Science in Seconds - Enhancing the Eye
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Science in Seconds
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RAVES - Enhancing The Eye
Torah Kachur: Recently, scientists from the University of Washington
were able to cure color blindness in monkeys.
Using gene therapy, they introduced pieces of DNA
directly into the cells of the adult eye.
That experiment was groundbreaking in itself. But the coolest part?
It's not that a cure for human color blindness took a massive leap forward.
It's that the monkey brains could interpret and adapt to this new stimulus,
red light, in a way they had never been able to do before.
Some animals, like birds of prey, can see in the infrared spectrum.
Others, like bees and butterflies, can see UV light.
If we could cure color blindness by introducing the genes for new photoreceptors
and expect the brain to process and interpret this new data...
...does anyone see where I'm going with this?
Just think, we could use UV or infrared or polarized light receptors
from these other organisms and introduce them directly into the human eye.
This would mean no more heat vision goggles for soldiers,
no more night lights,
and an incredible new world right in front of our eyes...
...if only we could see it.
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