Seeing in the DarkBy Cossondra Howard Have you ever strained your eyes in the dark to see something better? Maybe you were awakened in the night. You stared across the room, trying to determine if there is a gorilla in the corner or if it was actually your puffy coat hanging on the back of a chair. Or, maybe the power suddenly went out while you were cooking or in the middle of a room trying to make it across. Perhaps you toured a cave, and the guide (after a warning) turned off the lights so you could see how dark it actually was underground. Maybe your eyes searched and searched for light, finding none. Do you remember the show Mythbusters? In one episode, they tested the myth that pirates wore patches over one eye so that they could see in the dark. Let me explain. Remember the rods and cones stuff from science class? In our eyes, rods work primarily in low light; cones function in the light. Some of the resources I consulted indicated that it can take as much as 25 minutes for our eyes to adjust from light to dark completely. So, back to the pirates. The myth proposed that pirates wore patches over one eye, allowing that eye to get used to the darkness. If the pirates had to go below deck, where there were no lights or windows, swapping the patch to the other eye uncovered the prepared eye, allowed them to see in the dark. That eye was already accustomed to the darkness. The myth was classified as plausible, and I think it makes a lot of sense. When we are in a dark season of life, it can be challenging to see clearly or accurately. Finish reading here
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