New Year’s Visual Resolution: 2023 Megapixel Edition

In the mid-1800s, the German physicist, physician, and researcher Hermann von Helmholtz proposed, among other things, his Sampling Theory of Visual Resolution.

Visual resolution is the ability of the human eye to see fine spatial detail. Suffice it to say, the human eye, though not the most complex eye in the natural world, is quite astonishing in its capability and resolution.

Helmholtz’s other revolutionary contribution to ophthalmology, the invention of the ophthalmoscope, an instrument used to this day to examine the inside of the human eye, has provided more insight into those astonishing capabilities than Helmholtz himself may have ever imagined!

Pixel Yourself with Better Vision

In modern parlance, the human eye at its best, at 20/20 vision, is thought to be something on par with a 576-megapixel resolution, or roughly 576,000,000 individual pixels! By way of comparison, the iPhone 11 features a 12-megapixel camera. Paltry resolution comparatively speaking…

Of course, human eyes don’t have pixels, instead, the human eye has a retina where the eye’s photoreceptors are located. The photoreceptors responsible for our ability to see are called rods and cones. If you were to think of the eye as a traditional camera, the retina would be the film. The retina also contains the nerves that tell the brain what the photoreceptors are “seeing,” and our brain puts all the pieces together into a spectacularly resolute image.

New Year’s Resolution

Vision is truly in the eye of the beholder, and no two eyes are created equal. When the latest iPhone technology is unveiled every year, tens of millions of people flock to upgrade to the latest and best technology has to offer, especially in camera and screen resolution. The crisper and cleaner the image the better!

This New Year, consider giving your vision the same upgrade you’d give your phone. A comprehensive eye exam can help you resolve any eye or vision-related issues you may be having and ultimately help you actually achieve that New Year’s resolution by upgrading your visual resolution to the best it can possibly be. You’ll even get the chance to get up close and personal with Helmholtz’s own ophthalmoscope! Or the 21st-century version anyway…