Photo via Science for the Masses
Photo via Science for the Masses

In all things creepy, strange and potentially useful, a group of biohackers near L.A. have found a way to inject night vision into their eyes.

According to Mic, “a small independent research group has figured out how to give humans night vision, allowing them to see over 50 meters in the dark for a short time.” The group, Science for the Masses, documents the process here.

They injected a type of chlorophyll, Chlorin e6, which is found in some deep-sea fish and used at times to treat night blindness.

Photo via Science for the Masses
Photo via Science for the Masses

What happened? The researchers posted a paper on the results. After a couple hours of adjustment, they went to the woods where Licina and control subjects were asked to identify objects, ranging from 10 to 50 meters away.

“Each time, Licina had a 100 percent success rate,” Mic reports. “The control group, without being dosed with Ce6, only got them right a third of the time.”

Licina’s regular eyesight returned by morning, and the researchers report no side effects to date.

So why “biohack” the human body? “For us, it comes down to pursuing things that are doable but won’t be pursued by major corporations,” the lab’s medical officer Jeffrey Tibbetts told Mic. “There are rules to be followed and don’t go crazy, but science isn’t a mystical language that only a few elite people can speak.”

Intriguing for sure, but please don’t try this at home.

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