Which scientist is considered the source of European scholars' knowledge regarding light and the eye?

Explanation

Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen) was a pioneering Muslim scientist of the 10th–11th centuries whose groundbreaking work on optics, particularly his book Kitab al-Manazir (Book of Optics), laid the foundation for the modern understanding of light, vision, and the anatomy of the eye. He was the first to correctly explain that vision occurs when light reflects off objects and enters the eye, refuting the earlier Greek theory that eyes emit rays. His experimental methods and scientific approach greatly influenced European scholars like Roger Bacon and Johannes Kepler during the Renaissance.

Good to know

Ibn al-Haytham, known in the West as Alhazen, was born in Basra around 965 CE and spent much of his career in Cairo under the Fatimid Caliphate. He is often called the "Father of Modern Optics" and is also credited with early contributions to the scientific method, emphasizing experimentation and empirical evidence. His works were translated into Latin and became standard references in European universities for centuries.

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