Artifact: THEORIES OF VISION AND COLOR PERCEPTION OF EMPEDOCLES AND DEMOCRITUS; SOME SIMILARITIES TO THE MODERN APPROACH

Title: The Theory of Vision

What and/or Who: Based on the four assumptions we are given the theory of vision of Empedocles (Sicily, c. 450 B.C.) 

When: The artifact comes from ca. 500 B.C. and its relevant to Empedocles and Democritus’ theories of vison and color perception and the similarities it hold to modern approches

Where: Provide the setting or location of your artifact. If unknown, provide contest for where the subject of your artifact would have been relevant.

Context: I am presenting this artifact because this novel laid the groundwork to be extensively worked out by Leucippus and Democritus. Assigning complementaries and opposites Alcmeon was the first to introduce the concept of dynamic balances. It was believed that Empedocles gave the first real description of the eye and that the interior of the eyeball was made of fire and water as the outer membranes and structures consisted of four elements. Empedocles differentiated the receptive media of the eye from it conductive part which led to the brain. I chose this artifact because interest in the anatomy of the eye from an early time suggests its importance in human development and use.

Sources and Citations: (1) https://www-jstor-org.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/stable/44446560?seq=4

What and/or Who: Jacques Daviel, French ophthalmologist credited with the first significant cataract surgery

When: April 1747

HOW: Daviel performed the first modern cataract surgery by purposely making a corneal incision to remove the lens.  With previous practice of earlier techniques such as couching, using a sharp need to pierce and dislodge the cataract Daviel used a combination of techniques to perform the Intracapsular Cataract Extraction (ICE)Due to Daviels experience studying the works of his predecessors and work during the plague he would be fitting to serve as the docel of my museum.

Sources and Citations: 

(1)  https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/jacques-daviel

(2)  https://eyewiki.aao.org/History_of_Cataract_Surgery

What and/or Who: Benito Daza de Valdes; discoveries of optometry

When: 1623 

Where: Cordoba, Spain

Context: Provide context for why you are presenting these artifacts. Explain why your artifacts are relevant in the history of neuroscience and how it relates to other areas of neuroscience. Tell why you chose this particular artifact and why you think it is important.

Benito Daza de Valdes published the first full book on opticians in 1623. His findings were divided into a three part series of his concepts and valuable observations on the issues of light and how it related to the use of the eye for good vision. It is said that this book served as a comprehensive documentation on how they relate to one another.  This is said to be the first book on vision testing and eyeglass fitting for the population. Neurological eye conditions can be treated as a result of these findings.

 

Sources and Citations:  (1) http://www.blog.contactlensking.com/Daza-de-Valdes-First-Book-of-Optometry.php

(2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADbI0BUxGlo

What and/or Who: The information presented in Book 3 of the Canon of Medicine represents some of Avicenna's most important contributions to several fields of study

When: This artifact is from 1025.

Where: Jorjan, southeast corner of Caspian sea

Context: Book 3 is arranged by body part, progressing from the top of the body to the bottom of the body and covering the function and diseases of each organ. Strokes and Neuroscience and heavily covered in book three along with the Eye. For example, Preserving the healthy condition of the eyes, Preventing descending of the humors, Producing tears, and Removing: blood spots from the eyes. Avicenna also included a prescription of drugs for the eye and healing properties. I believed this book of medicine heavily influenced the surgeons of this time and what was understood about the impact of disease and poor vision as it relates to the brain.

Sources and Citations:

(1) https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Canon-of-Medicine

(2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Canon_of_Medicine#Neuroscience

What and/or Who: Salvino D'Armato degli Armati of Florence invented the first wearable eyeglasses

When: This artifact is from 1284 and still relevant today

Where: Florence, Italy

Context: While injuring his own eyes while examining light refraction, through many experiments he discovered how to increase the appearance of subjects by viewing them through two convex glass pieces. This piece of eyewear solved the many problems civilizations has with eyesight. they allow the eye to focus light in the right spot on the retina giving feedback to retinal cells. This paved the way for corrective lenses to fix farsightedness or nearsightedness

 

Sources and Citations: (1) http://www.glasseshistory.com/glasses-inventor/salvino-d-armate/

(2) http://www.glasseshistory.com/glasses-history/history-of-corrective-lenses/

What and/or Who: Ibn Al-haytham ahs wriitne a seven volume series on optics. In particular the Book of Optics has been ranked amongst popular scientists. Ibn Al-haytham is known as the Father of Modern Optics

When: The artifact comes from the year 1021 and was written while he was incarcerated.

Where: Cairo

Context: I am presenting this artifact because Ibn Al-Haytham started out as a prisoner but soon became a popular figure and his Book of Optics is considered to be influential in the physics realm But, his work has influenced neuroscientists as well. Al-Haytham Looked at the effects of light on the eye, various changes in perception such as smootheness, position, distance, and transparency, and the errors of direct vision and what could possibly cause them. This three part book thoroughly explained his findings and influenced our belief of light and vision. 

 

Sources and Citations: (1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6074172/

(2) https://monoskop.org/images/f/ff/The_Optics_of_Ibn_Al-Haytham_Books_I-III_On_Direct_Vision_Sabra_1989.pdf

When: 2022

Where: Bar-Ilan University’s School of Optometry and Vision Science and Gonda (Goldschmied) Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center

 

Sources and Citations: 

(1)  https://neurosciencenews.com/visual-memory-size-19952/

HOW: This artifact shows the importance of large images and how they are better for the visual system to process it. This study shows how the size of the image has an effect on the retina and this information can be used for a variety of information processing tests if the researcher were to use small for large screens. This also influences memory, and more areas of the brain are used to process the larger amounts of information