An Neil, here is a SUPPORTING statement about prevention by
a professor of ophthalmology.  But youi have your head buried
so deeply (you know where) you will never
see the (scientific) light of day.

                Foreword

    Ophthalmologists, optometrists and research workers are
responsible for the second opinion presented in this book, that
nearsightedness (myopia) is as much, if not greatly more, due to
environment (and avoidable) than heredity (unavoidable).

    The essence of avoiding myopia is using a plus lens (a mild
magnifying glass, as in reading glasses required by older people)
before the eye becomes seriously nearsighted.

    If the approach advocated in this book is to work properly,
you must take full responsibility to develop a clear understanding
of the normal eye's behavior.  In addition, you must personally
implement the practical method of prevention.

    In this situation we can only offer the student of science an
accurate picture of existing practices, as well as an education
about the fundamental behavioral characteristic of the normal eye.
This approach will put you in full control of your visual welfare.

    The author has demonstrated a depth of understanding of the
problems and limits that occur in existing health practice.  With
good judgment, and personal effort, it is highly probable that you
can avoid nearsightedness.

                Paul E. Romano  M.D., M.S.O.
                Professor of Ophthalmology,
                University of Florida, Gainesville

             ACKNOWLEDGMENT

    Over the past thirty years I have made an exhaustive effort
to review the experimental data that allows us to accurately judge
the normal eye's behavior.

    In this effort I have met many fine individuals working in
the diverse fields of engineering, ophthalmology, aeronautical
education, optometry, and scientific research.    In addition, I
have been assisted by many friends who have patiently reviewed
this analysis and engaged in much discussion and review.  The
writing of this book was possible only with the assistance of the
following individuals:

Paul Romano, MD,       University of Florida
Peter Greene, PhD,     Harvard University
Karel Montor, PhD,     The United States Naval Academy
Dave Guyton, MD,       Johns Hopkins University
Alfred Sommers, MD,    Johns Hopkins Hospital
James Tielsch, MD,     Johns Hopkins Hospital
Lawrence Stark, PhD,   Research Scientist
Vera Rollo, PhD,       Author, Flight Instructor
William Ludlam, OD,    Research Optometrist
Francis Young, PhD,    Research Psychologist
Alan Shotwell, OD,     Research Optometrist
Stirling Colgate, PhD, Research Scientist, Los Alamos
Howard Howland, PhD,   Research Scientist, Cornell University
Maurice Brumer, OD,    Research Optometrist
Ron Berger, OD,        Child Diagnostics and Treatments Associates

    And last, but most important, I gratefully acknowledge Carol
Brown's support.  She has borne with patience the almost endless
academic discussions about the normal eye's behavior that led to
this book.

              INTRODUCTION

 "It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness."

                         The Christophers

    It is a pleasure to produce the Ebook edition of this book.
While many scientists are convinced as to the accuracy of the
facts presented in this book, we could not be certain that pilots
of less experience could get the proper insight, work with the
plus lens, and ultimately clear their distance vision to normal.

    This book details the practical efforts that you must make in
order to achieve vision restoration from 20/50 to 20/20.  I cannot
claim that more than this is achievable, although Dr.  Stirling
Colgate states that he was able to recover from 20/80.    You will
find out the extent of your own recovery by actually implementing
the preventative procedure described in this book.

             IS THIS BOOK FOR YOU?

    This book is designed for use by two groups of individuals;
the research scientist who is willing to develop a thorough
understanding of the fundamental behavior characteristic of the
normal eye, and the person, for example a would- be pilot,
entering a four-year academic institution, who wishes to be
visually qualified upon graduation.  It is also of interest to
parents of school-age children.

    It is possible to avoid nearsightedness.  Recovery from
nearsightedness has been successfully accomplished, for example by
Stirling Colgate, a scientist who developed a clear understanding
of the normal eye's behavior.  It is, however, almost impossible
to recover from anything more than a slight amount of
nearsightedness.  Because of the difficulties of recovery, it is
important that you clearly understand the scientific basis for
this alternative approach.

    This alternative has been developed over the past three
decades by the eye care profession and is currently practiced by
twenty percent of the profession.  The practice requires the use
of a plus-lens (bifocal) for children who are slightly
nearsighted.  This development (of the second-opinion) encourages
us to look more deeply into scientific experiments that resolve
the normal eye's behavior.

             THE FIRST STEP

    Down-load a eye chart from www.i-see.org.    Xerox the the
chart so that you have additional eye charts for your use.  Now
tape them on a wall so you can read the chart at 20 feet.  With
both eyes read the lowest line possible.  Write the value down.
You must read 4 out of 5 characters to "pass" the line.  Now check
each eye individually.    If you are less than 20/70 with both eyes,
recovery will be difficult.  If you are at 20/30 or 20/40,
recovery could be achieved in a matter of weeks.

            SEQUENCE OF PRESENTATION

    This book explores three major scientific subjects:

1.  What practical steps must you take to avoid nearsightedness?
   (Chapter One to Three) Is the method effective?  (Chapter
   Eleven)

2.  How does the normal eye behave when it is actually tested?
   (Chapters Four to Seven)

3.  Why must the eye function as a dynamic system, rather than as
   a passive system?  (Chapters Eight to Ten)

    This book will help you understand how the normal eye behaves
under direct experimental control.  After you understand this
behavior, you can then begin to devise a strategy to successfully
avoid nearsightedness.

    EXPERIMENTAL VERIFICATION OF THE EYE'S BEHAVIOR

    This book is based on directly-obtained experimental data.
The facts clearly define the behavior characteristics of all
normal eyes.

    When the normal eye is placed in a confined visual
environment, or wears a negative lens, (such as is currently being
prescribed for nearsightedness) the normal eye will change its
focal state in a negative direction.  When the normal eye is
placed in an open environment, or wears a plus lens, the focal
state of the eye will change in a positive direction -- thus
achieving successful myopia avoidance.    Both theoretical analysis
and direct experimental testing has confirmed this fundamental
behavior characteristic of the eye.  (The plus and minus lenses
will be thoroughly discussed later in this book.)

    The concept of the eye's behavior presented in this book is
technical in nature.  However, I feel that most readers will be
able to understand most of the analysis.  A detailed understanding
requires a engineering background.  If you develop this insight,
you will be able understand the nature of the normal eye's
behavior.  The student of science will eventually be able to do
this.  For this reason I have not excessively simplified the
scientific presentation.

    If you will make the appropriate effort to understand the
eye's behavior, you will eventually be rewarded by your own
successful effort to defeat nearsightedness.

             A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH

    The outlook of this book follows the English (Scientific)
Royal Society's Motto, "Nullus in Verba", which has been best
translated as, "Take nobody's word for it; see for yourself." The
first step in learning to make a scientific judgment is to learn
to make your own decisions, based on your own measurements.

    Your eyes belong to you, and you must control your own visual
future.  The only way to make a responsible decision is by being
cognizant of your focal state.    With this knowledge you can act
effectively to control the behavior of your eyes.

             THE EYE CHART

    A standard eye chart is included in the back of the book.
You should use this chart to confirm your current focal status.  A
reading of 20/60 or 20/70 is not disastrous.  You should, however,
take this situation as a warning and consider the alternative.
Even if you read the chart at 20/20, there is no guarantee that
after four years of study and close work you will graduate with
20/20.    At the United States Naval Academy approximately 30
percent of the entering class are disqualified from flying due to
failure to read the 20/20 line upon graduation!

    THE EXPLICIT RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE EYE PROFESSION

    Because ophthalmologists are aware of existing experimental
studies, they have strongly suggested that prevention is the best
solution for the problem of nearsightedness.  Unfortunately, this
recommendation has never been effectively presented and acted
upon.  Although the correct solution is known, the methodology of
prevention has never been implemented.

    There is direct testimony as to the effectiveness of the use
of a positive (plus) lens to control the negative focal state of
the normal eye.  Many children and adults can help themselves if
the principles in this book are properly understood and applied.

        A PERSONAL NOTE BY DR.  STIRLING COLGATE

    Dr.  Stirling Colgate, a research scientist with the Los
Alamos National Laboratory, correctly deduced the behavior of the
normal eye, and began using a plus 2.5 diopter lens to reverse the
effect of a confined environment on his eyes.  By doing this, he
successfully recovered from a slight amount of myopia.

    "Fortunately, I understood most of this for myself when I was
studying biology and physics when I was 14.  I first started to
become nearsighted at 13 to 14.  As soon as I noticed it, I
immediately acted upon it by buying a pair of reading
(farsightedness) glasses, (positive lenses), at the dime store.  I
used these for reading.  A positive lens substitutes for further
contraction of the ciliary muscle; thereby allowing the eye focus
to remain in the relaxed state of infinity when reading a book up
close.    Within several weeks my eyesight had returned to normal --
relaxed state of focus at infinity."

    "Since I am a physicist I am not dependent upon optometry or
ophthalmology for my professional peer group.  I have managed my
own eyesight all during my life (now 63).  I have undertaken to
try to explain this because I believe that the condition of myopia
(and then having to wear nearsighted glasses for life) is totally
unnecessary for the majority of the human race.  I believe that
the condition of progressive myopia is a grotesque and needless
distortion of human physiology, created by our intellectual
environment of reading and continued because of our collective
denial of that very intellect."

               CONCLUSION

    If a fourteen-year-old can figure out how to act effectively
to avoid myopia then you should be able to duplicate his
successful preventive effort.

    This book contains a detailed scientific and engineering
assessment of the normal eye's behavior.  If you wish to develop a
complete understanding of eye's behavior under testable
conditions, then review Chapters Four through Ten.  The previous
discussions about problems of the eye have been qualitative.  A
qualitative statement is very difficult to test in a scientific
sense, and often has imbedded bias and assumptions.  These
arguments (about the cause of the defective eye) have not led to a
clear understanding of the normal eye's behavior.  To encompass a
full and accurate understanding of the eye it is necessary to
develop a precise quantitative model of the eye's behavior.

    It is always difficult to develop a book that advocates
change in existing medical practices.  However, if we are ever to
come to grips with a major scientific problem, we must be willing
to generate criticism of existing practices so that at least a few
of us will have the opportunity to effectively defeat the problem
of nearsightedness.

    This book applies only to nearsightedness that is
preventable.  You should consult with an ophthalmologist or
optometrist if you think that the blur at a distance is a result
of a diseased condition such as detached retina, glaucoma, etc.
After you are assured your problem has to do only with the
refractive state of your eyes, you should proceed with the
preventive approach recommended in this book.

               CONTENTS

               CHAPTER I

              Who Is Responsible?

    This section recommends that you be prepared to enter into an
aggressive analytical effort if you wish to come to grips with the
problem of nearsightedness.  The approach must include the
development of a clear understanding of the strengths and
weaknesses of current eye care practices.

               CHAPTER II

          Practical Nearsightedness Avoidance

    This chapter provides a discussion of a systematic effort
that you can institute to avoid myopia.