The technology of seeing at night, in infrared light developed in China. The results of the research are impressive even though the test subjects are mice, we don't lose hope for magic eyedrops that will solve issues with night vision.
DO YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE DARK?
The alien in the movie Predator could see at night, in infrared light. Now, earthly creatures have learned how to do so. They don’t need glasses or night-vision goggles, either; it requires nothing at all!
You just apply a layer of nanoparticles to the retina, and this allows receptors to respond to infrared radiation.
The technology developed in China and took a leap forward in some areas. The effects last for several weeks and then die out. No side effects are reported.
To be fair, the test subjects are mice, but there is no doubt they will soon shift to human volunteers. This is easier to do in China.
The methodology seems rather simple; it’s a direct injection of nanoparticles into the retina. It is possible, however, that eyedrops are next.
I personally have persistent problems with night vision while driving, so I can only dream of these magic eyedrops.
There’s no doubt that the military shares my dreams, too, as infrared equipment can be cumbersome and is useless during the day.
HOW MOSQUITOS CAN SEE
What is happening on your screen right now? The text you see is the result of a conversion of electrical signals into color and saturation.
When text reaches our eyes, the reverse process begins. Rods and cones enter the fray. They translate the text back into electrical signals and send them to the brain, which then forms them into ideas.
We get a cycle of electricity.
The fact, is, though, that we only see a very limited part of the spectrum, somewhere between infrared and ultraviolet.
Some creatures see much more – mosquitos, for example, not to mention certain species of snakes and fish. All of them function quite confidently in the dark, focusing in the infrared range, which is useful for hunting. In the case of mosquitos, they are hunting for people.
Because we are warm-blooded, we appear to them in contrast to a cooler background, perhaps similar to the way Predator saw Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Hunters, soldiers, and rescuers have the same gift, but only with special equipment.
But let’s get back to the mice. Nanoparticles envelop the rods and cones, and the invisible becomes visible in green light. Normal vision is preserved. In mice, the visual apparatus is similar. So it is possible in the future that there will not only be drops for night vision, but for color blindness, as well.
In the future, nothing is impossible.
But even in the present, we can help you with many of your vision problems.
S.V.
Photo by Hermes Rivera on Unsplash
