Night Vision

I have been saying that I wanted to blog about this for the longest time, so here we go:

To have night vision is to have the ability to see in the dark. It is made possible because of the combination of a decent spectral range and a decent intensity range. Humans are lacking in these departments, mostly because we don't have a tapetum lucidum*, therefore, we don't have good night vision.

An enhanced spectral range allows the viewer to use non-visible sources of electromagnetic radiation, such as near-infrared or ultraviolet light. The intensity range is simply the ability to see with very small amounts of light. Humans can barely do either.


If I had night vision, I doubt I would sleep at all.


*A layer of tissue in the eye, found directly behind or within the retina. It reflects light back through the retina, increasing the amount of light the photoreceptors can pick up. This improves night vision in many animals, including nocturnal animals that rely on their eye to hunt at night.