Although the true nature of light remains one of science's great mysteries, it is nonetheless at the core of modern physics. Extensively illustrated in both color and black and white, The Beauty of Light explores the origins of light and life in the formation of our solar system; the complex and deep-seated place of light in our evolution and history; the uses of light in painting, photography, and films; how great scientists have groped to understand the very essence of light; and a myriad of other intriguing and engaging aspects of illumination. The book reveals: how humans have beheld light in their religions and folklore, and how they have used it from the kitchen to the battlefield; how light affects our moods, appetites, and behavior; how light is harnessed in lasers, fiber optics, optical computers, and a host of other applications; how artists from Monet to Mathew Brady to Ansel Adams have used light and color; how the light of distant galaxies reveals the structure of the universe, and how light-powered spacecraft may one day take us to the stars.