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Epicurus0319@sopuli.xyz to No Stupid Questions@lemmy.world · 2 years ago

Why does looking directly at the sun damage your eyes?

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Why does looking directly at the sun damage your eyes?

Epicurus0319@sopuli.xyz to No Stupid Questions@lemmy.world · 2 years ago
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  • Buffalox@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    Because the lens in your eye you use to focus, acts like a burning glass, and burn the back of your eye, where what you see is focused at.

    • all-knight-party@kbin.run
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      2 years ago

      It’s like using a magnifying glass to burn an ant on the pavement, but the sun is you, you’re the ant, and the sun is using your eyeball as the magnifying lens

      • Alinor@lemmy.world
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        2 years ago

        The sun is still the sun in this comparison. Its not like “you” is the source of light here. The back of your eye is the ant, and the lens of your eye is the magnifying glass.

        • all-knight-party@kbin.run
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          2 years ago

          That’s like my analogy, except you’re me, I’m an idiot, and the analogy is actually done right

          • Squeak@lemmy.world
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            2 years ago

            But where’s the sun in this analogy?

            • B1naryB0t@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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              2 years ago

              The sun is the analogy

              • CashewNut 🏴󠁢󠁥󠁧󠁿@lemmy.world
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                2 years ago

                We are all analogies this blessed day. 🙏

        • railsdev@programming.dev
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          2 years ago

          deleted by creator

  • notExactlyI20@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    Cuz there is a secret alien weapon inside of it and the gov doesn’t want you to see it, so sun’s glaze blinds you

    • Epicurus0319@sopuli.xyzOP
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      2 years ago

      LMAO I’m dead

      • notExactlyI20@lemmy.world
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        2 years ago

        Damn gov got lil homie, RIP you knew too much 🙏

        • kamenLady.@lemmy.world
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          2 years ago

          RIP lil homie

          o7

        • DontTreadOnBigfoot@lemmy.world
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          2 years ago

          Pour one out

    • moody@lemmings.world
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      2 years ago

      Jewish Space Laser, bro

  • Decoy321@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    Because the sheer amount of energy going directly on your retina will burn a hole through it. It’ll also damage the photo receptor cells at the back of the eye.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photic_retinopathy

    • OsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.ml
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      2 years ago

      Photic retinopathy generally goes away on its own over time, but there is no specific treatment known to be reliable for speeding recovery.

      Thank god to know it gets better over time. I was a dumb, dumb kid.

      (side note: Still dumb, just not a kid anymore)

    • Epicurus0319@sopuli.xyzOP
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      2 years ago

      The second part I knew, but the first part I did not. Rest assured, I never let this happen, my parents always made sure I knew not to look at the sun

  • TheBananaKing@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    Ever fry an ant with a magnifying glass?

    Swap out the ant for your retinas, and that’s pretty much the deal.

    • Burninator05@lemmy.world
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      2 years ago

      So that’s what happened to Ants in my Eyes Johnson.

    • FlembleFabber@sh.itjust.works
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      2 years ago

      Yes above average

  • Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    Wait. What?!?

    I’ve spent the last 16 years avoiding direct eye contact with my son for fear of eye damage.

    • Epicurus0319@sopuli.xyzOP
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      2 years ago

      Have you found that milk at the grocery store yet?

      • Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world
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        2 years ago

        Sure did! Just need to make one more stop for smokes.

  • silencer@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    On a related note, why is it that looking at the sky when there’s a lot of light, if I use both eyes it hurts, but if I keep one closed I can see the sky just fine?

    • TheBananaKing@lemmy.world
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      2 years ago

      That’s actually a bug; your brain averages light levels across both eyes when deciding how much to flinch.

      Don’t do it - you’re basically exposing yourself to potentially damaging light levels in the eye you keep open.

    • nooeh@lemmy.world
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      2 years ago

      One desensitized eye

      • silencer@lemmy.world
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        2 years ago

        I’m not sure, it doesn’t matter which one I close

        • can@sh.itjust.works
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          2 years ago

          Pure conjecture, but maybe one overloaded eye is easier to handle than two?

  • hperrin@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    It’s too bright and your lens focuses that light on your retina. Like a magnifying glass focusing the sun on a leaf and setting it on fire.

    • CashewNut 🏴󠁢󠁥󠁧󠁿@lemmy.world
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      2 years ago

      But my eyeball has never set on fire when I looked at the sun?

  • nooeh@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    There is physical damage of heating the retina with focused light, and there is chemical damage of depleting the reactions that normally occur when light is translated into neural signals in the retina.

  • nothacking
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    2 years ago

    Wikipedia says that the heating from the focused light is minimal because the retina is surrounded with fluid, similarly to how a balloon filled, even partially, with water won’t pop over a candle flame. However, the light itself is damaging, as far UV is ionizing radiation and can rip apart the molecules making up your cells.

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