The Shocking Similarities Between Our Eyes and Telescopes

Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

Have you ever wondered how your eyes compare to a telescope? 

The answer is more surprising than you might think! Today, we will look at the fascinating parallels between the human eye and one of the most powerful astronomical instruments - the telescope. 

From lenses and apertures to light detection and color vision, we will explore how these two systems, one biological and the other mechanical, have strikingly similar properties. 

Tune in to learn more about how nature's best telescope matches up with cutting-edge technology.

This episode is part 1 of a series where we’ll uncover even more intriguing insights about the connections between our eyes and telescopes, so stay tuned!

Key Takeaways: 

  • 00:00 Intro 
  • 01:29 How telescopes inspired me as a kid
  • 06:24 Comparing the anatomy of the human eye to a telescope
  • 12:51 Light sensitivity and resolution in the human eye 
  • 17:23 Color vision and polarization 
  • 21:03 Historical contributions and confirmation bias
  • 25:41 How to improve our astronomical observations 
  • 28:39 Outro

Additional resources: 

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Into the Impossible with Brian Keating is a podcast dedicated to all those who want to explore the universe within and beyond the known.

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