Totally not actually the world's first cyborg
April 4, 2017 2:16 PM   Subscribe

 


Piffle. I can see into the UV thanks to a cataract replacement lens that doesn't block UV.
And I'm also not actually the world's first. UV blocking lenses came into widespread use for cataract surgery just after I had my eye operated on.

See the page by Alek Komar, who's documented how that works
posted by hank at 2:36 PM on April 4, 2017 [6 favorites]


Neat article and all but... must... resist... bowl... cut... comments...
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 2:38 PM on April 4, 2017 [7 favorites]


I want to see UV. I'd rather not look like a Snork though.
posted by Splunge at 2:53 PM on April 4, 2017


Seeing in greyscale has many advantages. ... I’m not easily fooled by camouflages.

This is also true of colorblind people
The majority of observers with red-green deficiencies see the number 73, 5, and 45. The majority of observers with normal color vision see nothing at all! This is because normals' sense of color is actually masking the subtle brightness differences which color deficient observers use to see the number.
...
In spite of the limitations, there are some visual acuity advantages to color blindness, such as the increased ability to discriminate camouflaged objects.

Outlines, rather than colors, are responsible for pattern recognition, and improvements in night vision may occur due to certain color vision deficiencies. In the military, colorblind snipers and spotters are highly valued for these reasons.
(Images included in the linked webpage.)
posted by filthy light thief at 3:05 PM on April 4, 2017 [4 favorites]


My father gained the ability to see into the UV a few years ago, after a cataract replacement lens. When he came back from the hospital, he spent the entire afternoon turning a gas hob burner on and off, because it was so pretty.
posted by doop at 3:34 PM on April 4, 2017 [14 favorites]


I'd like to see UV and IR as well, but I'm a little concerned this dude doesn't seem to have a full handle on the senses most people have already: "Imagine something like an earring that could give you 360 degrees of perception of your surroundings"
Among other things, that's what EARS do.
posted by threecheesetrees at 3:39 PM on April 4, 2017 [3 favorites]


Anybody remember when Kevin Warwick would hit the news every six months as the world's first cyborg?
posted by mmoncur at 3:53 PM on April 4, 2017 [9 favorites]


He came to Moogfest last year here in Durham, and did a nail painting performance where he used his sensor to make music from the colors of the toenail polish.
posted by oceanjesse at 4:24 PM on April 4, 2017 [1 favorite]


Search for "sonochromatic pedicure"
posted by oceanjesse at 4:27 PM on April 4, 2017 [1 favorite]


Anybody remember when Kevin Warwick would hit the news every six months as the world's first cyborg?

"I put a magnet under my skin and managed not to get an infection this time! I can feel magnetism now! I'm a cyborg!"

For authenticity's sake, it should be a link to WIRED from like, 1998 during their "can we blind you through color choice alone?" phase.
posted by leotrotsky at 4:46 PM on April 4, 2017 [4 favorites]


Claude Monet may have had UV vision after his cataract surgery in 1923, as mentioned here. A more skeptical take is here. If I ever have cataract surgery I'm going to make it a point to ask for UV permeable lenses.
posted by TedW at 4:52 PM on April 4, 2017 [3 favorites]


In spite of the limitations, there are some visual acuity advantages to color blindness, such as the increased ability to discriminate camouflaged objects.

Heh, I came here to point the same thing out. Someone I used to know had achromatopsia - like, outright legally blind - and she was often better at spotting camouflaged stuff in coop video games we played than I was.
posted by mordax at 4:57 PM on April 4, 2017


Alex Ramonsky mumble mumble.
posted by Bringer Tom at 7:14 PM on April 4, 2017


The real first cyborgs, of course, were the hominids who invented language.
posted by vibratory manner of working at 8:47 PM on April 4, 2017


How do you think he wears a hat, Claire?
posted by Robin Kestrel at 3:37 AM on April 5, 2017


Very cool and I LOVE seeing people experimenting on themselves like this.

But... still just extending and transcoding existing senses. It's an auditory hack. Just like magnets in fingertips are an extension of the sense of touch.

No DNI, not a new sense.
posted by butterstick at 3:41 PM on April 5, 2017


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