Afraid of going blind?

[Leonor]

Someone linked me to this newspiece and I thought I shared. I don't remember who said what, but I recall a thread where some artist(s) had diabetes and feared going blind? There's hope (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8135627.stm). :)

[wild thing]

lasers! this would be fantastic if it took off
there is a lot they can do with vision, so its not long before we have cool robot eyes or geordi visors
there is also this thing (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/18/eveningnews/eyeontech/main2373433.shtml) that lets you 'see' with your tongue

[Jason Rainville]

Lasers are so outdated. Stem cells are where it's at. (http://gizmodo.com/5277456/stem-cell-contact-lenses-cure-blindness-in-less-than-a-month)

[Straight Edge Ryan]

that'd be sweet if they actually cured blindness. But either way humans are incredibly adaptive, I could probably get used to it if it ever happened, course I'd never be able to draw again. I mean I suppose I could do abstract art and maybe even get an "inspiring" news story on Fox about overcoming adversity and all that, but I'm rambling

If I ever go blind tho, I'm gonna make sure I meditate more so I'll look like the wise, powerful blind dude in kung fu movies. That'd be sweeeeet

[Kman.]

Hasnt laser eye surgery been around for like .. 10+ years? o_O

[hippl5]

If I ever go blind tho, I'm gonna make sure I meditate more so I'll look like the wise, powerful blind dude in kung fu movies. That'd be sweeeeet

No that wouldn't... screw being a blind kung-fu hermit, I'd shoot myself.

On a side note.

Blind man sees wife for first time after having a TOOTH implanted into his eye (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1197256/Blind-man-sees-wife-time-having-TOOTH-implanted-eye.html)

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/07/03/article-1197256-0594B067000005DC-598_233x354.jpg

[Shinn]

Here's a better idea if youre scared of going blind; do a specific drawing so many times that when you go blind you ll remember how to do it and you'll impress the audience.

[Cthogua]

One day, when I was in college, I got back from classes and decided to take a nap. When I woke up, I was extremely close to, and facing the white painted wall. When I opened my eyes I was so confused for a second I thought I might've gone blind. Obviously it only took me another second to realize what was happening, but there was a distinct moment of terror in the second after I woke up. Incidently, the mother of one of my friends was blind since childhood, and was a missionary to Africa and South America for like 30 years. While in general I tend to be pretty down on organized religion, and particularly evangelical/missionary types, but I have to say it was pretty amazing what she was able to do with, and in her life. Those of us lucky enough to have all our senses seldom experience as much as that crazy blind woman did.

[GriNGo]

Yes Cthogua... I guess we would have to try and embrace the remaining senses, but of course as visual people as us artists are, is going to be very tough.

[Rist]

I'd go on British Big Brother.

[Porg]

I'd go on British Big Brother.

Why would you want ot do that?

[D.Labruyere]

Hasnt laser eye surgery been around for like .. 10+ years? o_O

Not for when you are blind. Blindness has to do with your retinae. The lasercures we had before were designed for your cornea.
With that they can cure a refraction deviation. They use the laser to cut some of the upperlayer of the cornea out and destroy some of the innerlayer. Another method is to burn the cornea on certain points.
With the first way the cornea will get flatter and the scattering of light will be less. The first lasercure will be used when the eye is to long, or the scattering to much.
The second method is to make the cornea less flat so that the light will be scattered more. In this way they can cure a short eye or a lack of scattering.

The cure in this article has to do with your retinae, your central fixationpoint, macula, is at the back of your eye.

The nerves of your eye are above the receptive cells (the retinae, or atleast, it is a part of the retinae). This blurres our vision a little. (Interesting to know that a cuttlefish has better eyes than us. His nerves go through the back of the eye.) Behind the retinae there are some other layers. Respectively the choroid (is a big network of blood vessels) and the sclera (the white of your eye, which gives shape to it and makes it stronger).

Check out these links for more information:
http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/amd.htm
http://www.optimax.co.uk/

[Katfayheirti]

If I went blind, I could always sculpt, or perhaps then find the time to pursue another interest like writing, sociology, or evolutionary biology. Yes, it would be a tremendous loss for me, but I'm also interested in too many other things to sit around all day and morn the loss of sight.

[Rist]

Why would you want ot do that?

Since Michie' did it its a new fad.