Can people with brown eyes see better than people with blue eyes?

Question

HI, I once read in a book that people with blue eyes were hopless in the dark, where as people with brown eyes can see much better in the dark. Is this true? And if so HOW!

Answer 1

The color of the eye has nothing to do with your vision. It's the actual shape of the eye that affects the vision.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

I've never heard of this. I'm not a doctor or optometrist, but from what I understand it's the pupil that directs the light into the eye. The iris may be the part of the eye that opens & reduces the pupils size. I don't think it has any direct link with vision other than that. I could be way off on this one though.

I have green w/ gold eyes BTW. I wear glasses because I have an astigmatism in both eyes. I can barely see well at all without my glasses even in the daylight.

Answer 4

Blue eyes are a recessive gene. The pigment may have a slight affect on the ability to capture light (which is needed to see in the dark), but the difference between blue versus brown would be slight.

Eye problems are not associated with pigmentation.

Answer 5

Actually, the secret is that they see "differently"

Here is what I mean. In World War II, our army came out with a new secret weapon - night vision. They used an infrared searchlight to light up the target and with the infrared goggles on, our fellows could see their targets.

The problem was that many of the Germans who were blond-haired and blue eyed, could see the infrared lights as soon as they were turned on and did some shooting of their own.

The answer -we experimented with this back in my college physics classes -is that one can see further into the infrared, and the other can see further into the ultra-violet. In college we looked into calibrated spectrographs and noted down the Angstrom ranges we could see, then compared them with others from all the classes. There were variations, of course, but basically everyone could see the "normal" range, but your eye color determines (or more properly reflects or absorbs) the "center" of the range you can see. In the blue eye, apparently blue is being reflected back and reds come through. The brown eye (which has a strong red component) is reflecting reds away and allowing more of the blue end of the spectrum.

I know this sounds like it doesn't make sence, since the iris is not the part where the light comes through, but it was explained to us that the color of the iris is not just from the material itself, but the light bandpass for that particular eye, which is reflected as a visible effect by the iris.

My eyes are green and I seem to have at least some of the ability shown by blue-eyed people. I can see a little ways into the infrared range, but not as far as some of my blue-eyed classmates. People (with brown eyes) have ask me what it looks like, but I can't answer that. How would you describe a color to a blind person or a person who is color-blind. All I can say is that I see it and that it looks different from red. It is the same problem they have describing to me what ultraviolet looks like. Some people (like myself) see ultraviolet bulbs 'glowing' while others are practically blinded by them. It is the same with infrared lights.
[Any of you old enough to remember the UV lights they used a lot in discotheques? What did you see when you were in one of those places?]

Anyway, I hope that clears up the question. It is not a question of seeing “better”, but what your “range” of seeing is.

Answer 6

no 20/20 vision is 20/20 vision only difference is blue eyes pigment or color is less than brown eyes which may cuase some light sensativity but people with brown eyes can be know to have light sensativity too, UV rays effect many factors of body including your eyes

Answer 7

I'm not sure and maybe people with brown eyes can see better in the dark.

Answer 8

I don't know but I have brown eyes and so does my mom and we both have perfect vision, but my sister, brother and dad have blue eyes and both have had to have glasses/contacts and my brother gets headaches after he reads so I think he will have to get glasses too. This could also just be genetics

Answer 9

Yes. They can see better in the dark, but I'm glad I have blue eyes because I can see through people's clothing!

Answer 10

My hubby has the most beautiful deep brown eyes I have ever seen. They are intense and loving and he would say the same about my blue eyes. They are both beautiful and more importantly part of the whole package!

Answer 11

Blue eyed people have more trouble in bright light. I don't think there is any difference as far as the dark is concerned. but light eyes, like light skin have less pigment, and the lighter the more sensitive their eyes are to the sun.