The eye can detect light at wavelengths in the visual spectrum. Other wavelengths, such as infrared and ultraviolet, are supposed to be invisible to the human eye, but Washington University scientists have found that under certain conditions, it’s possible for us to see otherwise invisible infrared light. Credit: Sara Dickherber 來源:來源: Physorg
閱讀任何一本教科書,都可以得到相同的概念:「紅外線對於人類來說是不可見光」,舉例來說x光、微波這些光,都在人們可見光的波長範圍之外。然而,這個想法卻被由美國華盛頓大學聖約翰醫學院所領導的國際性(包含來自挪威、瑞士、波蘭等地的學者)研究團隊打破,他們發現,在某些特定的條件之下,視網膜可以偵測到紅外線,目前他們的初稿甫發表在2014年的12月1日Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) 上。
Kefalov’s team developed this adapter that allowed scientists to analyze retinal cells and photopigment molecules as they were exposed to infrared light. The device already is commercially available and in use at several vision research centers around the world.Credit: ROBERT BOSTON 來源: Washington University
PanSci 實習編輯,台大公衛系,對世界充滿好奇,最喜歡的句子是王爾德在《溫夫人的扇子》中寫的一句台詞:"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at stars. "。沒錯,我們都身陷在日常生活的爛泥溝渠之中,但還是可以抬頭,仰望燦爛星空。:)