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Old 8th Jul 2008, 18:41
  #48 (permalink)  
Dai_Farr
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: ex Ice Station Kilo
Age: 66
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I'm ex-Nimrod aircrew. In the 1980's I recall rose-tinted specs being issued - don't laugh, it's true!

The idea was, whilst using the best sensor yet invented (the Mark 1 eyeball) in the vicinity of Soviet warships, you were supposed to wear these awful specs in case the vessel was using laser target designators, or incapacitation lasers as described earlier by Double Zero. Were you "hit," by laser light, the lens(es) of the spectacles flashed green and the idea was that you looked away immediately.

Whatever was on or in the lenses wouldn't protect you. But, so long as you resisted curiosity for another look, it gave you a chance.

This material has been around for some time. Manufacturers could, no doubt, retro fit screens with this or similar stuff incorporated. However, since I assume the red tint of our above-mentioned spectacles was critical to their operation, I should add, from experience that, contrary to popular belief, they were bloody awful to view the world through for any length of time! So if the Tefal-heads could design windscreens with this clever stuff, but in "normal" glass colour...

...but maybe I'm viewing the world through rose-tinted spectacles.
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