Human night vision leaves a lot to be desired. Sure, some of us see better in the dark than others, but we can't match the ability of many animals to spot prey or threats under the cover of night. Technology has helped us compensate for our biological limitations, and our eyes are no exception. Devices like the ATN PVS14, which costs around $3,600, put night vision within reach of many people (there are other models with different performance and cost, of course). But electronics aren't the only option these days.
Contrary to what Riddick told us, you no longer need to take out a few people to get night vision, or invest heavily in the systems used by special forces. A group of 'biohackers' from Science for the Masses has carried out an impressive proof of concept by placing a substance called Chlorin e6 in a volunteer's eyes, allowing him to detect people in the dark at 50 meters.
Chlorin e6: A Chlorophyll Analog
The folks at Science for the Masses published a document explaining the use of eye drops to optimize night vision in humans. The substance that makes this possible is Chlorin e6, an analog of chlorophyll, which can be found in some species of fish that live in the deep depths of the ocean. It's already used in photodynamic therapy and specific treatments, such as night blindness. The volunteer was biochemical researcher Gabriel Licina, who received a total of 150 cubic millimeters (150 microliters) of Chlorin e6 in each eye, divided into three doses. The effects took less than an hour to appear, and the next step was to go outside so Licina could test his new eyes.
Putting It to the Test
At first, Licina managed to record different shapes in the dark at ten meters, but within minutes he could recognize symbols and figures at greater distances. In the second test, more people were involved, standing near trees at a distance of 50 meters. The control group's accuracy was around 30 percent, but Licina got it right every time, even recognizing when a person was leaning against a tree.
A Garage-Brewed Success
Although its effects are temporary (several hours, according to the document), optimizing our night vision with Chlorin e6 is viable, and most importantly, Science for the Masses doesn't work in a specialized lab—they did all of this in a garage. Personally, I don't think Chlorin e6 drops will hit the market, but the proof of concept works, and the web has already taken notice.
