Christiaan Huygens
Historical profileDutch mathematician and physicist·1629–1695
The ideas here are retold from the historical record, drawn from the sources each event cites. Christiaan Huygens never posted on Veritula. To report a mistake, email veritula@dennishackethal.com.
Chronicled events
- #5818
Light is a wave: a disturbance spreading through an invisible medium, the ether, as sound spreads through air. It travels more slowly in glass and water than in air, which is why its path bends as it enters them.