alternatehistory.com

Eyeglasses were one of the most important inventions of all time. It allowed older people with declining visions to continue to contribute to society. With it elders were able to prolong their productive life and put their experience to use. Later when lenses were invented to correct near-sightedness, a whole segment of the young population was given the opportunity to do more meaningful work than manual labour. No longer would a youngman who became nearsighted through studying manuscripts by candlelight have to give up a career he was well suited for.

But what if this all came about much earlier? What if both types of eyeglasses were invented by Aristotle's time? Perhaps civilization itself would be advanced by centuries.
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