Retired physicist's lofty aim: one billion pairs of adjustable spectacles for the world's poor

The ability to see clearly is something we take for granted in the western world - somewhere between 45-50% of the US/European population wear some form of corrective eyeglasses. Vision problems are no less common in developing countries, but custom eyewear is just too expensive for the vast majority of sufferers. The World Health Organization estimates that "1 billion people worldwide need, but do not have access to, vision correction." Retired physics Professor Joshua Silver has put a plan in motion to redress this balance with the invention of a very cheap set of spectacles that are quickly and easily adjustable to correct long- and short-sightedness. With 30,000 pairs already distributed, Silver's target is no less than to produce and distribute one billion pairs of these silicone-oil wonders throughout the developing world, helping older people get back to work and radically changing lives in the process.

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