A Jersey City journalist is recovering after being struck by a vehicle in a hit-and-run that ended in a violent multi-car crash and a string of charges against the driver, authorities said. According to police and witness accounts, the collision occurred in Jersey City when a vehicle struck a pedestrian and left the scene. The victim, a local journalist, was thrown to the ground and suffered injuries that required medical treatment. Instead of stopping, the driver, a resident in Bayonne New Jersey, Laura Castaneda, allegedly fled the area at a high rate of speed. Witnesses told investigators that the vehicle was seen traveling at what they believed to be more than 90 miles per hour along West Side Avenue, heading in the direction of Bayonne. Within seconds, the driver reportedly lost control and crashed into three parked vehicles, totaling all three as well as the vehicle they were driving. Emergency responders arrived on scene to find significant damage to the parked cars and debri...
In a remarkable leap forward for vision enhancement, scientists have developed innovative contact lenses that allow humans to see infrared light, a part of the electromagnetic spectrum invisible to the naked eye. This groundbreaking technology, detailed in a study published on May 22, 2025, in the journal Cell, promises to usher in a new era of wearable devices that grant “super-vision.” Unlike traditional night-vision goggles, these lenses are lightweight, non-invasive, and require no external power source, offering a seamless blend of normal and enhanced vision. This article explores the science behind these lenses, their potential applications, current limitations, and the future of vision-enhancing wearables.
The Science Behind the “Super-Vision” Lenses
Human vision is limited to a narrow slice of the electromagnetic spectrum, known as visible light, which spans wavelengths from approximately 400 to 700 nanometers. This range constitutes less than one hundredth of a percent of the total electromagnetic spectrum, leaving vast swaths of light, such as ultraviolet and infrared, imperceptible to us. While some animals—like snakes, vampire bats, and certain birds—can detect ultraviolet or infrared light, humans have historically relied on bulky devices like night-vision goggles to access these wavelengths.
The new contact lenses, developed by a team led by neuroscientist Prof. Tian Xue at the University of Science and Technology of China, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, overcome these limitations. The key innovation lies in the use of upconversion nanoparticles, tiny particles embedded within soft, flexible contact lens material. These nanoparticles absorb near-infrared light (wavelengths between 800 and 1,600 nanometers) and convert it into visible light (red, green, or blue) that the human eye can perceive.
Unlike traditional night-vision goggles, which rely on electronic image-intensifier tubes to convert infrared photons into electrons and produce a monochromatic green glow, these lenses are entirely passive. They require no batteries or wires, making them as easy to wear as standard contact lenses. Additionally, their transparency allows wearers to see both visible and infrared light simultaneously, creating a natural visual experience that integrates seamlessly with normal vision.
How the Lenses Work
The upconversion nanoparticles are composed of materials like sodium gadolinium fluoride, embedded with luminescent elements such as ytterbium, erbium, and gold. These particles absorb low-energy infrared photons and re-emit them as higher-energy visible light. The researchers developed two versions of the lenses:
- Monochromatic Lenses: These convert near-infrared light into a single visible color, allowing wearers to detect infrared signals, such as flickering lights or Morse code-like patterns.
- Trichromatic Lenses: These use three types of nanoparticles, each tuned to convert different infrared wavelengths into red, green, or blue light. This enables wearers to distinguish “colors” in the infrared spectrum, adding a new dimension to visual perception.
A particularly striking feature is the lenses’ performance when the wearer’s eyes are closed. Infrared light penetrates human eyelids more effectively than visible light, reducing interference and enhancing the clarity of infrared signals. In tests, human participants reported improved perception of infrared patterns when closing their eyes, a phenomenon that could have unique applications in specific scenarios.
Testing and Validation
The development of these lenses built on earlier experiments where the research team injected upconversion nanoparticles directly into the retinas of mice, granting them infrared vision. However, recognizing that invasive procedures are impractical for human use, the team pivoted to a non-invasive solution by embedding the nanoparticles in soft contact lenses made from flexible, non-toxic polymers commonly used in standard lenses.
Animal Testing
In initial tests, mice fitted with these lenses exhibited behaviors indicating they could perceive infrared light. For example, when given a choice between a dark box and one illuminated with infrared light, lens-wearing mice consistently chose the dark box, suggesting they could detect the infrared illumination. Brain scans further confirmed activity in the visual cortex, and their pupils constricted in response to infrared exposure—clear signs of visual processing. Mice without the lenses showed no such preferences or physiological responses.
Human Trials
Human trials demonstrated similar success. Participants wearing the lenses could detect flickering infrared light from LED sources, identify the direction of the light, and even decipher Morse code-like signals. The trichromatic lenses allowed volunteers to distinguish different infrared wavelengths as distinct colors, effectively creating a new form of visual communication. For instance, objects that appeared identical under visible light revealed unique “infrared colors,” unveiling thermal signatures or material properties invisible to the naked eye.
The lenses were tested for safety and comfort, with mice wearing them for 14 days showing no signs of eye strain or damage. Human participants also reported the lenses were as comfortable as standard contacts, highlighting their potential for practical use.
Potential Applications
The “super-vision” lenses have far-reaching implications across multiple fields, blending science fiction-like capabilities with real-world utility. Some potential applications include:
- Search and Rescue: The lenses could enable first responders to navigate through fog, smoke, or darkness by detecting infrared signals, improving visibility in hazardous environments.
- Security and Surveillance: Infrared-encoded messages could be visible only to those wearing the lenses, offering a novel method for secure communication or anti-counterfeiting measures.
- Medical Diagnostics: Infrared imaging is already used to highlight tumors treated with special dyes. These lenses could allow surgeons to see infrared signals directly, eliminating the need to glance at separate monitors during procedures.
- Color Blindness Correction: By converting specific visible wavelengths (e.g., red) into others (e.g., green), the trichromatic lenses could help individuals with color vision deficiency perceive colors they otherwise cannot.
- Military and Law Enforcement: The lenses could provide hands-free night vision for soldiers or police officers, offering a lightweight alternative to bulky goggles.
- Consumer Applications: Future iterations could enhance everyday experiences, such as detecting electrical wiring or hot water pipes in walls, or even reading infrared-based signals in smart devices.
These applications, while promising, depend on further development to overcome current limitations, as discussed below.
Current Limitations and Challenges
Despite their groundbreaking potential, the lenses are not yet ready for widespread use. Several limitations highlight areas for future improvement:
Sensitivity to Low-Intensity Light: The lenses currently require high-intensity infrared sources, such as LEDs, to function effectively. They cannot detect natural, low-level infrared radiation, such as that emitted by warm objects, meaning they do not yet provide true thermal vision.
Image Resolution: The proximity of the lenses to the retina causes light scattering, reducing the sharpness of infrared images. To address this, the research team developed a complementary glasses-based system using the same nanoparticle technology, which offers better spatial resolution for detailed viewing.
Long-Term Safety: While initial tests showed no adverse effects, further studies are needed to assess the long-term impact of wearing nanoparticle-embedded lenses, particularly regarding eye health and nanoparticle stability.
Color Blindness Claims: Although the lenses could theoretically assist with color blindness by converting problematic wavelengths, this application has not been specifically tested, and claims about correcting color vision deficiency remain speculative.
Scalability and Cost: Producing lenses with embedded nanoparticles at scale could be costly, and the technology’s accessibility for widespread consumer use remains uncertain.
The research team is actively working to enhance the nanoparticles’ sensitivity and improve spatial resolution, potentially by integrating microscale optical fiber channels into the lenses or developing more efficient upconversion materials.
The Future of Vision Enhancement
This breakthrough builds on decades of research into optical technologies, including earlier work on superlenses that overcame the diffraction limit of light using negative refractive index materials. The current lenses represent a significant step toward non-invasive, wearable devices that expand human perception beyond its natural limits. As Prof. Tian Xue noted, “If materials scientists can develop upconversion nanoparticles with higher efficiency, it may become possible to see surrounding infrared light using contact lenses.”
Future developments could include:
- Enhanced Sensitivity: Improving the lenses to detect ambient infrared radiation, potentially enabling thermal vision akin to that of snakes or vampire bats.
- Integration with Smart Devices: Combining the lenses with augmented reality (AR) systems to overlay infrared data on visible scenes, creating a hybrid visual experience.
- Broader Spectral Range: Extending the technology to detect ultraviolet light or other wavelengths, further mimicking the sensory capabilities of animals.
- Commercial Availability: Refining manufacturing processes to make the lenses affordable and widely available for both medical and consumer applications.
The researchers also envision adapting the technology for glasses or other wearables, offering alternatives for those who cannot or prefer not to wear contact lenses.
Societal and Ethical Considerations
The development of “super-vision” lenses raises intriguing societal and ethical questions. The ability to see infrared light could create new forms of communication, such as infrared-based messaging visible only to lens wearers, but it could also raise privacy concerns if used for surveillance without consent. Additionally, the technology’s potential to give certain individuals enhanced sensory capabilities could exacerbate inequalities if access is limited by cost or availability.
The comparison to science fiction—evoking images of Superman’s X-ray vision or the Predator’s thermal vision—underscores the transformative nature of this technology. However, as with any emerging technology, careful regulation and ethical oversight will be crucial to ensure its benefits are realized responsibly.