Can rainbows form in a circle? Fun facts on the physics of rainbows

Each rainbow is personal – the rainbow you see isn’t exactly the same rainbow the next person sees. It’s all in the eye of the beholder.

Partha Chowdhury, Professor of Physics, UMass Lowell • conversation
April 24, 2023 ~6 min

Reindeer eyes change color, putting Rudolph's red nose in the shade – new research podcast

In winter, light in the northern latitudes is dim and very blue compared to summer light. Reindeer eyes have evolved to be better suited at seeing in this unique environment.

Daniel Merino, Associate Science Editor & Co-Host of The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation • conversation
Dec. 21, 2022 ~3 min


Why do hammerhead sharks have hammer-shaped heads?

The first hammerhead shark was likely the result of a genetic deformity. A biologist explains how shark DNA reveals hammerheads’ history.

Gavin Naylor, Director of Florida Program for Shark Research, University of Florida • conversation
July 25, 2022 ~7 min

New eye drops can help aging people see better – an optometrist explains how Vuity treats presbyopia

As people age, their eyes lose the ability to focus on close objects. A new eye drop treatment called Vuity can improve vision without the need for glasses, contacts or surgery.

Robert Bittner, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences • conversation
May 5, 2022 ~8 min

Nocturnal dinosaurs: Night vision and superb hearing in a small theropod suggest it was a moonlight predator

By looking at the eye bones and ear canals of extinct dinosaurs, researchers show that a small ancient predator likely hunted at night and had senses as good as a modern barn owl.

Roger Benson, Professor of Palaeobiology, University of Oxford • conversation
May 6, 2021 ~9 min

Gene therapy injection in one eye surprises scientists by improving vision in both

Injecting a gene therapy vector into one eye of someone suffering from LHON, the most common cause of mitochondrial blindness, significantly improves vision in

Cambridge University News • cambridge
Dec. 10, 2020 ~7 min

Technique to regenerate the optic nerve offers hope for future glaucoma treatment

Scientists have used gene therapy to regenerate damaged nerve fibres in the eye, in a discovery that could aid the development of new treatments for glaucoma,

Cambridge University News • cambridge
Nov. 5, 2020 ~5 min

Increasing screen time during the coronavirus pandemic could be harmful to kids' eyesight

With online learning and social distancing, kids are spending more time staring at screens and less time outdoors. That can put them at higher risk of myopia and serious eye problems in the future.

Olivia Killeen, Resident Physician in Ophthalmology, University of Michigan • conversation
May 21, 2020 ~8 min


Increasing screen time during COVID-19 could be harmful to kids' eyesight

With online learning and social distancing, kids are spending more time staring at screens and less time outdoors. That can put them at higher risk of myopia and serious eye problems in the future.

Olivia Killeen, Resident Physician in Ophthalmology, University of Michigan • conversation
May 21, 2020 ~8 min

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