# Do any humans have the ability to see into the infrared or ultraviolet spectrum? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 19, 2009, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-humans-have-the-ability-to-see-into-the-infrared-or-ultraviolet-spectrum/514298 "2009-10-19T07:02:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-humans-have-the-ability-to-see-into-the-infrared-or-ultraviolet-spectrum/514298/1 "2009-10-19T07:02:54Z")
Just curious. Any humans ever been verified to have this ability? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-humans-have-the-ability-to-see-into-the-infrared-or-ultraviolet-spectrum/514298/2 "2009-10-19T07:06:02Z")
Depends on what you mean by ability. IIRC the human eye can process ultraviolet, it’s just our lens is opaque to it. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-humans-have-the-ability-to-see-into-the-infrared-or-ultraviolet-spectrum/514298/3 "2009-10-19T07:17:26Z")
Which is why people who don’t have lenses in their eyes can see ultraviolet. See here: > **[Let the light shine in](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2002/may/30/medicalscience.research)** > > You don't have to come from another planet to see ultraviolet light, says David Hambling ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-humans-have-the-ability-to-see-into-the-infrared-or-ultraviolet-spectrum/514298/4 "2009-10-19T10:26:42Z")
Infants can see pretty far into the ultraviolet, because the transparent parts of their eyes have done so little yellowing with age. At both ends of the spectrum, though there are specific wavelength definitions between visible and infra or ultra, our ability to see is trailing off gradually. So, the more powerful the source, the further beyond that defined wavelength you’ll be able to see it. ---
**Author:** ![Sizzles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e480ec/32.png) [@Sizzles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sizzles)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-humans-have-the-ability-to-see-into-the-infrared-or-ultraviolet-spectrum/514298/5 "2009-10-19T11:55:02Z")
Some snakes, I think Pit vipers, have IR detectors. They don’t see as such, but can detect the shape an animal to allow then to strike. ---
**Author:** ![brossa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brossa/32/3040_2.png) [@brossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brossa)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-humans-have-the-ability-to-see-into-the-infrared-or-ultraviolet-spectrum/514298/6 "2009-10-19T16:06:54Z")
A site about [infrared goggles](http://amasci.com/amateur/irgoggl.html). Basically, if you block the visible portion of the spectrum with appropriate filters, and have a very bright IR source like the sun, your eyes can detect it. ---
**Author:** ![badlyburnttoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ad7895/32.png) [@badlyburnttoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badlyburnttoast)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-humans-have-the-ability-to-see-into-the-infrared-or-ultraviolet-spectrum/514298/7 "2009-10-19T18:57:11Z")
I actually came in here to link the very same page **brossa** did. I’ve always wanted to make a pair of those goggles but I’m really paranoid I’ll fry my eyeballs, even though they actually block more light then standing around with no goggles on and should be safe. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-humans-have-the-ability-to-see-into-the-infrared-or-ultraviolet-spectrum/514298/8 "2009-10-21T01:39:54Z")
> [@Sizzles](#): > > Some snakes, I think Pit vipers, have IR detectors. They don’t see as such, but can detect the shape an animal to allow then to strike. As I understand, this is correct, and the detectors are the pits. They’re depressions that are very good at sensing heat flux, which includes the thermal infrared. Having a curved surface means the relative flux in different areas gives a directional sense to the detection, though still pretty vague. I also read that similar pits with light sensitive cells are thought to represent an early stage of the evolution of eyes. Why couldn’t evolution continue to improve the pit viper’s infrared detection into much sharper and more detailed vision? In fact, why not refer to what pit vipers are already doing as vision? Makes sense to me. ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-humans-have-the-ability-to-see-into-the-infrared-or-ultraviolet-spectrum/514298/9 "2009-10-21T03:57:00Z")
There was a scandal maybe 10 years back that Sony camcorders would let you see through people’s clothes. They had a nightvision mode that sensed IR, and that mode worked in daylight. With a filter that blocked out the visual spectrum, some fabrics turned translucent. A few synthetic materials became downright transparent. Edit: and hey! they’re still on ebay ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-humans-have-the-ability-to-see-into-the-infrared-or-ultraviolet-spectrum/514298/10 "2009-10-21T13:59:02Z")
> [@Alex\_Dubinsky](#): > > There was a scandal maybe 10 years back that Sony camcorders would let you see through people’s clothes. They had a nightvision mode that sensed IR, and that mode worked in daylight. **With a filter that blocked out the visual spectrum, some fabrics turned translucent. A few synthetic materials became downright transparent.** Something about this doesn’t sound right. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-humans-have-the-ability-to-see-into-the-infrared-or-ultraviolet-spectrum/514298/11 "2009-10-21T14:38:21Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > Something about this doesn’t sound right. Like what? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-humans-have-the-ability-to-see-into-the-infrared-or-ultraviolet-spectrum/514298/12 "2009-10-21T16:40:44Z")
> [@Turek](#): > > Like what? I didn’t think an object’s color had anything to do with said object’s ability to block light. I can understand the IR filtering letting someone see “heat silhouettes”, but I’d expect nothing at all like comic-book-style X-ray vision. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-humans-have-the-ability-to-see-into-the-infrared-or-ultraviolet-spectrum/514298/13 "2009-10-21T18:48:09Z")
Some cloth is transparent to ultraviolet light. Some isn’t. Just like some glass is transparent to UV light and some isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-humans-have-the-ability-to-see-into-the-infrared-or-ultraviolet-spectrum/514298/14 "2009-10-21T19:05:44Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > Something about this doesn’t sound right. If you don’t block the visual spectrum, then visible light overwhelms the CCD sensor (it wasn’t spectrum-specific). The IR sensor did not pick up body heat, it only worked with light reflected from a bright source of IR like sunlight or incandescents (or the built-in camera IR bulb). ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-humans-have-the-ability-to-see-into-the-infrared-or-ultraviolet-spectrum/514298/15 "2009-10-21T19:34:30Z")
> [@Turek](#): > > **Some cloth is transparent to ultraviolet light**. I thought the night-vision filter on the camera detected infra-red light? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-humans-have-the-ability-to-see-into-the-infrared-or-ultraviolet-spectrum/514298/16 "2009-10-21T19:53:20Z")
Some synthetics are in fact transparent in the near IR. The view you’d get wouldn’t be quite the same as looking at a naked person with visible light, but it’d be similar. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-humans-have-the-ability-to-see-into-the-infrared-or-ultraviolet-spectrum/514298/17 "2009-10-21T19:57:58Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Some synthetics are in fact transparent in the near IR. The view you’d get wouldn’t be quite the same as looking at a naked person with visible light, but it’d be similar. Something like a frosted window pane, wouldn’t it be? Unless the fabric was of an ususually tight weave and was panty-hose thin … thinking that the texture of the fabric would cause the IR light to diffuse too much to get a great image. ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-humans-have-the-ability-to-see-into-the-infrared-or-ultraviolet-spectrum/514298/18 "2009-10-21T21:50:56Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > Something like a frosted window pane, wouldn’t it be? Unless the fabric was of an ususually tight weave and was panty-hose thin … thinking that the texture of the fabric would cause the IR light to diffuse too much to get a great image. Yes, that’s exactly it. The fabric has to be skin-tight. Or so I hear… ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-humans-have-the-ability-to-see-into-the-infrared-or-ultraviolet-spectrum/514298/19 "2009-10-21T22:00:41Z")
> [@Alex\_Dubinsky](#): > > Yes, that’s exactly it. The fabric has to be skin-tight. Or so I hear… [Sony modified a camera that had this IR “x-ray” feature after complaints.](http://irbuzz.blogspot.com/2007/05/ir-for-beginners-sony-nightshot-cameras.html) ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-humans-have-the-ability-to-see-into-the-infrared-or-ultraviolet-spectrum/514298/20 "2009-10-21T22:25:39Z")
> [@brossa](#): > > A site about [infrared goggles](http://amasci.com/amateur/irgoggl.html). > > Basically, if you block the visible portion of the spectrum with appropriate filters, and have a very bright IR source like the sun, your eyes can detect it. Is there any confirmation that these are really infrared goggles. The before/after pics look suspiciously… purple… which might be expected since the filters involved are red and blue. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-humans-have-the-ability-to-see-into-the-infrared-or-ultraviolet-spectrum/514298.md?page=2)