# Trump declares risk of blindness to be Chinese hoax; stares directly at Sun **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 21, 2017, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-declares-risk-of-blindness-to-be-chinese-hoax-stares-directly-at-sun/794306 "2017-08-21T20:15:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2017, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-declares-risk-of-blindness-to-be-chinese-hoax-stares-directly-at-sun/794306/21 "2017-08-22T00:23:46Z")
FLOTUS: Oh, how sad. A dead bird. POTUS: Where?? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2017, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-declares-risk-of-blindness-to-be-chinese-hoax-stares-directly-at-sun/794306/22 "2017-08-22T02:06:15Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > I have no love for Trump, but this is certainly a “so what?” story. As an isolated incident, it’s no big deal. As another example of how this President doesn’t listen to other people and rushes into dangerous situations he doesn’t understand, it’s newsworthy. The guy that looked into sun is the same guy who’ll be deciding if we should send American troops into North Korea. We’d like to have some evidence he can make intelligent decisions in situations involving nuclear fusion. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2017, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-declares-risk-of-blindness-to-be-chinese-hoax-stares-directly-at-sun/794306/23 "2017-08-22T02:07:44Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > As an isolated incident, it’s no big deal. > > As another example of how this President doesn’t listen to other people and rushes into dangerous situations he doesn’t understand, it’s newsworthy. The guy that looked into sun is the same guy who’ll be deciding if we should send American troops into North Korea. We’d like to have some evidence he can make intelligent decisions in situations involving nuclear fusion. If we’re lucky, he’ll look at the fireball. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2017, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-declares-risk-of-blindness-to-be-chinese-hoax-stares-directly-at-sun/794306/24 "2017-08-22T02:16:07Z")
> [@mistymage](#): > > What kind of example is he being for our children or our country if he can’t follow one simple “rule”? My thoughts exactly. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2017, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-declares-risk-of-blindness-to-be-chinese-hoax-stares-directly-at-sun/794306/25 "2017-08-22T02:17:04Z")
It’s only a big deal because he does serve as an example. If kids see the President glancing up directly at the sun without glasses, they will think it is OK to not have their glasses on at all times. It’s OK if a 70 year old man loses some of his retina-he probably has cataracts and won’t notice but a kid may look for longer and also risks damaging their retina at an early age. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2017, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-declares-risk-of-blindness-to-be-chinese-hoax-stares-directly-at-sun/794306/26 "2017-08-22T02:25:11Z")
> [@Reluctant\_A](#): > > I mean, if your complaint is that the press takes cheap shots at Trump, I’m not going to disagree with you. My rebuttal would be along the lines of, why should Trump be the president, after all the ones before him, where the press should be expected to stop doing that? Actually, the pertinent question is _why should Trump be the president_? And the answer is that he shouldn’t. Because he’s an America-hating fuckstick. It would cause me no pain if he were to be a _blind_ America-hating fuckstick. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2017, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-declares-risk-of-blindness-to-be-chinese-hoax-stares-directly-at-sun/794306/27 "2017-08-22T02:29:13Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > It’s only a big deal because he does serve as an example. If kids see the President glancing up directly at the sun without glasses, they will think it is OK to not have their glasses on at all times. It’s OK if a 70 year old man loses some of his retina-he probably has cataracts and won’t notice but a kid may look for longer and also risks damaging their retina at an early age. Exactly. My understanding is that, while you may sustain immediately apparent damage, you may instead sustain damage that won’t become apparent until years later. So if he isn’t immediately blinded (and he likely won’t be) then the next time around there will be idiots shouting that the dangers are a lie because Trump did it with no effects. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2017, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-declares-risk-of-blindness-to-be-chinese-hoax-stares-directly-at-sun/794306/28 "2017-08-22T03:25:44Z")
> [@MeanJoe](#): > > FLOTUS: Oh, how sad. A dead bird. > POTUS: Where?? _vigorous golf clap_ ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2017, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-declares-risk-of-blindness-to-be-chinese-hoax-stares-directly-at-sun/794306/29 "2017-08-22T03:34:11Z")
This might have been the reason for his awkward reading of the teleprompter in tonight’s speech. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2017, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-declares-risk-of-blindness-to-be-chinese-hoax-stares-directly-at-sun/794306/30 "2017-08-22T03:42:14Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Actually, the pertinent question is _why should Trump be the president_? > > And the answer is that he shouldn’t. Because he’s an America-hating fuckstick. It would cause me no pain if he were to be a _blind_ America-hating fuckstick. [And now, the Fox News response.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DHxFP_bXUAUzHnX.jpg:large) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2017, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-declares-risk-of-blindness-to-be-chinese-hoax-stares-directly-at-sun/794306/31 "2017-08-22T06:11:29Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > [And now, the Fox News response.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DHxFP_bXUAUzHnX.jpg:large) 🙂 That link goes to a non-existent page. Maybe they deleted it? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2017, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-declares-risk-of-blindness-to-be-chinese-hoax-stares-directly-at-sun/794306/32 "2017-08-22T07:19:39Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > That link goes to a non-existent page. Maybe they deleted it? The link works for me. 😑 [Try this, maybe?](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DHxFP_bXUAUzHnX.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2017, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-declares-risk-of-blindness-to-be-chinese-hoax-stares-directly-at-sun/794306/33 "2017-08-22T12:52:05Z")
I’ve seen at least three different images of Trump looking up at the eclipse without the glasses—[one in which he’s pointing up](https://dawm7kda6y2v0.cloudfront.net/uploads/2017/08/AP_17233672251714-654x362-fe2af47.jpg), [one in which Melania is to his right](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/oo1-9xH_GLKy6arULBG5ANBmTdY=/0x0:3000x2113/1200x800/filters:focal(2225x319:2705x799)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56294161/GettyImages_836311244.0.jpg), and [one in which Melania is on his right and Barron is next to him on his left](https://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/img/editorial/2017/08/21/104664803-RTS1CPFG-trump-eclipse.530x298.jpg?v=1503343851). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2017, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-declares-risk-of-blindness-to-be-chinese-hoax-stares-directly-at-sun/794306/34 "2017-08-22T15:50:19Z")
I watched briefly, when the President came out. Watching the First Family, I imagined what they were thinking. Trump: ‘So how long should we stay out here? I mean, I know we have to look like we’re excited, but come on!’ Barron: ‘Yeah, OK. I’ve seen it. Can I go in now?’ ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2017, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-declares-risk-of-blindness-to-be-chinese-hoax-stares-directly-at-sun/794306/35 "2017-08-22T16:47:15Z")
Reminds me of one of my favorite King of the Hill quotes: _People say he fried his brain one day staring at the sun. 'Course, he couldn’t have been too smart to do that in the first place. Kind of a chicken-egg thing._ ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2017, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-declares-risk-of-blindness-to-be-chinese-hoax-stares-directly-at-sun/794306/36 "2017-08-22T20:31:50Z")
In the interest of science, which I realize few in this thread want to hear, the “never look directly at the partial eclipse” is the same advice as Amazon’s “return all eclipse glasses because they aren’t certified safe”, even those that were documented. One can look directly at the sun, partially eclipsed or not, without sustaining any vision damage. No one is going to advise you to do so, because while the safe duration is not only precisely known, it is known to be short. I live in an area that had 98.5% coverage. I also glanced up at the sun during the peak of the eclipse. I learned that 1.5% of the sun is still awfully damn bright, but suffered no damage. I may never experience this again, I’m not going to let it go without a quick glance. From [here](http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2017/08/21/solar_eclipse_viewing_how_bad_is_it_really_to_look_at_the_sun_without_glasses.html): > [@](#): > > One of the more specific answers I’ve seen ventured comes Jacob Chung, chief of opthalmology at Englewood Hospital, in an article by [NorthJersey.com](http://NorthJersey.com), the website of the Bergen County Record. Asked what happens if someone stares directly at the sun during an eclipse, Chung answered: > > “If you look at it for a second or two, nothing will happen. Five seconds, I’m not sure, but 10 seconds is probably too long and 20 seconds is definitely too long.” and > [@](#): > > In short, you probably shouldn’t look at the sun at all during the eclipse without special glasses (you can also make a quick DIY pinhole camera for safe viewing). But if you do sneak a sidelong look, it probably won’t be the last thing you see. Much ado about nothing. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2017, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-declares-risk-of-blindness-to-be-chinese-hoax-stares-directly-at-sun/794306/37 "2017-08-22T21:23:50Z")
While that’s all true, as a role model hes setting a bad example. There are people who think that a cold winter disproves climate change. That same type of thinking may lead some people to believe that Trump’s few seconds disproves the claims of eye damage. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2017, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-declares-risk-of-blindness-to-be-chinese-hoax-stares-directly-at-sun/794306/38 "2017-08-23T12:57:48Z")
I wasn’t talking about Trump specifically, but all the “never look at an eclipse” people in general. More specifically, the “follow the rule at all costs without knowing why” crowd. It could be said that those who snuck a peek at the sun outside of totality were setting a good example - don’t take “rules” at face value, understand the risks and proceed accordingly. Mark Twain said “If a cat sits on a hot stove, that cat won’t sit on a hot stove again. That cat won’t sit on a cold stove either. That cat just don’t like stoves.” My rule: Don’t be that cat, and don’t adulate people who are. ---
**Author:** ![El\_DeLuxo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_deluxo/32/9043_2.png) [@El\_DeLuxo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_DeLuxo)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2017, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-declares-risk-of-blindness-to-be-chinese-hoax-stares-directly-at-sun/794306/39 "2017-08-24T05:58:09Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > What kind of example is he being for our children or our country if he can’t follow one simple “rule”? > > My thoughts exactly. Where does the job description mention “being an example for [your] children”? It’s the parents’ job to control their children’s behavior, not mine or the president’s . How and why are non-related adults under any responsibility to obey rules you have set for your underaged offspring? They’re your kids, you enforce your rules on them. I mean, hell, I hate the guy too, but…yeeeeesh. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2017, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-declares-risk-of-blindness-to-be-chinese-hoax-stares-directly-at-sun/794306/40 "2017-08-24T06:20:08Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > It’s only a big deal because he does serve as an example. Maybe he can serve as a warning. “Don’t look at the sun or you’ll turn orange just like the President.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-declares-risk-of-blindness-to-be-chinese-hoax-stares-directly-at-sun/794306.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-declares-risk-of-blindness-to-be-chinese-hoax-stares-directly-at-sun/794306.md?page=3)