The ghost of Helioth and his stereoscope: the return of a phantom.
Among the myths surrounding the invention of the stereoscope, that of Helioth stands as a supreme example of shoddy scholarship and its subsequent dissemination. Helioth was said to have made a simple stereoscope before Wheatstone presented his mirror stereoscope to the public in 1838. There is no evidence of Helioth's existence prior to a report in the mid-twentieth century, and despite attempts to dispel his ghost it has recently resurfaced.
School of Psychology, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, Scotland, UK. n.j.wade@dundee.ac.uk
Nicholas J
NJ
Wade
D003867:Depth Perception; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006801:Humans; D062069:Inventions / Q000266:history*; D009229:Mythology; D055096:Optical Devices / Q000266:history*; D055095:Optics and Photonics / Q000266:history*; D014785:Vision, Ocular