Interesting science Trump ignored as he stared at the solar eclipse – Mother Jones

Mother Jones illustration. Andrew Harnik/AP; Ron Sachs/CNP/ZUMA

i still He is suffering from a brain melt caused by the Trump administration. But even for the out-of-control spout of stupidity that caused my illness, one particularly stupid moment stands out: when former President Donald Trump peered into the solar eclipse.

As I wrote at the time, this was a very Trumpian affair, one that defied science and common sense in literally the highest office in government: the White House. But when I return to this moment seven years later, there’s a strange, tingling connection that I can’t help but empathize with. There’s an understandable point about his stupid curiosity in ignoring the rules for a split second. Full of thrills! (However, I speak as someone who dared to touch paintings during a school trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.)

So, on the eve of another total solar eclipse, I consulted Dr. Viola Kanefsky, a famous New York-based optometrist, to make sure my eyes were safe in case my own prank turned out badly. I made sure I had the facts straight about what was going to be shown. A different kind of melting.

Here’s what she told me about potential eye damage and President Trump’s infamous 2017 pivot to the sun.

What safety precautions do you want people to know during Monday’s solar eclipse?

Ideally, you should have eclipse glasses. You can also go online and learn how to make a pinhole camera to observe the solar eclipse indirectly. However, if you want to view the eclipse directly, you will need approved glasses.

My main advice is to not confront people with it. Especially vulnerable people like young children. A person with bright eyes. or those who have recently had cataract surgery. Normally, when you look at the sun, you would sneeze or close your eyes. When a solar eclipse is occurring, especially before it’s partially obstructed, it’s not so bright that you have to close your eyes. However, it is still strong enough to cause permanent damage to the retina.

A scientific explanation of what happens to your eyes when you view a solar eclipse. Will it really burn my eyes? If so, what does that look like?

Unfortunately, retinal damage can feel like nothing. When you pinch your skin, you feel pain because it has pain receptors. However, if the retina is burned or torn, you may see flashing lights, but it is not painful.

The damage does not appear until hours or even days later. Light damages the retinal pigment epithelium in the retina, causing swelling of the retinal layers and releasing free radicals that continue to damage the retina over time. This means that the damage continues beyond the exposure time. The result is reduced visual acuity, distorted vision, and blind spots. Such symptoms may occur. If any of these occur, it is a good idea to go to your eye doctor and have them checked right away.

Let me be clear. Exactly how soon after exposure do these symptoms appear?

Symptoms may begin to appear within an hour to a week after exposure.

Are we talking about permanent damage?

In many cases, it results in permanent damage. If the exposure is very brief and mild, most cases will heal and vision will return within about six weeks. However, in many cases, the accompanying transformations – undulations and distortions of vision – can remain permanently.

My patients have solar burns or solar defects that leave their visual acuity at 20/40, 20/80, or sometimes worse, and permanently. But even worse than that, there’s a blind spot in the middle of your field of view, which means you’re actually missing the image in the middle of your field of view.

Are there any steps to undo that damage?

Unfortunately, that’s not the case. I have tried steroid treatments and other treatments, but the best treatment is prevention.

So when we’re talking about all this, Donald Trump’s zenith of the sun comes to mind. What was your first reaction when you saw the American president ignore the “Do not watch” warning?

That’s too bad. Of course, I don’t know his history in ophthalmology. However, this sets a bad example for uninformed and uninformed people, especially young children, who may be tempted to do the same. They were made vulnerable.

President Trump observed a solar eclipse in 2017, but it’s been seven years since then. So while many things may be wrong about him, his vision appears to be intact.

So how do we know? I haven’t checked his eyes. There is no way to look at someone and know that their eyesight is only 20/40 or that they have a blind spot in one eye. And at his age, he should always wear reading glasses instead of squinting. He didn’t do that either.

Do you have any advice for him about the upcoming solar eclipse?

I don’t really give people vision advice. But my advice, no matter what age you are, is to get your eyes checked every year to make sure they’re healthy. Indeed, as people age, they need to ensure their eyes are healthy, eliminating signs of preventable and treatable diseases such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, and cataracts.

Okay, that’s great. What else should I know?

Another suggestion I have for children is to read books. Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court Written by Mark Twain. There will be a solar eclipse, and knowing the date of the solar eclipse will save someone’s life. That’s a fun story.