The lens, a simple optical device with axial symmetry which transmits and refracts light. While its modern use is well documented, its origins are rather obscure.

The Nimrud Lens, the oldest known lens, is roughly 3,000 years old. It was found in an Assyrian palace (modern day Iraq) in 1850.

There is some debate as to its function. Most assert it was used to aide in intricate tablet carvings.

In 1999, Italian scientist Giovanni Pettinato proposed that it may have been the first telescope, explaining the Assyrians’ apparent knowledge of Saturn’s rings.

The first explicit documentation of the lens as a corrective or magnifying tool date back to emperor Nero and his use of an emerald to view the gladitorial games.

However, most documented instances of lenses until the 1100s suggest the technology was used primarily to harness the suns rays as a way to create combustion.

Throughout the next millenium the use of the lens as a visual enhancement device won over as its ability to aid in research became more apparent, and other methods of creating combustion were determined more efficient.

Conclusion

While the initial uses are ambiguous, the evolution of how the lens is used today is clearly an example of the unintended consequences of technology.

While the Assyrians who crafted the Nimrud Lens out of crystal rock were certainly aware of its ability to manipulate light, and may have known of its magnifying capabilities, they most likely did not predict that it would become a device that now makes life livable for a large percentage of the world’s population.