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No_Stretch_3899 t1_j2ctlp5 wrote

Black light glows are caused by (might get the term wrong) fluorescence, where the high energy photons of the black light excite certain molecules into releasing a burst of photons at a different wavelength (the glow you see is when that new wavelength is in the visible spectrum). So as long as what’s glowing is within the animal’s color spectrum, they should have no problem seeing it. However, an animal (like a pistol shrimp) may not quite see the same glow from black lights because it may be washed out by the brightness of the black light, as their vision extends much further into the ultraviolet (and also the infrared, but UV is what’s relevant here) than humans’ do

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adaminc t1_j2exfz1 wrote

The human retina can actually see UV light, but the lens blocks most of it. If you get cataract surgery, and get an artificial lens implanted, it's possible that you start seeing that UV light, it appears as white though.

It's also dangerous, and you'll need to wear sunglasses outdoors for the rest of your life, during the daytime.

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boissondevin t1_j2f319o wrote

Would it be possible to apply a UV absorbing coating to the artificial lenses, or would that mess with the optics and/or durability?

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adaminc t1_j2f3n7e wrote

There doesn't need to be a coating, you can get artificial lenses that don't allow UV light through.

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MicrotracS3500 t1_j2ffaqu wrote

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02172758

Based on this link, UV absorbing intraocular lenses have been around since the ‘80s, but not all of them are very effective, and they’re not universally used. Based on a little reading, it’s unclear what makes it difficult, but my guess is that it’s hard to exclusively block UV light without affecting the tint and clarity of the lens.

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boissondevin t1_j2ffepk wrote

I imagine many UV absorbing compounds also degrade from the absorption.

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MicrotracS3500 t1_j2fgjdy wrote

Very true as well, that’s a big reason why our natural lenses degrade over time.

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