A group of independent scientists and biochemists have attempted to do just that. Something straight out of a movie where someone has superpowers is not that difficult as they found. With researchers and medical professionals all over the world using the base formula for a long time already, they had a good start. So much so that their initial experiment was not only successful but also did so without any visible side-effects after long-term monitoring. Here is the amazing story of science-fiction brought to life.
Enhanced Vision at Night
From rescue operations and military missions to simply hiking at night for people working in such dangerous environments, the inherent ability to see better and clearly at night can be life-saving. This motivation propelled the team called ?Science for the Masses? to embark on a journey like no other. There is no tech involved, just pure basic chemistry and human cellular biology. These experiments were performed by a group of California-based biohackers and they aim to show what it possible. But, they caution to never try this at home.
Long-term exposure to light more than your eye cells can absorb can lead to cellular damage, which can be irreversible. A wrong composition of the chemicals can also prove detrimental. Also, these eye drops have not been approved by the medical authorities, so they may not be safe for long-term or regular use.
The Elixir of Night Vision
The ability of the eye to see in the night, better than others, can be attributed to a special chemical that allows more light to be absorbed into the eyes. The cells in the eyes which react to the light are stimulated and can process more information. Especially, the rods which are responsible for night vision are more stimulated with more light reaching them.
A chemical is famously used to treat night blindness which tries to enhance the low-vision in people. The solution they devised was inspired by this. They used Ce6 or chemical chlorine e6 and dimethyl sulfoxide or DMSO. Their composition is what helped the most. When Ce6 helps as a natural molecule to absorb more light or amplification of the light received, the DMSO helps the eye absorb this chemical. This CE6 is used to treat night blindness and extracted from algae and also found in deep-sea fish. And, they also used insulin with DMSO to help the eye absorb the CE6.
Pros
The person who volunteered for the test was given a few drops;
- His eyes were kept open with a speculum for a few seconds to help the chemical absorbed into the eye.
- He was able to see at night up to 50 meters and identify objects as small as a fist clearly.
- Others without these could not do it most of the time.
Cons
He had to wear sunglasses in normal light to avoid any damage.
Caution at Home
This is a research outcome and a paper was published showing the results. It should not be attempted at home by hobbyists.