Submitted by Rowsdower32 t3_zzi3f0 in askscience
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[deleted] t1_j2ck7gh wrote
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[deleted] t1_j2cqa3i wrote
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No_Stretch_3899 t1_j2ctlp5 wrote
Black light glows are caused by (might get the term wrong) fluorescence, where the high energy photons of the black light excite certain molecules into releasing a burst of photons at a different wavelength (the glow you see is when that new wavelength is in the visible spectrum). So as long as what’s glowing is within the animal’s color spectrum, they should have no problem seeing it. However, an animal (like a pistol shrimp) may not quite see the same glow from black lights because it may be washed out by the brightness of the black light, as their vision extends much further into the ultraviolet (and also the infrared, but UV is what’s relevant here) than humans’ do
bane_killgrind t1_j2cw2h4 wrote
Cats seem to also see further into UV than humans, based on this stack exchange summary https://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/34317/what-portion-of-the-electromagnetic-spectrum-do-cats-see
[deleted] t1_j2d93w8 wrote
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[deleted] t1_j2d9jn1 wrote
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[deleted] t1_j2dc5d3 wrote
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[deleted] t1_j2eov41 wrote
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adaminc t1_j2exfz1 wrote
The human retina can actually see UV light, but the lens blocks most of it. If you get cataract surgery, and get an artificial lens implanted, it's possible that you start seeing that UV light, it appears as white though.
It's also dangerous, and you'll need to wear sunglasses outdoors for the rest of your life, during the daytime.
[deleted] t1_j2f06oq wrote
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boissondevin t1_j2f319o wrote
Would it be possible to apply a UV absorbing coating to the artificial lenses, or would that mess with the optics and/or durability?
adaminc t1_j2f3n7e wrote
There doesn't need to be a coating, you can get artificial lenses that don't allow UV light through.
MicrotracS3500 t1_j2ffaqu wrote
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02172758
Based on this link, UV absorbing intraocular lenses have been around since the ‘80s, but not all of them are very effective, and they’re not universally used. Based on a little reading, it’s unclear what makes it difficult, but my guess is that it’s hard to exclusively block UV light without affecting the tint and clarity of the lens.
boissondevin t1_j2ffepk wrote
I imagine many UV absorbing compounds also degrade from the absorption.
MicrotracS3500 t1_j2fgjdy wrote
Very true as well, that’s a big reason why our natural lenses degrade over time.
[deleted] t1_j2cj8uq wrote
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