Countdown to Christmas

13 - Camera

• Snapshot of Progress: The invention of the camera didn’t just enable us to take pictures of our food; it sparked innovation across various fields. From medical research and industrial quality control to entertainment (just think television) and forensic science helping us to solve crimes, its impact has been transformative.
   
• Advancing Freedom of (Visual) Expression: Clicking a picture allows us to essentially capture, document, and freeze moments—creating a visual archive of history. This ability is crucial for political freedom. Few innovations have empowered activists, journalists, historians, and other truth-seekers as profoundly as the camera
   
• Democratizing Art and Culture: In the era of the photo camera, you no longer need to be a royal to get a self-portrait. Thanks to market processes, photography has become so accessible that we can print high-quality images at home and showcase them in the digital equivalent of art galleries—free of charge—on social media.

Inventors

Few inventions showcase a truly global innovation process quite like the camera obscura—the precursor to the modern camera. It began with the Chinese philosopher Mozi (5th century BC), who made early observations about the nature of optics, followed by the Arab mathematician Ibn al-Haytham (11th century), who provided scientific explanations for the phenomenon. Later, Johannes Kepler in Europe incorporated lenses and mirrors to build the first functional camera obscura. In other words, it’s a story of shared fascination across civilizations.