The branch of physics dealing with light and vision, including the behavior of light and the construction of optical instruments. In politics, the way something appears to the public or media.
From Greek 'optikos' meaning 'of or having to do with sight,' from 'ops' (eye). The scientific field developed from ancient Greek studies of vision and light, formalized in the medieval period.
The political meaning of 'optics' brilliantly captures how perception and reality intersect - politicians worry about optics because, like light rays, public perception can be bent, focused, or distorted. Ibn al-Haytham's 11th-century work on optics laid foundations for both modern cameras and our understanding of how images form!
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