New infrared contact lenses grant humans “supervision”

S/o science: two of Predator’s advantages over humans are about to go away. Chinese scientists have developed new infrared contact lenses that allow humans to identify heat signatures and see in the dark, according to a study published yesterday in the journal Cell.

How they work: The contact lenses feature nanoparticles thousands of times smaller than a grain of sand, which are able to identify infrared light—a band of the electromagnetic spectrum invisible to the naked human eye—and convert it to visible light.

• Essentially, the lenses are a smaller version of infrared goggles used to detect heat signatures and provide visibility in complete darkness—except the contacts don’t require a power source.
• The scientists found humans wearing the contact lenses could detect flashes of otherwise invisible infrared light—and were also better at doing so with their eyes closed, since infrared can penetrate eyelids more effectively than visible light.

Looking infrared ahead...While researchers still have some kinks to iron out before the lenses can be widely used, potential future applications include aiding first responders in fires or dense fog, helping people with color blindness perceive more wavelengths, and military use.