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In human trials, participants were able to detect Morse-code-like flickering from infrared LED sources and accurately judge the direction of the incoming signals. In a major step toward wearable superhuman technology, researchers have developed contact lenses that allow mice and humans to see in infrared without requiring any power source. The lenses enable simultaneous perception of both visible and infrared light, with applications ranging from security to assisting the visually impaired. The team engineered soft contact lenses embedded with specialized nanoparticles that convert near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths (800–1600 nm) into visible light. These particles emit light in the 400–700 nm range—detectable...

Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) that the Democratic Party lacked a vision for the future. Host Kristen Welker said, “Let’s talk about what you have called your oligarchy, and Alexandria Ocasio Cortez have been criss-crossing the country warning of an oligarchy. Senator you told the New York Times, ‘One of the aspects of this is to get people to get engaged in the political process and run as independents outside of the Democratic Party.’ As someone who twice ran in the Democratic presidential primary are you trying to strengthen the Democratic Party or Senator, are...

There is something unique about the color purple: Our brain makes it up. So you might just call purple a pigment of our imagination. It’s also a fascinating example of how the brain creates something beautiful when faced with a systems error. To understand where purple comes from, we need to know how our eyes and brain work together to perceive color. And that all begins with light. Light is another term for electromagnetic radiation. Most comes from the sun and travels to Earth in waves. There are many different types of light, which scientists group based on the lengths...

Two independent studies show that patients with type 2 diabetes who are treated with the drug Ozempic have an increased risk of developing damage to the optic nerve of the eye, which can lead to severe and permanent loss of vision. Both of the new register-based studies from SDU confirm a concern that was raised earlier this year in a smaller American study. "We have examined data from all 424,152 Danes with type 2 diabetes. We found that Ozempic more than doubles the risk of developing NAION. NAION is damage to the optic nerve of the eye caused by a...

Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) acknowledged his confusion that the American people did not accept his and Kamala Harris’s vision for America, after a historic Election Day shellacking in which Donald Trump won the electoral college and the popular vote. In a post-election loss speech Walz touted as offering a plan for “our path forward,” the governor called to bring down the temperature while taking multiple shots at Trump. “It’s hard to understand why so many of our fellow citizens, people that we have fought so long and hard for, wound up choosing the other path,” Walz pondered aloud. “It’s hard...

An experimental eye implant could be the secret to restoring a patient’s central vision—the part of our eye that lets us see faces, details, and letters more clearly. Many patients now using the implant as part of a clinical trial have reported successful results. The implant was developed by Science Corporation, a competitor to Elon Musk’s Neuralink, which Musk plans to use to merge humans and AI together. The company announced preliminary results for its latest clinical trial this week, reporting that some study participants can now see well enough to read from books, play cards, and more. All of...

Vice President Kamala Harris was roasted for a word salad during a church service in North Carolina where she attempted to speak about having faith “in times of crisis.” While speaking at the Koinonia Christian Center in Greenville on Sunday, Harris spoke about faith and how going through “times of crisis” can sometimes lead Christians to “question” their faith. Harris pointed to the devastation left by Hurricane Helene on communities in western North Carolina, southwestern Virginia, Georgia, and eastern Tennessee.

Despite parental warnings, modern kids can’t seem to keep away from cell phones As we know smartphones are incredibly versatile devices with a wide range of uses that make them indispensable in modern life but the impact of mobile phone usage on children is a topic of increasing concern among parents, educators and several health professionals. Today, mobile devices allow instant communication through calls, text messages, emails and various messaging apps while keeping the people at large connected regardless of their location. This enables easy communication with friends, family, colleagues and businesses. Browsing websites, searching information, accessing news, watching videos...

Simply put, the idea of “Palestine” is dead and buried, and no matter how hard they may try, Western politicians will never be able to revive it. In recent weeks, various leaders of Western countries have publicly broached the idea of the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, asserting that the time has come to give the Palestinians independence, even in the absence of a negotiating process. UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron and more recently French President Emmanuel Macron have floated this suggestion, despite the ongoing war in Gaza. But what these esteemed statesmen have apparently failed to grasp is...

Dick Bramer, 76, likes to watch birds. But for two years he couldn't see them well enough to identify the various species. Bramer suffered what doctors diagnosed as an ocular stroke (they said a small particle of plaque must have blocked blood flow to the optic nerve) in one eye. A friend happened to tell about Low Vision Restoration in Blaine, Minnesota. Optometrist Chris Palmer prescribes devices that can help improve people's vision when other glasses can't. Palmer fitted Bramer with the devices, which are like miniature binoculars or telescopes affixed to regular glasses. Bramer tried them out and suddenly...

Multiple viral videos of Tesla drivers wearing an Apple Vision Pro headset while letting the car drive itself has people sounding the alarm about Elon Musk’s notoriously dangerous assisted driving technology. Mashable reports that multiple videos of Tesla drivers wearing the new Apple Vision Pro headset while driving using the vehicles “Full Self-Driving” feature has caused worries about potential safety issues. In one video, a 23-second clip shows a Tesla driver taking his hands off the steering wheel and concentrates on controlling the headset’s virtual reality display. The video was posted on February 2, the day the new Apple headset...

It was Jan. 19, 1989. Ronald Reagan was in his final full day as president of the United States and was making remarks at a Presidential Medal of Freedom presentation. As he finished celebrating the achievements of the honorees, he turned to another subject that was on his mind: “Since this is the last speech I will give as president, I think it’s fitting to leave one final thought, an observation about a country which I love.” What followed is remembered as Reagan’s most majestic description of America as a welcoming harbor for immigrants. Here is just some of what...

In a recent randomized, controlled human study, consuming grapes for 16 weeks improved key markers of eye health in older adults. The study looked at the impact of regular consumption of grapes on macular pigment accumulation and other biomarkers of eye health. This is the first human study on this subject, and the results reinforce earlier, preliminary studies where consuming grapes was found to protect retinal structure and function. Science has shown that an aging population has a higher risk of eye disease and vision problems. Key risk factors for eye disease include oxidative stress and high levels of ocular...

Research led by Nicolas Bazan, MD, Ph.D. suggests that age-related macular degeneration (AMD) decreases an essential fatty acid, preventing the formation of a class of protective molecules and reducing repair potential. The discovery may also open new therapeutic avenues for AMD. The study shows that AMD decreases peripheral retinal docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) 22:6 in rod photoreceptor cells, limiting the elongation of fatty acids to form very-long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLC-PUFAs). VLC-PUFAs are precursors of elovanoids, bioactive chemical messengers made from omega-3 very- long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Elovanoids, discovered by the Bazan lab, have been shown to restore the structure and...

Research promises to spare many premature infants from undergoing invasive eye exams to detect retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), the most common cause of preventable lifelong blindness in children in the U.S. ROP is caused by an abnormal development of small blood vessels on the retina. Isabelle De Plaen, MD, and colleagues found that imaging the capillaries in the nailbed of preemies within the first month of life using a non-invasive technique, called nailbed capillaroscopy, can identify infants at high risk for developing ROP. This screening could eliminate the need to evaluate all premature infants with eye exams about a month...

Degenerative retinal disease is a problem for millions of people worldwide, as light-sensitive cells called photoreceptors at the back of the eye die without being replaced. Thanks to new research, a solution to the problem might not be far off. Scientists in Canada have come up with a way to transform dormant support neurons called Müller glial cells into tissues that work like cone photoreceptors, which are required for color perception and visual acuity. While the process has only been tested on mice cells, it could eventually be developed into a therapy that can restore vision in people. Part of...

It could signal a new era in the treatment of age-related diseases. Anew gene therapy that reprograms cells to their younger state reversed vision loss in primates, according to a new study — potentially signaling a new era in the treatment of age-related diseases. The challenge: Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is a condition caused by decreased blood flow to the optic nerve, resulting in sudden, significant, and usually permanent loss of vision in the eye. Scientists aren’t sure what causes NAION, but most of the 6,000 Americans diagnosed with it every year are over the age of 50....

(CNN) - Recalled eye drops have been linked to dozens of dangerous infections and at least one death. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified 68 patients in 16 states with infections from Global Pharma Healthcare’s Artificial Tears Lubricant Eye Drops. The artificial tears, distributed by Ezricare and Delsam Pharma, were first recalled in February. According to the CDC, patients were infected by a rare strain of drug-resistant bacteria never before reported in the U.S. Eight patients reported losing vision, and four had to have eyeballs surgically removed. One person died. The CDC says anyone who has used Ezricare...

The Food and Drug Administration warned Wednesday of another imported eye product that could be contaminated with bacteria, in the wake of an outbreak earlier this year of highly drug-resistant bacteria that hospitalized and blinded some patients. Americans should stop using Delsam Pharma's Artificial Eye Ointment, the FDA says, an over-the-counter product manufactured by Global Pharma Healthcare Private Limited. The company has agreed to recall the product. It's the same manufacturer behind the EzriCare and Delsam Pharma artificial tears products that were already recalled earlier this year. The FDA had faulted the company for multiple violations and banned imports into...

The CDC has urged several doctors and patients to stop using EzriCare Artificial Tears as it has been linked to 50 bacteria-resistant infections and one death in 11 states, according to a report. Most of the people infected said they used artificial tears, with EzriCare being the most reported brand. EzriCare drops are preservative-free and don’t have any ingredients that prevent bacterial infections from occurring. “CDC recommends that clinicians and patients immediately discontinue the use of EzriCare Artificial Tears until the epidemiological investigation and laboratory analyses are complete,” said the report.