Want glasses that help you see in the dark? You might have seen characters in an action movie use night vision goggles. Those show a ghostly green image that makes objects visible in the dark. Now researchers are developing a new technology. They want to use ultra-thin layers of nanocrystals (teeny-tiny crystals) to make infrared light visible.
Devices like night vision goggles can detect energy in the light spectrum that is invisible to the human eye. Infrared (sometimes called IR) is a type of radiation that has wavelengths longer than those of visible light. It is outside the range that humans can see. But God has no such limitations. Psalm 139:12 says of God, “even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.”
Infrared devices like goggles and cameras convert IR to an electrical signal. That signal shows on a screen. But this technology is bulky, heavy, and disrupts normal vision.
There are also all-optical alternatives. These don’t use electrical signals. Instead, they directly convert IR into visible light. The visible light can then be captured by the eye or a camera.
These technologies combine IR with a laser beam inside a material called “nonlinear crystal.” The crystal then emits light in the visible spectrum. However, nonlinear crystals are also bulky. Plus, they’re expensive and they can detect only a limited range of light. So scientists want to make the all-optical approach work better.
The goal is to produce a lightweight film that can be applied as a thin layer on glasses or other lenses. Powered by a tiny built-in laser, the film will allow people to see in the dark.
Carefully designed layers of nanocrystal are called “metasurfaces.” Metasurfaces are ultra-thin and ultra-light. They can manipulate the color or frequency of the light that passes through them. This makes metasurfaces a good platform to convert infrared photons (particles) to visible light.
The scientists designed a metasurface made of hundreds of incredibly tiny crystal antennas. They put the metasurface on a transparent glass, forming a layer of nanocrystals thinner than a human hair.
To test the metasurface, they shined infrared images on the glass. It worked! Those infrared images were converted to visible green images.
The military, police, security guards, hunters, and campers all sometimes need night vision devices. The technology could be helpful in other industries too. It could help monitor and maintain food quality control. It could also be used for mapping and measuring.
This was very entertaining
This was very entertaining and interesting!
Yep. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon
Yep. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, folks. Creepy thing is, this stuff is prolly outdated for the CIA and special ops ppl.
3rd comment
Wow! That would be awesome if they could make that work! Hey you know what this would be good for? Bull in the Dark and Sardines! ;) Oh wait and maybe for military and police and others! ;) XD But yeah cool!
@Riley D
Using that kinda equipment defeats the purpose of such games, y'know...
I'll bet eventually you'll
I'll bet eventually you'll just be able to get built in night vision in your eyes, that'd be wild.
Wow!
Cool! I've seen some movie characters use night vision goggles!
ssssssiiiiiiiiiiicccccckkkkkk
that is so cool. i wonder how much of an effect it will have on are military. one day my older brother might wear those what an honnor
what if
what if they put these on glasses some day then whenever its dark it could naturally change to night vison! That would be fun for anyone who has glasses!
so cool
that is so cool. those nano crystles are so small
@Hesperus D
LOL yeah that is why I was joking when I said that! XD
O:
i want one
f
f
Favorite article
This is my favorite article in the September/October issue.
Nano
Raise your hand if you know that ' nano' actually means one BILLIONTH! For example a nanometer is one billionth of a meter!!!
Interjection
Cool, huh?
@Everyone
Should I get a skateboard?Yes or No? I would like to know. Post your vote.
@Caden
No
No and the explanation for it
Bro, save your money. Buy a Razor electric scooter!!! (those things go FAST!!) (preferably the E200 series. WWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!! NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAALLLLLLLLL your friends will be jealous.)
Interjection
(Isn't it ironic how long my answer was compared to Gideon's?) (No offense, Gideon)
@Caden
Yes. It is totally worth it. I have one and I ride it every day. But, never buy the two-wheeled one, it is horrible.
@ CORBAN
I have a ripstik (But I already had it)
@ BRAEDEN
Your answer is noted. But I don't really like scooters that much. I also like going to the skatepark.
@ GIDEON
Do you have a reason or just no
@ BRAEDEN, CORBAN, and GIDEON
My birthday is in a week(Birthday money). So I'm going to wait for more people to then make my decision.
@Ralph-Lauren
Same it is my favorite too! -Ranen's Brother
Yes you should go
Yes you should go skateboarding
@Everyone
I bought a skateboard yesterday. It's graphic is a fiery Santa Cruz. I'm going to the skatepark next week. Hopefully sooner
@Caden
Happy birthday!!
that is cool
that is cool
HAMSTERS
woah i really want one of these, i could pretend im a spy
@Everone
I have gone to a couple skateparks (Like the one in Charlottesville, VA) and the one close to where I live.
...
I know how to go up and down 1/4 pipes. And how to go down a ramp without falling.
.
I'm learning to drop-in off of a quarter-pipe, and I'm trying to get enough speed to get fully up a quarter-pipe
@ GIDEON
Thanks
Buy a tippmann paintball gun,
Buy a tippmann paintball gun,(it depends on how much money you get). I got one that looks like a AR-15. It’s so much fun. Trust me you won’t get “buyers remorse”.
Does anyone agree?
@Caden W
I just realized your Birthday passed, what did you get?
@ MARVIN
It was on the 6th
@ MARVIN
I don't think my parents want me having a paintball gun. Reasons why: Little brothers{4 and 9}(They might get int it and hurt themselves), HOA( we live in a neighborhood that has an HOA and they don't like the sound of gunfire{I'm pretty sure that applies to paint, airsoft, and pellet guns}) and lastly age(I just turned 12 and my dad said I could go paintballing around 14-16). Those are the reasons I didn't even think to buy a Paintball gun. Granted it probably would be pretty fun, but I'm just going to stick with Nerf for few more years.
@ MARVIN
I bought a $110 skateboard. I'm a bit scared of dropping in on a quarter-pipe
@Caden W
I have a skateboard but I don’t really know how to do tricks, ( when do you check worldteen?) I understand about the paintball gun, I don’t get to use mine a lot only when I go to places in AZ where i can shoot it. I am dying for a skateboard that has the Santa Cruz Hand on it!
@Caden W
P.s happy B-day
@Marvin S
Around Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
@Marvin S
Thanks
Back on the actual subject
I can't wait to see this tech become more affordable and available. I love camping, and I do agree that it would be very useful to put on a pair of glasses instead of fumbling around for a big flashlight that will scare away the animals that you might be looking for. But, everyone having it would kind of defeat the purpose of stealth, and the concept of you being able to see others without them seeing you.
skateboard
i really want one they look fun :p
night vishion
this is the future now we need hovering cars
That looks like spy goggles!
That looks like spy goggles! Those would be SUPER expensive!
I meant those.
I meant those.