Hundreds of millions of people around the globe are in need of corrective lenses to improve their vision. Poor eyesight leads to lost wages and a lower quality of life, and if not corrected early can lead to total blindness later in life. However, in many third world countries, no optometrists are available to examine their eyes and prescribe corrective lenses. Furthermore, the cost of producing the glasses is beyond the reach of the world’s poorest people.
One solution is to mass produce lenses that can be adjusted by the wearers to fit their own eyes. One type of such adjustable lenses was developed by Joshua Silver, a physics professor at Oxford University in England. Called AdSpecs, the glasses are designed to allow users to inject silicon oil, a clear fluid, into the lens. The refractive power of the lens increases as more oil is injected. Once the user adjusts the lens to a comfortable strength, the injection device is removed. AdSpecs glasses cost about $19 a pair, and 30,000 pairs have already been distributed in 3rd world countries. However, Silver’s goal is to reduce production costs down to $1 a pair and distribute them on a far wider scale—up to 1 billion needy people.
Producing these glasses will eliminate the need for trained professionals to perform eye examinations and prescribe lenses, although they are limited in the types of vision problems they can correct. For the millions of people suffering from poor vision, even a moderate improvement in vision can lead to a vastly improved quality of life.
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As great as the need is for physical vision adjustment, our spiritual vision is even more blurred. Under normal circumstances, the process of getting fitted for spiritual “glasses” is a prolonged one—one must find a spiritual guide, a teacher who succeeds in shaping our worldview so that we see clearly, beyond the fuzziness and confusion of the world.
Yet, very soon, we will all experience a rapid adjustment of vision without the need to consult with “experts.” Rather, each individual will have a direct experience with G-dliness, which will allow them to directly perceive spirituality. As the prophet foretells, “No man will teach his friend Torah for all will know Me, from the greatest to smallest.” All spiritual concealments and barriers will be removed, and “Our eyes will behold our teacher.” This is the state we will enter with the complete revelation of Moshiach, may it happen immediately.
Prof. Yirmiyahu Branover is chairman of the Center of Magnetohydrodynamic Studies and Training at Ben-Gurion University.
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