h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This Entry says:

"It was not until the middle of the 17th Century, with the development of telescopes, microscopes and other optical paraphernalia, that the works of Jensen, Kepler, Galileo, Snelius, Cavalieri, Fermat, Newton and others provided a more profound understanding of optics"


But:
"Alhazen's work transformed the way in which light and vision was understood, setting the stage for modern physical optics and earning him the title the "father of modern optics"[2]

Alhazen's use of systematically controlled experimental variables in his exposition in the Book of Optics constitute a foundational contribution to scientific method. He has been called a "pioneer of the modern scientific method,"[3] and the founder of experimental physics.[4]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Optics

The works of Alhazen (10th century) were translated in the School of Translators of Toledo. From Toledo to the rest of Europe. Da Vinci and Kepler knew about that, as many scholars and universities.

It´s a pity that this is ignored.