Kings of the Trail #105
- Luke Jarman
- Feb 28
- 2 min read
Go Further & Explore More...
"A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows."
Francis of Assisi
Light and the science behind it have been studied by humans for thousands of years. The study of optics, along with mechanics, was a foundational element in scientific studies and thinking from the ancient Greeks up to the 21st Century. Original thinkers and philosophers such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle established the foundations, shortly followed by Euclid, whose book Optics summarised the foundational knowledge of light obtained until that point. In the 10th & 11th Centuries, early scientists, such as Ibn al-Haytham, further expanded on the effects of light, examining both reflection and refraction. More recently, many celebrated thinkers such as Sir Isaac Newton and later Albert Einstein published bold and revolutionary observations on light and its composition, winning the latter Nobel Prize for his work. We have all experienced the positive effect light can have on us; when the sun hits our faces and we crane our necks to soak it up and feel the warmth. The health benefits of sunlight are numerous, both physical and mental, but not only that, a lack of sunlight can, conversely, have serious negative health implications. For me, though, this quote brings to mind a more simple idea. The vision of a smile towards a stranger on a grey day or a helping hand for a friend when it’s needed most - that kind of sunbeam can truly warm up and brighten someone’s day, maybe even helping to chase away some shadows. Trying to be that sunbeam in someone’s life doesn’t need heavy scientific study or enlightened enquiry and doesn’t need to cost anything, but it can have positive effects that last for a long time…
Until next week, be safe and enjoy the trails...
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