Sunday, March 2, 2008

Tyler gets his Eagle




Three things limit the human potential for clear vision. The first is the size of the eye itself. In a camera, larger film size can capture an image with greater resolution. Like the camera, a larger eye could capture more resolution.

Second, the number of photoreceptors on the retina and their spacing limit the resolution in the human eye to approximately 20/12. If there were more photoreceptors packed closer together, you could see more detail at a greater distance.

Third, blood vessels covering the retina obscure your vision. Your brain ignores this so you don't percieve it, but shine a flash light at different angles around your eye (needs to be bright and close) and you may see those vessels momentarily while light from the side projects a different shadow through the vessels.

The Eagle can see 6-8 times better than us (20/1 or 20/2?). It is reported that an eagle can see a mouse at a mile. Under the best of backgrounds, you might be lucky to see a mouse at 3 or 4 hundred feet. Eagles eyes are bigger than human eyes. They have many times more photoreceptors than we do--and they are double stacked and very tightly packed. We only have one area of tightly packed photoreceptors--the fovea, they have two. And an eagle eye has a structure called the Pecten that feeds its retina and reduces vision obscuring vessels in the retina itself.


God knew we didn't need to see a mouse at a mile to survive, but wouldn't it be cool?


Congratulations to Tyler for the foresight to get his Eagle Scout. It is an honor that speaks well of his mental and spiritual maturity. He earned it.

7 comments:

shauna said...

Do I get to be the first Aunt to congratulate Tyler?!!!!!!!

Wow, what an amazing accomplishment! Wish we could have been there to see it (and to see a real eagle in the RS room!)

Bonnie said...

Congrats Tyler! I heard those things are hard to get. I would love more details on some of your projects and things that you had to do to earn it.

Iditadad said...

Tyler,
We are so very proud of you. I am sure you have been told how valuable this will be for the rest of eternity. Good job. And it looks like you are able to fly like an eagle. How fun. Here in Alaska we get to se lots of Eagles.

We sure do love you. Grampa

Tamster said...

Hey, that's fabulous, Tyler! Congratulations! Good job! :-)
Did you take flight lessons or something? What were the pictures all about, and what was the connection between flying and getting the Eagle? :-)

Here at home said...

I got to be there. It was awesome. Congratulations again, Tyler. What a rewarding experience.
That eagle was beautiful, by the way. What an amazing creature. Cory has said that if he were an animal, he'd want to be an eagle. I think I just might agree with him. I would love to soar like an eagle. Now you can, Tyler.

Perfect Moments Photography said...

Congrats Tyler, what an accomplishment! What did you do for your project?

Wendoyoublog in Colorado said...

Tyler, can you come to Alaska and get Tyster to finish his project? He only has 9 more months!

I promise to show you some eagles while you are here.