No more short sighted people?

[wacki]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4437067.stm

First few paragraphs.

Scientists have designed special contact lenses that could help make short-sightedness a thing of the past.

The custom-made lenses are intended to correct problems with focusing which eye experts blame for progressive short vision, or myopia.

A team at Anglia Polytechnic University will test whether the lenses can prevent people's myopia getting worse.

The ultimate aim is to give myopia-prone children the lenses to wear from the age of five.

This should stop them encountering any short-sightedness later on and eye diseases linked with myopia, such as cataracts and glaucoma.

.....

[Dead]

This sounds fantastic. I wish they had them when I was a kid, although they might have been too expensive anyway.

I currently wear contacts for nearsightedness, but I am planning on getting LASIK either this summer or next year.

[BusterStacks]

Somehow I doubt the practicality of contact lenses for 5-year olds. I'm closer to 25 and still think they are a pain in the ass.

[slickpoppa]

I find it interesting how natural selection is failing with respect to human eyesight. I think approximately 60% of American adults wear glasses or contacts. If we were back in our hunter-gatherer state, a large portion of our population would probably virtually helpless.

[wacki]

[ QUOTE ]
I find it interesting how natural selection is failing with respect to human eyesight. I think approximately 60% of American adults wear glasses or contacts. If we were back in our hunter-gatherer state, a large portion of our population would probably virtually helpless.

[/ QUOTE ]

http://www.bingomag.ca/img/feature/gattaca.jpg

Beyond darwinism.

[7ontheline]

[ QUOTE ]
I find it interesting how natural selection is failing with respect to human eyesight. I think approximately 60% of American adults wear glasses or contacts. If we were back in our hunter-gatherer state, a large portion of our population would probably virtually helpless.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's failing in regard to a lot of things now that we pretty much dominate the natural world. No hunter-gatherer lived long enough or richly enough to die of a heart attack at 45, but these days that's an early death and crappy genetics.

I also agree that the chances 5 year-olds will be able to consistently and safely wear contact lenses are dubious at best. I think ophthalomologists would see a huge increase in eye infections more than anything else. I also wonder about how much problems associated with myopia would actually be affected. I think it would be tough right now to say that they would be avoided without serious research first.

[InchoateHand]

How the hell do contact lenses prevent short-sightedness? I knew they had them for near-sightedness and farsightedness but....? /images/graemlins/confused.gif

[Joe826]

[ QUOTE ]
Somehow I doubt the practicality of contact lenses for 5-year olds. I'm closer to 25 and still think they are a pain in the ass.

[/ QUOTE ]

are you eligable for lasik? i had mine done last year and it's been the best money i've spent.

[kerssens]

I was actually gonna start a post today about lasik because I've been thinking about it and wanted to hear some testimonials....I only know one person that did it and he went to Canada because it was half the price but I think the price has dropped in the last year or so.

[fsuplayer]

that movie any good? i am mildly interested in that kind of stuff.

[J.R.]

[ QUOTE ]
I think approximately 60% of American adults wear glasses or contacts. If we were back in our hunter-gatherer state, many of these people would have much better vision because they wouldn't have spent so much time staring at computers and reading books. But then again, there's no way the population is anywhere near as big as it is today if we still lived in a hunter-gatherer state.

[/ QUOTE ]

[Ringo_Mojo]

Easily the best money i've ever spent in my life.

I went all out and paid for all the bells and whistles from the best doctor in the area, now i've got better then 20/20 vision.