At last the sun is shinning in SouthWales and not a day too soon. But... why are so many people wearing sunglasses? Here I am considering spending £200 on a fluorescent tube with artificial light while all round the town center are numerous young people sporting dark glasses.
Don't know about young people, but I was wearing my sunglasses whilst driving yesterday, that low sun is blinding when you're driving into it!
I don't get this problem in summer, which is when most people traditionally wear sunglasses, since the sun is usually too high to be a problem. I wear them more in the winter, since it's so low in the sky.
At last the sun is shinning in SouthWales and not a day too soon. But... why are so many people wearing sunglasses? Here I am considering spending £200 on a fluorescent tube with artificial light while all round the town center are numerous young people sporting dark glasses.
Bitstring <[email hidden]>, from the wonderful person mikeK <[email hidden]> said
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At last the sun is shinning in SouthWales and not a day too soon. But... why are so many people wearing sunglasses?
One can only assume that the little muscles that contract the irises of their eyes to limit the light input have gotten all weak and floppy from lack of use.
Dang, the human eye was intended to cope with everything from swinging thru trees in the dark jungle to chasing antelope across the sun scorched plains of Africa. Apparently South Wales must be outside the design envelope...
(Well, I think I have a pair =somewhere= .. I did have, back in the 60s).
-- GSV Three Minds in a Can Contact recommends the use of Firefox; SC recommends it at gunpoint.
Bitstring <[email hidden]>, from the wonderful person mikeK <[email hidden]> said
Quoted message said:
At last the sun is shinning in SouthWales and not a day too soon. But... why are so many people wearing sunglasses?
One can only assume that the little muscles that contract the irises of their eyes to limit the light input have gotten all weak and floppy from lack of use.
Dang, the human eye was intended to cope with everything from swinging thru trees in the dark jungle to chasing antelope across the sun scorched plains of Africa. Apparently South Wales must be outside the design envelope...
Yes, but the MTBF was about 35 years...
Seriously, UV rays ARE damaging (not that I always have or wear sunglasses when I should).
"Chris Loffredo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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GSV Three Minds in a Can said:
Bitstring <[email hidden]>, from the wonderful person mikeK <[email hidden]> said
Quoted message said:
At last the sun is shinning in SouthWales and not a day too soon. But... why are so many people wearing sunglasses?
One can only assume that the little muscles that contract the irises of their eyes to limit the light input have gotten all weak and floppy from lack of use.
Dang, the human eye was intended to cope with everything from swinging thru trees in the dark jungle to chasing antelope across the sun scorched plains of Africa. Apparently South Wales must be outside the design envelope...
Yes, but the MTBF was about 35 years...
Seriously, UV rays ARE damaging (not that I always have or wear sunglasses when I should).
I rarely wear sunglasses. Its also so rare for me to drive with the sun in my eyes that when it happens I curse myself for not having placed a pair in the glove compartment. I have been spending years walking about in Southern Europe at altitudes of about 1500m, sometimes in snow. Summer time at 3000m in the Pyrenees in the absence of snow, not wearing sun glasses is another thing I have been doing for a very long time. I think there are two reasons why I can do that, one is that I have Mediteranean origins with possibly North African some generations back. The other is that I wear glasses and they have an invisible uv filter in them which is quite effective. Once, after walking at 2000m in the snow I suffered snowblindness,but that was because I had gone out wearing contact lens instead of my glasses. My contact lens did not have any filtration. Can an optician spot damage to the retina caused by uv?
I rarely wear sunglasses. Its also so rare for me to drive with the sun in my eyes that when it happens I curse myself for not having placed a pair in the glove compartment. I have been spending years walking about in Southern Europe at altitudes of about 1500m, sometimes in snow. Summer time at 3000m in the Pyrenees in the absence of snow, not wearing sun glasses is another thing I have been doing for a very long time. I think there are two reasons why I can do that, one is that I have Mediteranean origins with possibly North African some generations back. The other is that I wear glasses and they have an invisible uv filter in them which is quite effective. Once, after walking at 2000m in the snow I suffered snowblindness,but that was because I had gone out wearing contact lens instead of my glasses. My contact lens did not have any filtration. Can an optician spot damage to the retina caused by uv?
I hope you're right about normal glasses doing some filtering (that's something I could actually test in a good optic shop).
The fact is that I've just seen both my elderly parents have cateracts operations - something I really wouldn't mind avoiding!
Bitstring <[email hidden]>, from the wonderful person Chris Loffredo <[email hidden]> said
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GSV Three Minds in a Can said:
Bitstring <[email hidden]>, from the wonderful person mikeK <[email hidden]> said
Quoted message said:
At last the sun is shinning in SouthWales and not a day too soon. But... why are so many people wearing sunglasses?
One can only assume that the little muscles that contract the irises of their eyes to limit the light input have gotten all weak and floppy from lack of use. Dang, the human eye was intended to cope with everything from swinging thru trees in the dark jungle to chasing antelope across the sun scorched plains of Africa. Apparently South Wales must be outside the design envelope...
Yes, but the MTBF was about 35 years...
Seriously, UV rays ARE damaging (not that I always have or wear sunglasses when I should).
Which is why a lot of sunglasses do more damage than not wearing them - they don't block UV adequately, and they do open up the irises to ensure maximum amount of UV gets in to where it can do the most damage. 8>.
-- GSV Three Minds in a Can Contact recommends the use of Firefox; SC recommends it at gunpoint.
"Chris Loffredo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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mikeK said:
I rarely wear sunglasses. Its also so rare for me to drive with the sun in my eyes that when it happens I curse myself for not having placed a pair in the glove compartment. I have been spending years walking about in Southern Europe at altitudes of about 1500m, sometimes in snow. Summer time at 3000m in the Pyrenees in the absence of snow, not wearing sun glasses is another thing I have been doing for a very long time. I think there are two reasons why I can do that, one is that I have Mediteranean origins with possibly North African some generations back. The other is that I wear glasses and they have an invisible uv filter in them which is quite effective. Once, after walking at 2000m in the snow I suffered snowblindness,but that was because I had gone out wearing contact lens instead of my glasses. My contact lens did not have any filtration. Can an optician spot damage to the retina caused by uv?
I hope you're right about normal glasses doing some filtering (that's something I could actually test in a good optic shop).
The fact is that I've just seen both my elderly parents have cateracts operations - something I really wouldn't mind avoiding!
They were'nt normal though, the uv filter was optional. It's not a coloured filter either so you don't know its there. I took my opticians word for it that they were included!
"GSV Three Minds in a Can" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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Bitstring <[email hidden]>, from the wonderful person Chris Loffredo <[email hidden]> said
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GSV Three Minds in a Can said:
Bitstring <[email hidden]>, from the wonderful person mikeK <[email hidden]> said
> At last the sun is shinning in SouthWales and not a day too soon. > But... why > are so many people wearing sunglasses? One can only assume that the little muscles that contract the irises of their eyes to limit the light input have gotten all weak and floppy from lack of use. Dang, the human eye was intended to cope with everything from swinging thru trees in the dark jungle to chasing antelope across the sun scorched plains of Africa. Apparently South Wales must be outside the design envelope...
Yes, but the MTBF was about 35 years...
Seriously, UV rays ARE damaging (not that I always have or wear sunglasses when I should).
Which is why a lot of sunglasses do more damage than not wearing them - they don't block UV adequately, and they do open up the irises to ensure maximum amount of UV gets in to where it can do the most damage. 8>.
-- GSV Three Minds in a Can Contact recommends the use of Firefox; SC recommends it at gunpoint.
Interesting point about the dangers of poor quality sunglasses increasing risks. Maybe my glasses with their built in filters are better than I thought. Their range of uv filtration is not as great as that from "high qualty" sunglasses, but on the other hand my spec filters are invisible so the bright light really does make my iris's close.
In article <[email hidden]>, Paul Saunders <[email hidden]> writes
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Don't know about young people, but I was wearing my sunglasses whilst driving yesterday, that low sun is blinding when you're driving into it!
Today driving up the Swansea Valley in glorious sunshine. Got to Cray in total fog - 50 yds visibility and getting worse. Spent from there on and in Brecon in fog.
Bitstring <[email hidden]>, from the wonderful person W. D. Grey <[email hidden]> said
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In article <[email hidden]>, Paul Saunders <[email hidden]> writes
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Don't know about young people, but I was wearing my sunglasses whilst driving yesterday, that low sun is blinding when you're driving into it!
Today driving up the Swansea Valley in glorious sunshine. Got to Cray in total fog - 50 yds visibility and getting worse. Spent from there on and in Brecon in fog.
I don't think so, I think it just changed somewhere around noon. I was walking over near Kinlet (West bank of the Severn) and it went from bright sun to freezing fog in half an hour, and stayed that way for the next two hours, whether I went up, down, or sideways. It just cleared up properly in time for the sun to come out in order to set.
-- GSV Three Minds in a Can Contact recommends the use of Firefox; SC recommends it at gunpoint.
At last the sun is shinning in SouthWales and not a day too soon. But... why are so many people wearing sunglasses?
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Dang, the human eye was intended to cope with everything from swinging thru trees in the dark jungle to chasing antelope across the sun scorched plains of Africa. Apparently South Wales must be outside the design envelope...
Welsh eyes have evolved to cope with rain and fog!
Today driving up the Swansea Valley in glorious sunshine. Got to Cray in total fog - 50 yds visibility and getting worse. Spent from there on and in Brecon in fog.
Really?
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It's those damned Mountains that do it :-)
Sounds like classic inversion weather, you should have climbed Fan Brycheiniog!
The other is that I wear glasses and they have an invisible uv filter in them which is quite effective.
[...]
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gone out wearing contact lens instead of my glasses. My contact lens did not have any filtration.
Glass is a pretty good UV filter (no matter if there is a colourant added to filter out some of the visible spectrum too). The contacts are made from some polymer and don't protect from UV unless some chemical is sepcifically added to achieve that. The same is true of plastic "glasses".
Using cheapo plastic sunglasses in a car is no problem since you have a glass windscreen that protects you from UV radiation. -- Rudi Winter, Aberystwyth, Wales
In article <[email hidden]>, GSV Three Minds in a Can <[email hidden]> writes
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Bitstring <[email hidden]>, from the wonderful person W. D. Grey <[email hidden]> said
Quoted message said:
In article <[email hidden]>, Paul Saunders <[email hidden]> writes
Quoted message said:
Don't know about young people, but I was wearing my sunglasses whilst driving yesterday, that low sun is blinding when you're driving into it!
Today driving up the Swansea Valley in glorious sunshine. Got to Cray in total fog - 50 yds visibility and getting worse. Spent from there on and in Brecon in fog.
I don't think so, I think it just changed somewhere around noon. I was walking over near Kinlet (West bank of the Severn) and it went from bright sun to freezing fog in half an hour, and stayed that way for the next two hours, whether I went up, down, or sideways. It just cleared up properly in time for the sun to come out in order to set.
What don't you think so ?
I left the lower Swansea Valley at about 1.45pm and left Brecon at about 4.45pm and was in mist/fog all afternoon. Obviously foggier as we got towards Cray then it disappeared as we passed Cray.
Bitstring <[email hidden]>, from the wonderful person W. D. Grey <[email hidden]> said
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In article <[email hidden]>, GSV Three Minds in a Can <[email hidden]> writes
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Bitstring <[email hidden]>, from the wonderful person W. D. Grey <[email hidden]> said
Quoted message said:
In article <[email hidden]>, Paul Saunders <[email hidden]> writes >Don't know about young people, but I was wearing my sunglasses whilst >driving yesterday, that low sun is blinding when you're driving into it!
Today driving up the Swansea Valley in glorious sunshine. Got to Cray in total fog - 50 yds visibility and getting worse. Spent from there on and in Brecon in fog.
I don't think so, I think it just changed somewhere around noon. I was walking over near Kinlet (West bank of the Severn) and it went from bright sun to freezing fog in half an hour, and stayed that way for the next two hours, whether I went up, down, or sideways. It just cleared up properly in time for the sun to come out in order to set.
What don't you think so ?
I erroneously snipped the bit 'I didn't think', which was
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It's those damned Mountains that do it :-)
-- GSV Three Minds in a Can Contact recommends the use of Firefox; SC recommends it at gunpoint.
"Rudi Winter" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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mikeK said:
The other is that I wear glasses and they have an invisible uv filter in them which is quite effective.
[...]
Quoted message said:
gone out wearing contact lens instead of my glasses. My contact lens did not have any filtration.
Glass is a pretty good UV filter (no matter if there is a colourant added to filter out some of the visible spectrum too). The contacts are made from some polymer and don't protect from UV unless some chemical is sepcifically added to achieve that. The same is true of plastic "glasses".
Using cheapo plastic sunglasses in a car is no problem since you have a glass windscreen that protects you from UV radiation. -- Rudi Winter, Aberystwyth, Wales
I remember a couple of years back in a sports shop in the French Alps, I was with a friend and we were casually inquiring about the effectiveness of the various exceedingly highly priced sunglasses. The salesman showed us a box with a few dials on it and explained how it measured how effective the sunglasses were in filtering out the harmful UV. He put a £70 pair of sunglasses in the path of a light beam emanating from this instrument and proudly showed us the dial indicating close on 100% filtration. I tested my specs (the ones with the invisible filter) and they filtered 94%. Things got almost nasty though when my friend, who was wearing a pair of "toy" sunglasses worth £1.50 tested them and found 92% filtration. Thats when the salesman began to talk about the dangers of infra red radiation, which unfortunately, he said, could not be tested for on his machine.
"GSV Three Minds in a Can" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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Bitstring <[email hidden]>, from the wonderful person Chris Loffredo <[email hidden]> said
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GSV Three Minds in a Can wrote: > Bitstring <[email hidden]>, from the > wonderful person mikeK <[email hidden]> said > >> At last the sun is shinning in SouthWales and not a day too soon. >> But... why >> are so many people wearing sunglasses? > One can only assume that the little muscles that contract the irises > of their eyes to limit the light input have gotten all weak and floppy > from lack of use. > Dang, the human eye was intended to cope with everything from swinging > thru trees in the dark jungle to chasing antelope across the sun > scorched plains of Africa. Apparently South Wales must be outside the > design envelope...
Yes, but the MTBF was about 35 years...
Seriously, UV rays ARE damaging (not that I always have or wear sunglasses when I should).
Which is why a lot of sunglasses do more damage than not wearing them - they don't block UV adequately, and they do open up the irises to ensure maximum amount of UV gets in to where it can do the most damage. 8>.
-- GSV Three Minds in a Can Contact recommends the use of Firefox; SC recommends it at gunpoint.
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Interesting point about the dangers of poor quality sunglasses increasing risks. Maybe my glasses with their built in filters are better than I thought. Their range of uv filtration is not as great as that from "high qualty" sunglasses, but on the other hand my spec filters are invisible so the bright light really does make my iris's close.
Which is one of the reasons I prefer to wear real glass specs and avoid sunglasses. Block the UV *and* keep the irises small. I don't think you need to worry about slight differences in filtration factor. Did you ever get a tan sitting behind window glass?
-- Chris Malcolm [email hidden] +44 (0)131 651 3445 DoD #205 IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK [http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]
