Preface Acknowledgements Author biography Part �� Some preliminary ideas 1 What is science; what is art? 1.1 The coherence of our experience 1.2 Truth in science 1.2.1 Proving a theory false 1.3 Operational definitions 1.4 Inspiration and perspiration 1.5 Criticism and self esteem 1.6 Looking at art References Part �� The nature of light 2 What light is 2. l The speed of light 2.1.1 The speed of light with a shortwave radio 2.1.2 Relativity and the speed of light 2.2 Geometry 2.3 Waves 2.3.1 Amplitude 2.3.2 Speed, wavelength and frequency 2.3.3 The electromagnetic spectrum 2.4 Particles Reference 3 What light does 3.1 Reflection, absorption and transmission 3.2 Specular reflection 3.3 Refraction 3.3.l Total internal reflection 3.3.2 Dispersion 3.4 Diffuse reflections 3.5 Scattering 3.5.1 Wavelength-dependent scattering 3.5.2 Wavelength-independent scattering 3.6 Interference 3.7 Diffraction 3.8 Fluorescence 3.9 Polarization 4 Sources of light 4.1 Light and its spectrum 4.2 Thermal radiation 4.3 Non-thermal radiation Reference 5 Wavelength reconsidered Part �� Geometry and two-dimensional design 6 Geometry and the picture plane 6.1 From 3D to 2D 6.2 The human brain's construction of three-dimensional reality 6.3 Linear perspective and the Camera Obscura