Interview with Dr. Samantha Strong
Why did you feel that it was important to write Introduction to Visual Optics? What does your publication add to the field?
I wrote this book to try to help make optics accessible (and fun!) for a student learning it for the first time. Many students starting out in optometry or dispensing might not have a strong math/physics background, but the physics of light is crucial to understanding vision and refraction. Unfortunately, a lot of the key texts available at the moment, while very good, are written for a specialist audience which can be off-putting for someone who is less experienced in the field.
My goal with this book was to provide a resource which will make the wonderful world of visual optics feel a little less daunting for students.
What is the most exciting aspect of your new publication? What chapter or topic covered are you most excited about?
For me, it’s just very exciting to have it published! Other than that, I’m definitely most excited about the “experiments to do at home” chapters in Section 4. When I learn new things, being able to see it for myself really helps to excite and interest me. Having the opportunity to be able to run a few safe experiments at home yourself is something that’s really novel but should be valuable.
Who will find the greatest value from Introduction to Visual Optics?
This book was written for anyone, like myself, who was a little afraid of ‘difficult’ subjects. [In this book] I’ve used bright diagrams, silly stories, and color-coded math equations to show that science like this is only difficult if it’s not explained in a way that’s accessible.
How can readers best engage with this text?
Play along at home! Complete the “at home” experiments and ‘test your knowledge’ by completing the practice questions at the end of each chapter. Most importantly, I would like everyone to have fun learning optics, but endless struggling can spoil the fun, so please remember to speak to your lecturer or instructor if you have any questions.
What problem do you hope the future generation of eye health and vision science professionals will be able to solve?
The specialty of this book is eye-related healthcare, and so professionals in this field will be able to solve so many problems! New imaging techniques come out all the time, new types of lenses etc – the sky is the limit.
Is there anything else about the book you’d like to say?
I would just like to add that I really hope you enjoy reading it. Please be encouraged to post photos on social media of your pets reading it, too (my cats ‘helped’ me to write it).
About the Author
Dr. Samantha Strong, lecturer at Aston University in the UK. I’m a scientist and illustrator with a Ph.D. in Vision Science and a passion for teaching.
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