>>> the researchers studied quasars whose light is so strongly deflected by foreground galaxies that they appear as multiple distinct images, as shown in the figure
So, I think I get the dummies guide, except this bit - I am surprised that a lens can produce multiple images from one light source - is this something i don't experience much on human scales or am I just not using the right lenses?
Remember that these "lenses" are very irregularly shaped, not at all like the smooth lens of a camera. A good real-world analogy is to look through a wine glass, for example:
So, I think I get the dummies guide, except this bit - I am surprised that a lens can produce multiple images from one light source - is this something i don't experience much on human scales or am I just not using the right lenses?