Their technique involves introducing light-sensing molecules, or "photoswitches, " into retinas that have lost photoreceptor cells.

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The hope is that this will prevent crucial light-sensing "cones" inside the retina from degenerating.

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Silicon, however, is not the best material for sensing light.

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In their latest experiment, Dr Sullivan and his colleagues painted the blades of a rotor with both temperature-and pressure-sensing paints, shone laser light on to them, and mapped out the temperatures and pressures as the blades whirred around as fast as 14, 000 rotations per minute.

ECONOMIST: Pressure paints

This technology relies upon a light beam that is shot at an angle through a sensing chamber to a receptor.

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Temperature-sensing paints work similarly they use luminescent molecules that light up according to how much they are vibrating, glowing less (and shaking more) when they are hotter and glowing more (and shaking less) when they are cooler.

ECONOMIST: Pressure paints

Smart sensing technology automatically detects your work conditions to determine the proper display brightness with ambient light and human sensors, while a comprehensive input panel, including HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI-D, VGA and 4-port USB hub, connects users to the latest peripherals and future-proofs the investment.

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