Augustin Fresnel (1788 1827) 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 be denied for long. Soon,
from Dunkirk to Saigon, shores were brightened with it. The Fresnel
legacy played an important role in geopolitical events, including
the American Civil War. No sooner were Fresnel lenses finally
installed along U.S. 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.
Levitt s scientific and historical account, rich in anecdote and
personality, brings to life the fascinating untold story of
Augustin Fresnel and his powerful invention."
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