Ibn al-Haytham

Ibn al-Haytham, also known as Alhazen, was a pioneering Arab scientist in the 10th and 11th centuries who made significant contributions to the study of optics. He demonstrated how light travels in straight lines and how it reflects and refracts through various materials. His landmark work, "Book of Optics," established foundational principles like the camera obscura effect, predating modern photography. He emphasized systematic experimentation and observation, laying the groundwork for the scientific method. Ibn al-Haytham’s insights into vision, lenses, and the nature of light greatly influenced later scientists and the field of optics itself.