Recently,
an American research institute has developed Oxy-Iso lenses that will allow
medics to spot bruising and veins that are difficult to see. Though originally
developed to aid medics, they have been tested and found to enhance greens and
reds in the colour blind. The lenses work via, “the Oxy-Iso filter concentrat(ing)
its enhancement exactly where red-green colour-blind folk are deficient.” Of course,
these lenses carry a tremendous impact. The possibility of a solution (though
currently under-developed) to colour blindness is truly remarkable. Theoretical
neurobiologist Mark Changizi developed the Oxy-Iso lenses for glasses offers an
explanation into the importance of human colour vision, describing how it "evolved
above and beyond that found in other mammals... allowing us to sense
colour-signals on the skin, including blushes, blanches, as well as sensing
health". Colour vision has always been a paramount part of human evolution
beyond other mammals. While the promise of these lenses is extremely exciting,
the lenses are not yet perfected. Daniel Bor, a colour-blind neurologist,
described some negative effects (as well as positive ones) after wearing the
lenses. He stated that, while the lenses made red colours appear vibrant, they
subdued yellows and blues tremendously. This would make the lenses unsafe for
drivers to use.
While
there are a few areas for improvement in the lenses, they symbolize the start
of a solution to colour-blindness. This is incredibly impactful to humanity,
especially as 1 in every 10 men are colour-blind, and there are many
colour-blind women. The Oxy-Iso lenses that Mr. Changizi has developed are on
the verge of having the ability to change the world, though that was not their
original purpose. This recent breakthrough will also, perhaps, encourage other
scientists to continue working on a solution to colour-blindness as well as
other genetic defections that affect millions of people across the globe.
Overall,
I enjoyed reading this article as it gave me a sort of renewed faith in
accidental science. Though thousands of scientists have been looking for
solutions to colour-blindness for years, one scientist was lucky enough to
stumble upon the beginning of a solution. This reminds us that, sometimes, the
answer is right there. While I enjoyed the article, I felt that the author
broke up their paragraphs too much, which distracted my attention from the main
point of the article at times, and contributed to a lack of eloquence
throughout the article.
‘Lenses found to ‘cure colour-blindness’’; 7 February 2013;
BBC News
3 comments:
I read the Article “Revolutionary Lenses May Cure Colour Blindness” and review by Tatiana. Overall I liked this article and I liked how interesting it was. She described exactly how this now lenses would work which I liked and went into the real science of it. I would have liked her to go more into when these lenses will be bale to be used. Another thing I would have liked to know is who is doing this testing to get these lenses. Overall I thought this was very interesting and I really liked it.
I think Tatiana did a great job on this review. Her whole review was very clear and easy to follow. I did not have to go back and reread anything to understand the article. I think it was good she included the stat that 1 in 10 men are color blind, since it shows this is a relevant field of research and shows the lenses are worthwhile. By including cons to the lenses, Tatiana made the article fair and balanced. To improve this write up, Tatiana could have explained what the Oxi Iso is. I was not completely sure if it was part of the eye or something in the lenses. Also she could have explained how they work. One thing I learned was being able to see in color is an evolutionary advantage humans have over other mammals. I thought that was really interesting, and was surprised to find out there is not much research in the field of color even though it is so important to us.
Tatiana’s review of “Revolutionary Lenses May Cure Colour Blindness” was very well written. In her review, she gave a very good summary of the article and included a lot of information about the Oxy-Iso lenses that will allow medics to spot bruising and veins that are difficult to see. She clearly displays what researchers found in regards to the new technology, which also enhances greens and reds in the color blind. She did a great job including background information so that her review was easy to follow. Additionally, Tatiana did well on summarizing the article and avoiding clutter and too much detail. Her review encompassed the entire article yet she presented the information in a much more concise manner. She also did a great job critiquing the article, as she gave a very clear opinion on why the article was hard to follow.
Although these were several positive components to her review, there were a few things that I thought were missing from her article review. I think she could have elaborated on the science behind the study and how the glasses actually work. This was unclear and I would like to learn more about it. I also think she could have included more information about the impact this research can have on society.
I learned a lot from reading Tatiana’s review, and found it very interesting. I was surprised to learn that 1 in every 10 men are color-blind, as this is a large number. It also adds to the effectiveness of her review, as it shows the importance of the glasses in society.
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