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320 : Scientific Contents in Prākrta Canons
there are many fundamental and unexplained defects in the philosophers' theory of vision related with eye.
Currently, the eye is supposed to be like a camera where there are adjustable pupil lenses ( eye-balls ) to have images or pictures of the objects on the retina in dark or light to be conveyed to brain for identification. For getting pictures, light is as essential as the object and camera. Due to the difference in pupil lenses in the eyes of cats and owls, they have different powers of sighting. Human eyes work under light of visible range frequencies while the above animals could work even beyond that range.
It is the light which is the contacting agent between the object and the eye. Definitely, there are no rays in or from the eye like the camera. Hence any source of light – candle, sun, bulb etc. can serve the purpose. The light source emits rays passing through or accross the objects while going towards eye to make the picture at retina. These rays could pass through the transparent or transluscent mediums and pass across the opaque objects. This simple mechanism of seeing with eye explains all the points raised for or against the above theories of vision as summarised in Table 3. Table 3 : Scientific Explaination on Philosophers Points.
Philosophers' views Scientific Explaination 1. Neither eye nor It is not required as rays from a
objects move from light source travelling through or their place origin. across objects are the actual
contacting agents. 2. Identification of smell They are sensed without light. Eyes
etc. by the eye. have no function for them. 3. Experience of far The distance is judged by the path
and near objects. traversed by rays coming to the eye. 4, Doubtful or wrong This is possible due to refraction of knowledge.
rays through rarer or denser medium and defects in the eye.
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