Alhazen (Ibn al-Haytham)

Alhazen (965–1040), known as the father of optics, made groundbreaking contributions to the study of light, vision, and camera technology. His famous book, "Book of Optics", challenged ancient theories of sight and laid the groundwork for modern physics and optics. His experiments with lenses and reflection influenced later developments in photography and the camera obscure.

Alhazen was the first to use mathematics to explain visual phenomena and famously explained the ‘moon illusion’. He also developed methods for the sum of fourth powers and is credited with inventing the scientific method. His approach of "observe, hypothesize, experiment, revise, and repeat" laid the foundation for modern scientific inquiry.