Who invented pinhole imaging?

In fact, pinhole imaging was first discovered by Mozi in the Spring and Autumn Period of China. He is the first classic book in the world that systematically discusses geometric optics. Moreover, many topics of geometric optics are discussed in Mohist classics, including shadow, pinhole imaging, plane mirror, concave mirror, convex mirror imaging and so on. This book is very valuable.

Moreover, this book is about 100 years earlier than Euclid's optical record in ancient Greece, about 330 ~ 275 BC. Mozi knew at that time that street lamps actually spread along a straight line. Mozi and his students made the earliest pinhole imaging experiment in the world.

The experimental results are discussed in depth. In a dark room, a small hole was opened in the sunshine wall. When we stand outside the house and face the small hole, a reflection will immediately appear on the wall opposite the house.

Extended data:

In Mo Jing, he explained that if people in Jingguang are enthusiastic and the entrance of the lower floor is high, the entrance of the upper floor may be low, which means the light is as direct as an arrow.

Therefore, the lower body of our human body blocks the direct light and then passes through the small hole, resulting in a certain shadow on the upper body. The upper part of our human body blocks the direct light and passes through the small hole. When the shadow is below, it becomes a reflection, which is actually the first and earliest scientific explanation of light propagation.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Mo Jing