Marin Getaldić (1568-1626)
Maybe you don’t need glasses, or don’t need them yet. But when you pick them up in your seasoned years, think of the mathematician and physicist Marin Getaldić. This Dubrovnik-born colleague of Galileo Galilei set the stage for modern day optics. A pioneer in building conic lenses, he would retire into the so called Bete’s cave outside the Dubrovnik city walls and conduct his experiments with mirrors.

The parabolic mirror he built still survives and is kept at the National Maritime Museum in London. Again, a parabolic mirror may not sound like much. But next time you tune into your favourite TV show on a satellite channel, remember, a satellite dish is just one if its many applications.