We spend a lot of time on Roman WIs such as the steam engine,
the railroad, etc. But WI the glass industry, well established in
later centuries of the Western Empire, had come up with the
lens? The clear glass was there. Greek geometry was there.
What was needed was grinding techniques.
With the lens, apart from really early vision correction, you get
curiosity about the small and the celestial. Once the sufficiently
well-off have lenses, they are going to start looking through
them. If only by accident, someone is going to come up with
the combinations needed for the microscope and the telescope.
Features of the Moon! Little wiggly things in water! Military
applications! Jupiter's offspring attend his star!
And? ...
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