English physicist invented self-adjusting lenses

Washington Post, January 10, 2009 page A8:

Oxford, England- Joshua Silver, an atomic physicist, with the glasses he invented, which work on the principle that the more liquid pumped into a thin sac in the plastic lenses, the stronger the correction. Serendipity at best?

"It is about education, economics and quality of life," Silver said. The glasses, which are made in China, are not sleek. Generic? But the design can be improved. A pair costs about $19. He has distributed about 30,000 spectacles. The US Dept. of Defense bought 20,000 pairs to give away to the poor folks in Africa and Eastern Europe. His glasses correct nearsightedness and farsightedness but not astigmatism.

In his cozy home in Oxford, near the university where he has been for 26 years, the inventor talked about how Henry Ford wanted to make a car that every one could afford and how he hopes to make eyeglasses accessible to everyone. Great idea! A computer is made for everyone to learn economics in action globally. How nice!

Despite his age at 62, Silver has never needed reading glasses, which he said might be "God's way of telling me I am doing something good."

A talkative man with a remarkable memory, Silver said that as the global financial crisis changes the way people live, maybe there won't be such a focus on making money and having the brightest students head into the world of finance. "I feel people are saying, 'Hold on, there is some real work to do in life,'"

As an octogenarian, I have real work to do in life and the real work is to share the happenings apropos of Sino-American economics to readers. Moreover,I can teach the Chinese language to the bright students who wish to learn the form of art(calligraphy) and music(tones)with Pin Yin for phonetic equivalent. That is the real work or fun in life by virtue of my background as a graduate student from Shanghai,China to San Francisco,California,USA in 1947. That is 62 years ago.

The ultimate success in economics is the contribution to be made for human happiness. That maybe the true goal in life.

Francis Shieh a.k.a. Xie Shihao on Saturday,January 10, 2009 at 10.38 a.m.