27 August

There's no doubt glasses help millions of people to see better. But I think they're a great example of how assumptions shape everything we do. Glasses were invented on the assumption that we see with our eyes. Duh? Well, maybe not as obvious as is made out. We sometimes call it 'eyesight' - there's the assumption right there. You obviously need eyes to see, but that's quite different to believing seeing = eyes. You could say we walk with our legs, but I guarantee if I sawed your legs off and put them on the ground, they wouldn't go anywhere. There are, and have been for many, many years, other ideas and methods for dramatically improving sight, without glasses.