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How a scientific outsider came up with a revolutionary theory of light and saved untold numbers of lives Augustin Fresnel x shocked the scientific elite with his unique understanding of the physics of light The lens he invented was a brilliant feat of engineering that made lighthouses blaze many times brighter farther and more efficiently Battling the establishment his own poor health and the limited technology of the time Fresnel was able to achieve his goal of illuminating the entire French coast At first the British sought to outdo the new Fresnel-equipped lighthouses as a matter of national pride Americans too resisted abandoning their primitive lamps but the superiority of the Fresnel lens could not benbspdenied for long Soon fromnbspDunkirk to Saigon shores were brightened with itnbsp The Fresnel legacy played an important role in geopolitical events including the American Civil War No sooner were Fresnel lenses finally installed along US shores than they were drafted the Union blockaded the Confederate coast the Confederacy set about thwarting it by dismantling and hiding or destroying the powerful new lights Levittxs scientific and historical account rich in anecdote and personality brings to life the fascinating untold story of Augustin Fresnel and his powerful invention illustrations maps.
About the Author
Theresa Levitt is an Associate Professor at the University of Mississippi, specializing in the history of science. She has a Ph.D. in the History of Science from Harvard and a B.S. in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
