BLACKOUT open thread!

Okay, now that I've read the entire trilogy I guess I can finally ask this: can you explain how retinal KA causes light sensitivity, please? I know it's mentioned but I either missed some crucial bit of information or I'm having a mental block in my understanding...

Here's my reasoning: for the most part I think you've done a fantastic job of portraying George's disability, for lack of a better word. I found it all pretty much spot on and that especially includes her dealing with no longer having this problem. (Though, I can't say I have any experience with that but it actually jives with my thoughts on the psychology of being born blind.) However, I'm still vaguely confused about one almost throwaway statement from the first book where George's asserts that she doesn't need to blink because her eyes no longer require lubrication...which doesn't really mesh with my understanding of light sensitivity coping methods. In specific, squinting and blinking become almost involuntary as a means to deal with nasty, painful light sources. Or at least the ones that don't completely wipe out a photophobic person's vision. Unless that's not an issue for someone with retinal KA, which brings me back to my question above.

Anyway, I read Blackout yesterday and I am reeling from it to the point that any coherent thoughts are currently beyond me. So, well done and thanks for an awesome ride. :-)

Retinal KA doesn't cause light sensitivity, it locks the iris at maximum opening. Think about the last time you woke up in the middle of the night, and turned on the light. That blinding flash of light from what should be a 100-watt bulb, before your eyes adjust to the increase in light? That's Georgia's world, all the time.

Squinting and blinking are impractical solutions - as I remember from the scene at the horse barn, even with her eyes closed, daylight is difficult for her to handle. (My copy of Feed is still on loan to a friend.)

Okay, we're talking apples and oranges here. I never said that blinking and squinting were logical solutions. I stated that they ARE the defense mechanisms that light sensitive people employ. George isn't wrong, they aren't practical solution. That was never my point. I was stating that regardless, those ARE the solutions that photophobic people employ unless she's trained herself to not do those things. And even then I still don't think it's something that can be completely gotten away from because, well, it's uncomfortable and painful.

I think my curiosity and confusion about retinal KA is because I'm trying to understand the light sensitivity coupled with the better night vision. Night vision is based on the rods, which is why it's harder to differentiate colors when there isn't good light and why that 100 watt bulb essentially blinds you. Rods saturate at high light levels and they don't filter color vision. It's also your cones that give you that crisp clarity to your vision, which you lack as light levels drop off not so much because of the lack of light but because the part of your eye responsible for it isn't working any more.

Is my confusion a bit more understandable now?

Oh, something I forgot to add:

In specific, squinting and blinking become almost involuntary as a means to deal with nasty, painful light sources.

"Patients with photophobia will avert their eyes from direct light (sunlight and room lights), or may seek the shelter of a dark room or wear sunglasses."

(This is a Wikipedia link, so here's your grain of salt...)

So, you have squinting and blinking (averting eyes from direct light) as options, as well as seeking the shelter of a dark room (Shaun replacing the bulbs in the hotel room, Georgia's room in Berkeley) or wearing sunglasses.

Wikipedia, really? I'm going to take my actual real life experience over that, thanks.

I'm not disputing the methods of coping that George has -- and in fact they are all quite true. I am stating the simple fact that a light sensitive person will blink more rapidly and often than a normal person and probably squint or even almost completely close their eyes to lessen the harshness of a light source. I am speaking of situations where said person is trying to see, though. This is not the same thing as just avoiding light or pain. These are the coping methods when walking around and trying to actually see the world. I'm saying it becomes almost involuntary because it happens all the time for a light sensitive person. It's not just bright sun that is an issue. Simply being outside when it's light out is enough to cause discomfort because the sky itself is a source of light and a damn big one.

I guarantee that the author of that Wiki article -- and certainly you -- are coming from a world where you recover pretty quickly from something like a high beam dazzling you or blinding yourself from turning on the bathroom light in the middle of the night. I don't. Essentially, I'm saying I don't think George should be able to either, but the idea that she doesn't blink as a method of coping and/or recovery seems to side with the opposite.

"I'm not disputing the methods of coping that George has -- and in fact they are all quite true. I am stating the simple fact that a light sensitive person will blink more rapidly and often than a normal person..."

Is this involuntary, deliberate, habitual, or reflexive? (Not disputing, just trying to get some idea of how this works.)

"...and probably squint or even almost completely close their eyes to lessen the harshness of a light source. I am speaking of situations where said person is trying to see, though. This is not the same thing as just avoiding light or pain. These are the coping methods when walking around and trying to actually see the world. I'm saying it becomes almost involuntary because it happens all the time for a light sensitive person. It's not just bright sun that is an issue. Simply being outside when it's light out is enough to cause discomfort because the sky itself is a source of light and a damn big one."

I'm aware that the sky is a source of light. (One morning, an unusual cloud formation resulted in my shadow pointing east.)

"I guarantee that the author of that Wiki article -- and certainly you -- are coming from a world where you recover pretty quickly from something like a high beam dazzling you or blinding yourself from turning on the bathroom light in the middle of the night. I don't. Essentially, I'm saying I don't think George should be able to either, but the idea that she doesn't blink as a method of coping and/or recovery seems to side with the opposite."

I agree with you that she shouldn't be able to recover from bright light at all. Would you mind quoting the throwaway line you mentioned? I can't remember the context, and I still haven't gotten Feed back, so I can't remember why George said that she doesn't blink. I can see her not needing to blink as often, but given what you describe, either George is in a different range of light-sensitivity than you are - one where the only practical adaptation is to wear dark sunglasses, such that the blink/squint response doesn't have time to become almost involuntary - or this is one of the places where the science isn't perfect.

Coming in randomly, but I noticed this thread and got curious...

From chapter sixteen:

"Actually, Governor, I mean what I said." I turned to look him in the eyes, unblinking. One of the few handy side effects of retinal KA is the alck of a need for repeated ocular lubrication - or in layman's terms, I don't blink much.

So it sounds as though she doesn't blink as much, not that she doesn't blink at all. Now, I'm not sure why, since I thought that blinking mostly had to due to dust, etc, but if KA changes the structure/environment of the eye in other ways... Maybe Seanan can elaborate further.

Hmm, that may be the thing I was thinking of...but I think there was something more specific to the light sensitivity that first made me take note. (Did I actually say she never blinked? If so, that isn't what I meant to imply.)

Lubrication is one of the reasons we involuntarily blink. Though, anyone can train themselves to not blink and they'll eventually get over the discomfort that brings. Except maybe for someone with light sensitivity because unless they had absolutely not qualms with washing out their vision and being in lots of pain. So, yeah, not sure if I agree with "not much."

Well, all four to some extent. But that's true of any person. :-) In a way you sort of answer your question about the involuntary yourself. It's through the reflexive/habit-forming nature of the coping that it becomes an involuntary reaction. But results certainly could vary. I don't think it's anything I can quantify and to even do so would take into account a lot more hormone chemistry and brain workings than I'm familiar with. Granted this is in reference to the real world where there are other reasons why we blink than just issues with light and I'm almost certain George touches on that though I can't recall what she says.

You'd be surprised how often I have to explain the sky thing. ;-) The fact that I'm for all intents and purposes completely blind outside during the day is basically why I work a guide dog. Well, that and I got hit by a car.

I don't remember the exact line (actually it may have been two different lines), which is part of why I want to reread the book. I could probably hunt for it but I'm running out the door to a barbeque in a few. There may well be an explanation I missed and you're right the science might be spotty in this aspect. I think that was pretty much what I was trying to determine when I asked. Hehe.