Question

lasers: the light fantastic!
1 since the early days of ancient greece, egypt, rome, china, and india, rays of light have been thought to possess mysterious, even magical powers. the ancients believed light could carry messages from the gods and that the sun was responsible for sustaining life. light, they believed, could even cure serious illnesses.
2 ordinary light is comprised of many light rays of different wavelengths, all out of step with each other. that’s why most visible light diffuses, or spreads out, from its source. you probably have experienced this if you have ever been in a darkened room and lit a candle or turned on a small light bulb. the light, in these examples, is brightest at its source. as it moves away from its point of origin, the light covers more area but it grows dimmer. people wondered if there was any way to keep the intensity of light the same as it is at its source?
what is a significant difference between the opinions expressed in both articles?
the author of “lasers: the light fantastic!” accepts that new inventions will alter our lives, while the author of “the steam engine powers a revolution” rejects that they will.
the author of “lasers: the light fantastic!” discusses the science behind new inventions, while the author of “the steam engine powers a revolution” mainly writes about the historical development of them.
the author of “lasers: the light fantastic!” believes in the tremendous benefits of new inventions, while the

Explanation:

To determine the correct option, we analyze each choice:

• First option: There's no indication the "Steam Engine" author rejects new inventions altering lives.
• Second option: "Lasers: The Light Fantastic!" (from the visible text) discusses the science of light (a new invention - related science), while "The Steam Engine Powers a Revolution" likely focuses on the historical development of the steam engine (a historical tech development). This matches.
• Third option: The visible text of "Lasers..." focuses on light science, not "tremendous benefits" of new inventions, so this is incorrect.

Answer:

The option stating "The author of 'Lasers: The Light Fantastic!' discusses the science behind new inventions, while the author of 'The Steam Engine Powers a Revolution' mainly writes about the historical development of them." (the middle option among the three, based on the layout).