Fresnel’s final words, on the occasion of his premature death at age 39, were that his only regret with dying young was that science had so much to offer on questions of the public good, and he wished he could have done more. Later, a group of prominent economists claimed that many early lighthouses had been successfully provided by a private market, and there was no need for the government to support them. This talk covers the central role that lighthouses played in the evolving notion of the “public good,” and the particular importance of Fresnel’s work in deciding the question.
The event is free but advance registration is required.