Researchers at the Institute for Heritage Science have used advanced neural mapping to decipher 6th-century Siddham script scrolls preserved in the Nara archives of Japan. The texts, originally translated from lost Sanskrit originals, contain detailed treatises on the physics of light and the refractive indices of various crystals. These theorems demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of ancient Indian optics, including the behavior of light when passing through different media.
The scrolls describe experimental setups involving water-filled glass spheres and polished gemstones to observe the bending of light. Scholars believe these findings indicate that ancient Indian scholars had developed theoretical models for optical phenomena that significantly influenced early Asian and Islamic science through maritime and land-based trade networks.