4 ms·
You can melt rocks with any wavelength, it really depends on the power, cataracts included (assuming non ionizing wavelengths). I work for hours in my VR heads
by nomel 3y ago
You can melt rocks with any wavelength, it really depends on the power, cataracts included (assuming non ionizing wavelengths).
I work for hours in my VR headset, with eye tracking enabled...I should probably check up on what that power is.
edit: My point seems to have been missed. IR in the eyes will cause cataracts, but it requires extreme power. It's the heating from the extreme power causing the cataracts, not the wavelength of the photons. The wavelength of the photon just helps that power get absorbed in a way that it's not noticed by things like the retina. IR lasers are especially dangerous because you won't look away/blink, or know besides feeling the heat.
- geeB 3y agoThe molten metal is what radiates the IR
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- hollerith 3y agoNo one uses electromagnetic radiation to melt steel or help make steel.
- nomel 3y agoWell, that's technically false [1]. Metal laser cutting/surfacing is common. My point was (besides ionizing radiation), it's not the wavelength that matters, it's the intensity. I changed "steel" to "rocks" to help make the point clear. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5vsUta5lmo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5vsUta5lmo https://fairmontmachinery.com/30kw-on-1-inch-steel/ https://fairmontmachinery.com/30kw-on-1-inch-steel/