Light

Book summary

Bruce Watson is a frequent contributor to Smithsonian magazine, where he writes about everything from eels to pi, artists and writers. His other books include Bread and Roses, Sacco and Vanzetti and Freedom Summer.

Light has long been a symbol of divine energy and inspiration across cultures, religions, and disciplines. In Islam, light represents God's guidance, as emphasized in the Qur'an, while Christianity reveres it as a manifestation of the divine, with medieval churches designed to channel celestial light. The Renaissance saw light evolve into a central theme of artistic mastery, with figures like da Vinci and Rembrandt exploring its interplay with shadow and perspective. Ancient myths and philosophies also celebrated light, from creation stories in *The Kalevala* and Zuni legends to Greek debates on its nature. Scientific inquiry into light began in earnest during the scientific revolution, with pioneers like Kepler, Descartes, and Newton uncovering its properties, from intensity and trajectory to its spectrum of colors. By the 19th century, light became a focal point of both art and science, with Thomas Young’s experiments confirming its wave-like behavior and James Clerk Maxwell’s work revealing its electromagnetic nature, paving the way for electric light and transforming human life.

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