History Matters The Birth of Science in a Darkened Room The father of modern optics could not have succeeded had he not feigned madness. Pippo Carmona | Published in History Today Volume 69 Issue 4 April 2019 To continue reading this article you need to purchase a subscription, available from only £5. Start my trial subscription now If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in. Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems. Science & Technology Popular articles Jane Austen: A Partial and Prejudiced Historian ‘Rot: A History of the Irish Famine’ by Padraic X. Scanlan review