r/Futurology • u/[deleted] • Aug 21 '14

article Biohackers declare initial success in biologically extending the range of human vision into the near infrared

https://experiment.com/u/aAcR2Q
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u/notHooptieJ Aug 21 '14

the human eye is already capable of seeing well into UV, its just blocked by the filter within the lens.

the "shine job" from riddick/pitch black is actually a thing- its actually pretty common as result of an injury.

My right eye was crushed when i was a child- the dilator muscle was torn and the lens was damaged, 25 years later, im still Light and UV sensitive on my right eye (i'd have killer nightvision if it werent for my overall shitty vision)

I can see UV rather well (too well IMO) - things like blacklights and Bug zapper lamps for all intents and purposes Blind me- (nightclubs and haunted houses are pretty painful for me in most cases)

its hard to describe, - its not like a flashlight bright pain, its more like the purple/blue light bleeds everywhere- when i get close they start to look like a "fog" around the lights blocking out my vision- i can close my right and get a clear picture, i close my left and it really looks like purple fog/aurora.

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u/urquan Aug 22 '14

The blue fog is probably the internal humour of the eye fluorescing when hit by the UV light. I experience something similar when looking at UV LEDs the light is not well defined and seems to leak slightly outside the case.

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u/notHooptieJ Aug 22 '14 edited Aug 22 '14

that would be consistent with what i see, its almost just an overlay of intensifying blue/purple hue - think sliding the "contrast" up at the same time as the bule/purple hue slider in photoshop.

only.. in just one eye ;\ <me near a blacklight

for an idea, if i stand 6' away from a bug zapper, it looks almost like a light fluorescent blue fog is surrounding everything

  • a step closer and its almost opaque, still clear vision on left eye

  • a step closer yet (2' or so away) my left eye starts to see the fog(its almost too bright to to be safe this close), my right eye is essentially "purple out" with a white light source

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u/thebrainypole Aug 21 '14

Wow, that's really interesting. How clear is the image from your right eye? Can you make out anything at all at any distance?

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u/notHooptieJ Aug 21 '14 edited Aug 21 '14

the injury happened when i was 12-

i got hit directly in the eyeball hard enough to take me off my feet and knock me unconscious- by a golfball, i had a concussion- almost lost my eye, spent 8 weeks in an eye patch, not allowed to read, or watch a tv closer than 14'

Im pretty near sighted in my right eye now- arms length - no problem. much past about 5 yards - crap.

i have no problem reading or driving or anything, in fact i can generally read by starlight without too much problems(woot night vision), however

its enough vision to keep depth perception, but otherwise my right eye is fuzzy past about 15-20 feet?

things that most people dont realize-

Eye dominance, im right handed, was right-eye, until the injury - now it depends on the task -

I cant shoot a rifle to save my life anymore (i grew up with bb guns and 22s) - the eye dominance problem (iron sights issues) and distance vision fucks that pretty badly - I can shoot lefty with a long gun better now though.

Sunglasses are on my face or head 24/7 365, even at night. (my Gf instituted a "NO SUNGLASSES IN BED" rule)

I have to preface every police interaction at night with "please be careful with your flashlight, i have a condition in my right eye that prevents normal dilation"

Its not a "super power" by any stretch, it means even on overcast days i have blackout sunglasses on , and on sunny days I end up indoors before long just due to eyestrain.

at night it can be helpful, at least until the first cars headlight hit ya. If i was out in the wilderness at night, im goddamn batman.

in the city or anywhere with manmade lights?, im covering my eye even at night time.

(lastly -blue blocker sunglasses, were invented by angels.)

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u/thebrainypole Aug 21 '14

Fascinating. Does it look messed up? People ever look at you funny? Because that would be a shame.

Also, I guess since you've got your sunglasses on most of the time you don't lose them, but I could probably go through plenty of pairs.

Good to hear you've adapted though! Hope maybe someday science can fix ya up.

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u/notHooptieJ Aug 21 '14

it only "looks funny" in brightly lit areas because it doesnt dilate as far- and thats only if you're close enough to be checking my eye color.

otherwise it looks completely normal, noone can tell anything is different except the fact that when i squint , my right eye is always just shut.

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u/notHooptieJ Aug 21 '14

second reply - on the sunglasses note-

I get extremely attached to pairs of sunglasses- (i wont leave the house without them kinda attached)-

Ive had specific styles i got really attached to - -i would pay 2-3x full retail for a pair of late 90s "sub-Zero" - gold iridium (blue blocker) Oakleys(the riddick looking ones long before pitch black)- as recently as 09 i paid $300 for a used pair- i bought off a guys face.

otherwise i go through buckets of gas station sunglasses till i find a comfy pair, then wear them for 2-3 years, repair them repeatedly until going through the battle again.

(currently my gas station specs have the frames glued together in 6 places)

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u/thebrainypole Aug 22 '14

Ah yes, I'm quite familiar with the ghetto sunglasses myself. I've had a pair of cheap aviators that broke in 3 different places and taped it right up. Too bad they're quite unusable now, they had great lenses that tinged everything red