Facts About Your Eyes That Will STUN You

You probably don’t think too much about what your eyes are capable of, I mean, who would? Even if you have 20/20 vision or you need glasses, no one just sits there and thinks about their eyes! But here’s the thing, your eyes are incredibly unique and powerful, even if you don’t realize it. Check out the list we compiled about the most incredible facts about your eyes that you probably didn’t know!

A lifetime worth of eyelashes measures HOW MUCH?!

No kidding but if you collected a lifetime worth of eyelashes, it would measure over 98 feet! This is just kinda creepy and striking all at the same time when the average human eyelash is just a quarter as long as the pinky finger.

One Rule

We’ve all heard the phrase, “It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye.” And almost everyone knows the phrase comes from Ancient Rome. But this is the best part, the ONE and only rule the Ancient Romans had in their bloody intense wrestling, Gladiator fights was, “No eye gouging.”

Brown Eyes are Blue Actually

Fun fact, if you have brown eyes, they’re actually, technically blue. You see, all brown eyes are blue underneath the pigment. There is even a laser procedure that can turn your brown eyes blue permanently. Whoa.

Totally Unique

We know that fingerprints are all totally different but did you know that a fingerprint only has 40 different characteristics while an iris has 256! This explains why so many places are opting to use retinal scans for security purposes versus fingerprints.

The Look of Love

Ahh love! Did you know that when you look at someone you love, absolutely love, the pupils of your eyes expand as much as 45%? Now that’s just pretty cool.

Your eye is the fastest muscle in your body

You know that saying ‘in the blink of an eye’? Well it comes from the fact that your eyes are THE fastest muscle in your body. The actual blinking of an eye in measurement terms is called a nimish. According to the modern mathematical calculations, one nimish is 0.2133 seconds.

Always Active

While other body parts take time to “warm up” to their full, useful potential that you need, your eyes are always active. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Some 550 million years ago…

Now this fact is one for the history books. Turns out that eyes began their evolutionary process almost 550 million years ago. Talk about extraordinary.

Information Overload

The human eye is capable of processing about 36,000 bits of information per hour. Which is about 50 different things per second! If you think you can multitask, well your eyes have got you beat.

Blind Spot

There is actually a small blind spot in the back of everyone’s retina, which comes from the attachment from the optic nerve. I order for you to fill in the blind spot, it would require both of your eyes working together just to be able to fill in the blind spots of the other.

Look Deep into My Eyes

Humans and dogs are the only species that seek visual cues from another individual’s eyes. Granted dogs only do interact this way with humans.

Your eyeballs will not change size

Your eyeballs will never change size, from the second you were born, they remain. While the rest of your body grows and changes, your eyeballs never will!

All blue eyed people are related

Now that you’ve digested that statement, we’ll explain. If you go back far enough, yes, all blue eyed are related. Scientists have deduced that all blue eyed people’s roots go back almost 10,000 years ago to people who used to live by the Black Sea. Does this mean couples who both have blue eyes are related, well technically yes, but it’s 10,000 years of separation. Which is definitely a long enough separation!

So About Eye fatigue

Most of us in the modern world have our heads behind a computer screen but did you know that when you’re reading or using the computer, you actually blink less? This leads to eye fatigue at an alarmingly higher rate because when you aren’t reading or starring at your computer screen, you blink 12 times per minute. However when you’re doing the mentioned activities, the rate of which your eyes blink lowers dramatically. Therefore if you’re ever feeling the strain of eye fatigue, take a break!

Blindness is a global issue

Across the globe, an estimated 40 million people suffer from blindness. Additionally some 240 million suffer from some kind of visual impairment and of that 240 million, about 80% could have prevented their visual impairment or could have even gotten it fixed with an ophthalmologist or an optometrist (eye doctors).

Your eye is perfectly defended by your face

I normally don’t sit around thinking why my eyes, or anyone’s eyes, rest like they do upon a person’s face or how they are protected. And now that I’ve said that, you’re probably slightly confused. Here’s the thing, your eyes are perfectly and utterly defended by your face. Your eyes sink into the hollows of your face in order to be more protected. Your eyebrows keep sweat from dripping into your eyes while eyelashes prevent other contaminants from entering your eyes.

The human eye can distinguish an incredible range of colors

The human eye can differentiate between ten million different colors which is pretty spectacular. While we might only know the names of say 10 different colors, our eyes are capable of recognizing many more.

Color blindness and Babies

When all babies are born, they are 100% colorblind. I know, that sounds crazy but its true. Newborns also can’t produce tears until they are six weeks old, and you’re thinking about it now… Of course newborns cry, but there are no tears until six weeks go by.

This amazing predator has a cornea most similar to a human

Why yes, the cornea of a shark is insanely similar to ours. Which is why a shark’s cornea is used the most during most optic surgeries.

Your eye color can relate to your alcohol tolerance

Apparently those with blue eyes have a higher tolerance for alcohol. How in the world scientists came up with this conclusion is beyond us but there you go.

Heterochromia can give you two different colored eyes

Most individuals with heterochromia were born with this disorder. Heterochromia is a mutation that changes the melanin level of each eye, kinda cool! Some famous people with this mutation include David Bowie, Alice Eve, Jane Seymour, Robert Downey, Jr., Benedict Cumberbatch, Henry Cavill, and Kate Bosworth.

That Healing Power

Did you know that your eyes heal insanely quick? If you receive proper care then it will take only 48 hours for your eye to heal from a corneal scratch.

World Traveler

During an average lifetime, the human eye sees 24 million different images! It makes no difference if you stayed in the same city your whole life or are a frequent world traveler, your eyes have the ability to see so much more than you’re able to register.

As you’re growing

Your eyes start to develop just after two weeks you were conceived. Now that’s kinda cool, especially considering your eyes never change size!

If you’ve got green eyes – you’re pretty rare

Did you know that having green colored eyes is actually quite rare? In fact, it’s the rarest eye color found across the globe, an estimated 2% of the world’s entire population have green colored eyes. The green eye color is the result of just a smidgen of pigmentation in the eye with a golden tint.

Eye Color Determines Personality!

Scientists in Sweden and Scotland have concluded that eye color and personality go hand in hand. Here’s what they deduced: individuals with brown eyes are a natural born leaders, are loyal and respectful. Those with blue eyes are incredibly strong, and not just physically but mentally and emotionally; quite often, people often judge you before getting to know you. Those with grey eyes have a whole Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde character going on. Folks with hazel eyes are independent, confident, and spontaneous. And lastly, individuals with green eyes are considered alluring, sexy, and mysterious.

Eye Contact

When you first meet someone’s acquaintance, the “perfect” amount of time to main eye contact is just a mere four seconds. The reason being is so that you can see what color eyes they have.

So What About Glasses?

Just about everyone knows that they see with their brain and not their eyes. It may sound backward but more often than not, having blurry or poor vision isn’t because of your eyes. It is the result of having a problem within the visual cortex of your brain.

Fact.

Everyone tends to blink 12 times every single minute, which doesn’t seem like a lot but it is! Fun fact – your eyes are 1 inch across and weigh around 0.25 ounce. If you ever end up on Jeopardy, you’ll kick the anatomy section.

100 Million

So about two percent of all women have a rare, genetic mutation. It is this mutation that allows these individuals to have an extra retinal cone in their eyes. What this means is that they can see 100 million colors. Now that’s just insane.

Impossible

Turns out that there are colors that are just too complex for our human eyes to see and they are called “impossible colors.” Additionally, our eyes can only see three different colors. Red, blue and green. All other colors are just combinations of the three. Crazy!