Buzz
If you've ever dreamed of having Superman's power to shoot lasers from your eyes, science is bringing that dream closer to reality. Researchers at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland have created a super-thin membrane that can be added to contact lenses, enabling them to emit lasers, as reported by Newsweek. Their discoveries were published in the journal Nature Communications.
The membrane is crafted from an organic semiconducting polymer, and the lasers it generates are being touted as the smallest and lightest in the world. It was tested on a cow's eye, but the researchers believe it will be safe for human use.
"In ancient Greece, Plato believed that visual perception is mediated by 'eye beams'—beams actively sent out by the eyes to probe the environment," Malte Gather, one of the three researchers who conducted the study, said in a statement. "Plato's emission theory has of course long been debunked, but superheroes with lasers in their eyes continue to thrive in popular culture and comic books. Our research marks a significant milestone in laser technology."
When the membrane is activated by another laser, it generates a distinctive 'digital barcode.' While using an ocular laser to fight villains might not be the most practical application, researchers suggest it could serve as a 'flexible and wearable security tag.' This could have significant applications in biophotonics and photomedicine, and might even be used to detect explosives. The material has also been found to be suitable for attaching to paper money for authenticating bills and preventing counterfeiting. It was successfully tested on fingernails, meaning it could be used in biometric fingerprint scans.
At the same time, several companies are advancing the development of 'smart' contact lenses. RaayonNova, a New York-based company, is working on lenses designed to assist the visually impaired, featuring capabilities like magnifying signs or issuing alerts when danger is detected. Major companies such as Samsung and Google are also reportedly racing to develop this technology, while the startup Magic Leap is creating lenses that blend digital displays with natural vision—'like dreaming with your eyes open,' according to the firm’s director speaking to Herald Scotland.
