The first pair of polarized sunglasses were developed in 1936 when Edwin H. Land combined his talents as a lens crafter and his patented polarized film to create polarized lenses.
People across the country frequent sunglasses shops and mall kiosks but probably look past the many different labels on each pair of shades. According to Science Trends, these labels are actually advertising a variety of techniques used to block out the sun and protect eyes.
Polarized sunglasses work by intercepting and blocking waves of light, which vibrate in certain ways. These types of shades are designed to intercept light waves that vibrate horizontally, which are also the light waves responsible for glaring.
Here are some other excellent sunglass-related techniques to block bright lights and dangers UV rays:
- Tinting — Sunglasses can be tinted all kinds of colors in order to absorb the different parts of the light spectrum.
- Mirroring — Reflective shades that utilize mirroring have a very thin reflective coating applied to the glasses, sometimes called half-silvering. Mirror coatings are frequently constructed with the gradients that change concentrations from top to bottom.
- UV Coatings — The majority of eye problems can be linked to ultraviolet light exposure. This light is typically divided into two different wavelengths and frequencies and UV coatings can provide much-needed protection.
There is another approach, however, that can certainly protect from the sun’s UV rays, but comes with some other disadvantages. According to The Week, a new pair of sunglasses — IRL Glasses — actually blocks out LED and LCD lights — so you can’t even look at screens.
“Put them on and the TV in the sports bar seems to switch off,” said Arielle Pardes, of Wired. “Billboards blinking ahead seem to go blank.”