reading →