THE FRESNEL LENS

IN 1822,A FRENCH PHYSICIST NAMED AUGUSTINE FRESNEL INVENTED A LENS THAT COULD CAPTURE, HOLD AND THROW A BEAM OF LIGHT SOME TWENTY MILES BEYOND THE HORIZON.THE LENS WAS TO BE USED IN LIGHTHOUSES TO AID IN NAVIGATION AND WARNING SHIPS THAT THEY WERE NEAR LAND.THE LENS RESEMBLED A BEEHIVE AND WAS ABOUT TWELVE FEET TALL WITH CONCENTRIC GLASS
PATTERNS USED TO BEND LIGHT IN A CIRCLE AND BROADCAST IT GREAT DISTANCES.TODAY THIS VERY SAME LENS IN A VERY LONG AND PAPER THIN FORM IS BEING USED TO CONCENTRATE A BEAM OF SUNLIGHT IN ORDER TO BURN HOLES THROUGH A BRICK WALL,MELT GLASS ,AND POWER A STIRLING ENGINE.THIS PAPER THIN LENS CAN BENT TO ALMOST ANY SHAPE,SIZE OR FORM.A FEW
SCIENTIST ARE PLANNING ON USING IT TO BUILD AN ORBITING POWER STATION THAT CAN CAPTURE
AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF SUNLIGHT,FOCUS IT INTO A SMALL BEAM THAT COULD BE BROADCAST TO EARTH,CONVERTED INTO MICROWAVES AND THEN CONVERTED INTO ELECTRICITY.SEVERAL POWER
STATIONS SUCH AS THESE COULD MEET FUTURE ENERGY NEEDS.