Who Invented Night Vision, and How Does it Work? 

Buy your DNA kit here: bit.ly/TIFO2. Use Coupon code “ TIFO” for free shipping. Thanks to MyHeritage for sponsoring the video.

They couldn't get Simon to do the MyHeritage ad because we'd find out that he's more than us mere mortals.

Hershel didn't just randomly decide to place an extra thermometer at the end of the split prism, or have some sort of genius 6th sense to do so. The additional thermometer was meant to be a control for the experiment to compare the difference in heat gained in each color with the ambient temperature of the room. Great example of a perfectly disciplined experiment gone wrong leading to an unexpected and fascinating discovery. Bingo bongo, eureka we have science.

The NVG's used by the Australian Army in the 90's were passive, but they featured an active mode for use in total darkness.

Pleasantly surprised that Rochester NY (my hometown and home of my alma mater) played such a large role in the development of Night Vision Technology. 😊

Waiting for the inevitable "who's this new guy?" comments from people not paying attention to the fact that Dave explains how long he's been here in the ad read, let alone all the videos he's been in already. 😅😂 Thanks for all of the education over the years Dave and Simon! Haven't skipped a video yet! I've learned more from you guys than I think I did in all my years of schooling.

The way night vision works is by turning photons into electrons by focusing them with the objective lense and making them hit a photocathode, and then those electrons are multiplied tens of thousands of times by a microchannel plate, and then those electrons are turned back into photons when they hit a phosphor screen that will glow whatever color the screen is designed for. Green phosphor was used for a long time because humans eyes are most sensitive to green light but recently white phosphor has been used because we are able to have better contrast with black and white (even though white phosphor is sort of blueish). You could actually make the phosphor screen any color you want but some colors are more useful than others.

Simon told us never to use QR Codes so I'm not signing up. I believe fact boy.😂

FLIR is also used by firefighters to locate hot spots inside of hollow walls (standard wood constructed homes), for example. Some can also give an indication of how hot a hidden fire might be. Law enforcement and Search and Rescue also use these to find people and even pets.

So....I misread this as "Why is NV always green?" and I spent 22 minutes to not find out why it's green, but did enjoy the history of NV.

I remember watching the news from January 1991 onwards and enjoying the night vision video collages.

Gen 3 night vision is one of the coolest things I own besides my telescopes... Got a 2008 autogated pvs 7 (device seen at 19:42) a few months ago and its taken stargazing to the next level along with other nighttime activities. The nighttime sky in rural locations is just straight up addicting. I've even driven on the highway with my pvs7 when its rainy at night because this literally helps with visibility even w headlights still on. I feel i have definitely gotten $1500 of fun out of this already and this thing should last for years to come!

You room is resonating at 500hz; editor take note please!! I’ve also noticed on the casual criminalists channel that Simon accidentally “used the wrong mic” for a segment of a video I question why there are different setups, all giving different results. Sometimes the compression is too high, resulting in what some commenters will describe as too much treble, or echoey (short room reflections) I urge you try to stick to one setup and dial it in perfectly for consistency across every channel and every video Happy to help if you wanna message me or something

I learned more about the Starlight scope in this episode than the military would tell me back in the day 😂😂😂

I calibrated Helicopter NVGs (2 lenses vs 4) when I was in the Navy. Only front and rear lenses, plastic housing, and intensifiers (like a C battery in size and shape). Just had to focus and run intensifiers test on the test set, then nitrogen backfill. Probably did 2'000 over time. Yes, we played with them in the cable braiding room, lights off diy obstacle course.

The irony that "Night Vision" was basically created by a guy trying to create filters so he could look at the Sun is not lost on me... lol

I went to high-school with the writer of this episode. He was brilliant back then, now he is dashing & brilliant.

I am looking forward Simon telling us all about quantum physics and the wave function

15:43 love the photo of the guy in the ghillie suit with the trashcan sized scope, not conspicuous at all 😂

I got so excited when you mentioned the Peltier device! My capstone design project for my mechanical engineering degree was a temperature regulating prosthetic socket that used those peltier modules. Basically they’re little white squares that when a voltage is applied, causes one side to get hot and one side to get really cold!

As a Pittsburgher, I think its kinda cool that Samuel Langley and Vladimir Zworykin both had worked in Pittsburgh, PA!

Before I see the answer, my guess is this: human vision is most sensitive to green wavelengths, so it's easier to shift to that and get the most contrast.

the german panther tank commander in the second war have night see tools, they call this kasskaden geraete .

All I know is back in 86 the company had one that the platoons would share. Gunny, says us marines get this one, and most likely the army hands them out to every private after graduating boot camp! 😂😂😂

I worked for K&M Electronics that supplied the high voltage power supplies that powered the ANVIS and PVS-7 multiplier tubes We shipped thousands of them during Gulf Storm 1 in 1991. The only problem is photomultiplier technology can't see through fog or dust making infrared much more desirable. The company shut down in 2005.. PMT's also generate a flat 2 dimensional image totally lacking in depth perception. When you hear about helicopters crashing into each other at night in training exercises it is usually because the pilots lacked experience with this imaging system.

MyHeritage - I sent in a sample from a friend for me. I am a 40 year old black woman now. 😂

Dave is 2% Asian? Either one of his ancestors was hitchhiking the silk road, or he's a decendant of Ghengis Kahn.

I think Simon must be a AI computer😂, each video is uploaded 1 day ago, 1 week ago…He must be trapped in the studio! Love the videos on all your channels ❤

I had the chance to briefly work on a night vision project. Nothing interesting came of it, but getting to play with the NIR and "starlight" scopes was a blast.

There likely won't be any gen4 night vision as fusion technology (nv and thermal combined) will be more ubiquitous as it can give you far more information than image intensification alone

Glitterex makes the stealth coating for military vehicles

10:00 hey! I live there!

🇺🇸

Ive noticed throughout life, that I can see in the dark better than other people. Even though Im al.ost 60, and my vision isnt as sharp, I can still do well in the dark. Really dont like bright lights that aint sunshine though. Being able to truly see clearly in the dark, must be like a super power boost to a soldier.

A channel called Riloe just did a great video about how NV and particularly the quad tube set became dare I say iconic

I got to play with color night vision in a lab in SoCal in 2010. The problem they had was making it smaller (at the time).

My DNA. The absolute best way to make sure you're full genetic profile is available to anyone, at ant time.

Centuries of science, decades of of and years of combat testing have culminated in my ability to go get burritos at 2 AM from Taco Bell with my headlight off and a silly hat. God bless America.

16:52 _and they began reaching U.S. troops in Vietnam in 1967_ I was in Vietnam in 1966. My unit received an AN/PVS-2 Starlight Scope in mid to late autumn of 1966.

Thanks for the information, Blessed Be.

I’ve heard about the demon-vision goggles from the war and I am writing this before I watch, so you may have addressed it. I’m too impatient, it’s such an interesting thing so I’m gonna ask first and watch later. Are there available demon-vision goggles today?

IR night vision is now downright cheap. I bought a monocular for $100. Thermal is still quite spendy.

Daven bro...nice to seeya. Edited to correct name spelling! Looking good bro.

No I will not donate my dna to someone who doesn't have strict policies and security about how they preserve and use the information.

interesting... I just happen to assemble scintillating detectors for mass spectrometers and electronic microscopes, some of them are being bought by Zeiss and sold by them to their clients

That Desert Storm propaganda on the news everynight was something.

I like Simon's voice too.

1:29 1/3 pillaging Viking and 1/3 pillaging Brit

9:59 hell yeah! Let’s go Rochester

Night vision triangular ufos. Just bokeh effect.

Huh. Found our own devices separate, didn't know it was one of Simon's many writers.

Just imagine the stacking those boys could have done with the latest gen night vision we have now.

The HUD that I have in the 767 that I fly SUCIKS! Most people like it for landings, but I haven't figured it out yet. It is all green lines....

Moon's out. Guns out. *grabs nerf gun*

I thought the Pather tank was fitted with night vision stuff? Was that the old bunkier stuff then?

Your pronunciation of Zielgerät and Nachtjäger is killing me😩

Me: What’s Technology Connection like topic doing here with mighty Simon Whistler?!?!

Our Own Devices has a really good video about night vision

I want to do my DNA, but i am scared of who i could be related to. I would never be able to resist trying to find out. Best i not check.

I’m surprised the video never got into how the transition from green to white phosphor came about. Also, there was no information on going from two tubes to the GPNVG for more peripheral vision

The guy doing the ad sounds like he ate a cheese grater for breakfast.

Nice video but I have one burning question. Why is the image always green? Blue might be a choice if there is an option. Green light is most intense noticed by the human eye, while blue light is not perceived as light by the human eye which makes adapt to darkness way quicker.

Driving with NVGs sucks, your depth perception is shot and it becomes hard to judge distance. At least from the NVGs we used when I was in the Army.

In 2-3yrs Simon will do a video on Bridged systems 🤣🤣🤣. We are apex predators bois “Moons Out, Goons Out”

This is not the history of NVGs to date. They make new ones that turn everything yellow or amber color and are better then the old green ones.

I thought night vision worked when you ate green crayons and strapped a cat to your rig and followed the meows!?

As an FYI for Simon, Okinawa is pronounced Oh kee nahwah, not with an Ah sound at the beginning.b

Thank you for the video! This was a really well laid out and done well with the timelines and history of the technology.

Ghost recon introduced me to night vision

Sir John Herschel was one of the greatest observational astronomers of all time, who belongs in the ranks of: Eratosthenes of Alexandria Aristarchus of Samos Ptolemy of Alexandria Nicolaus Copernicus Tycho Brahe Galileo Galilei Johannes Kepler Edwin Hubble Isaac Newton Charles Messier Christiaan Huygens Edmond Halley William Herschel (his father) Giovanni Domenico Cassini Henrietta Swan Leavitt Gerald Kuiper Vera Rubin

There's also blue, and white for NV's not just green

This video is wrong about the wavelengths emitted by humans. It would be closer to 10 microns for the peak wavelength (rough guess). Then I think there’s a misstatement that short and mid wavelength IR is 140-800 nm which is uv, visible, and short ir. And finally all objects technically give off all wavelengths but practically the peak wavelength is determined by the temperature for a perfect black body.

7:20 I see what you did there

This channel is the best! Love that beard simon!

You have very hot friends, human emission peaks around 10micron wavelength, not in the near infrared, where you’d need to be well over 1000C. Midwave Infrared is better with fog, but long wave is no better than visible light. The latest night vision has replaced the green by a pale light blue colour “white phosphor”. Interesting initial history.

It is always fascinating how much Simon buchers German names and the language in general. I wonder why that is... Because i am completely capable of pronouncing English names and even names of other languages without offending people.

Simon, I appreciate the metric system and all of the arguments for it. But, one thing I always enjoyed was that you said both metric and imperial. Arguments for metric aside, it does me no good in my day to day life. Except watching RU-vid videos that refuse to provide both. I work in a large manufacturing environment in and using metric doesn't do me any good in my day to day life... how I feel about one or the other is a non starter. I sure would appreciate it if, as well as other US viewers, you would do as you used to. Before people start trolling and hating... if you want the US to convert to metric, until it is so, it is utterly useless in day to day life. Arguing the superiority of one over the other also alienates those you wish to hear your argument. Thank you Simon. Keep up the great work! I've been watching you for...10 years? Shoot...its been a long time.

The Predator. Case closed it was Aliens as usual.

Huh. I was assuming that the modern version would consist of a sensor (similar to the one in an infrared digital camera), some electronics, and an LCD panel.

There better not be a quiz after this... cripes.

Also the learning curve of ground radar...infared...& ultra hearing aids... D-1\9 1CAVAM Ft Hood (Ft Cavazos)1973...when we figure out where we are...will find you

4:45 you have your wavelenghts wrong, 700 to 1400 nanometers is "near infrared" and can easily by captured by ordinary CMOS/CCD sensor of a camera in your smartphone etc. (if you would remove IR-cut filter of course); it's radiated by objects that have temperature of at least several hundreds degrees Celsius. Human bodies and other things of similar temperature (or generally close "room temperature") radiate most of it energy in long wave infrared as you said, but its wavelenght is about 8 to 15 micrometers - and it requires special sensors to capture (that are used in thermal cameras, but that's entirely different technology than night vision). 100nm is on the other hand an extreme ultraviolet, closer to X-rays than visible light, and it's an ionising radiation (thankfully mostly absorbed by Earth's atmosphere). NV devices capture visible light and near infrared (either from enviroment, like starlight, or from external illuminator) and (I'm simplyfing a bit) turn it into a beam of electrons that is accelerated in electric field and then hits a phosphor screen that starts to glow where an electron impacts it, and that creates an image we can see; that process can amplify the light even hundreds of thousends times.

51 seconds after post has to be the fastest I have ever seen a video on my feed.

i love it, how Simon butchers (or was it botchers, as in intentional?) the pronunciation of foreign names: @8:40 "sahlgerat". Even the google translator gets the name correctly converted into audio.

Arrgh! It's a bald, bearded and bespectacled green channel host!

After watching so much Brain Blaze, hearing Simon being serious seems odd.

When I was in the infantry I was given a star light scope from the 60s... IT WAS GARBAGE... like wow...

Interesting, but whats changed with your recording method? I'm getting a horrible echo in Simon's audio track, like he's talking into a large bucket or garbage can..

Dude, how many RU-vid channels do you have!

They're called nods

So....why are they green?? I didn't see that answered....like the thumbnail put out.

4:47min that cannot be true. The wavelength of 800nm needs a heat source of several hundred degrees Celsius. IR thermografie cameras use 1.000 to almost 15.000 nm.

I realize Simon is the talker, not the channel owner. But the guy doing the ads is bad lol.

Simon is so famous he can’t even be arsed to do the promotion nomore 😂😂

10:40 that soldier must be 15 yo max

"night vision" isn't a misnomer. People just aren't paying attention. Night is exactly what night vision needs: a small amount (but still some) light that gets amplified to be able to see. Night is NEVER perfectly dark (though I don't know how well light amplification would work on a heavily overcast moonless night). What is /doesn't/ do is provide "lightless vision". True lightlessness REQUIRES being enclosed in some way: buildings, caves, vehicles, maybe even particularly dense forests.

They are made with magic

And we've been wasting hard earned money on nods ever since

My nv is black and white 🤷

😎