Humans Can Get Super Vision From These Contact Lenses

Here are some contact lenses you definitely won't want to wear to bed. A team of scientists from China and the University of Massachusetts has created contacts that allow people to see in total darkness and even with their eyes shut, according to a study published in the journal Cell. ABC News reports it's all made possible by tiny nanoparticles in the soft lens material that absorbs infrared light and converts it into visible images, essentially giving humans the kind of vision only seen in sci-fi. "When wearing them, you still see everything normally," said Gang Han, lead author of the study. "The lenses simply add the ability to see infrared images on top of what we already normally see."

Researchers initially tested the tech by injecting the nanoparticles into the retinas of mice, and they noticed the mice behaved differently in infrared-lit environments. Looking for a less-invasive option, they developed a polymer contact lens for human subjects and they found that people wearing the contacts could detect flickering signals, spot patterns, and even distinguish colors like red and blue in the infrared range. That's something human eyes and traditional night vision goggles can't do. And because they're transparent, users can see visible light and infrared at the same time. However, the trippiest part may be that users can still see flickering infrared light with their eyes closed—better, actually. "They're even better able to receive this flickering information, because near-infrared light penetrates the eyelid more effectively than visible light," explained neuroscientist Tian Xue, via Phys.org.

The potential uses for this kind of technology stretch way beyond night hikes or spy games.
Han said the lenses could have practical real-world uses, like giving surgeons the ability to pinpoint hidden tumors using infrared technology without needing to look at a separate monitor and allowing firefighters to see through smoke. "This study opens the door to many exciting applications of wearable technology, potentially transforming how we see and interact with our environment, especially in challenging conditions." (More contact lenses stories.)