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I know that humans won't squint their eyes even if exposed to dangerous levels of ultraviolet or infrared light because our eyes simply don't have the capability to detect it. Neither do the irises constrict.

Since the human eye is most sensitive to green light, does this mean that we will squint and/or constrict our irises more readily for green light? Perhaps even when the intensity is safe for our eyes? (Albeit close to dangerous levels)

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  • $\begingroup$ If it is below danger level, there is no reason for eye to squint even for green light. $\endgroup$
    – Anubhav Goel
    Commented Dec 21, 2016 at 14:13
  • $\begingroup$ As the intensity increases, energy transferred increases, which would cause sensation of heat causing closing of eyes. $\endgroup$
    – JM97
    Commented Mar 27, 2017 at 15:17

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Yes. According to Action spectrum for photophobia Journal of the Optical Society of America A, Vol. 20, pp. 1852-1858 (2003), the most squinting-sensitive wavelength is ~510 nm, which is green. Squinting sensitivity progressively falls above 510nm, and below 510nm squinting falls to a local minimum at 460 nm, and then rises again below 460nm, but did not reach a higher maximum in the range studied, which ended at 420 nm.

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  • $\begingroup$ Since this article is behind a paywall, all I have to go off of is the abstract which says "...a trend of increasing sensitivity with decreasing wavelength." $\endgroup$
    – Myridium
    Commented Mar 27, 2017 at 14:24
  • $\begingroup$ @Myridium if there is something specific you want me to tell you from the full text, let me know, but I can't copy the whole article. $\endgroup$
    – DavePhD
    Commented Mar 27, 2017 at 14:43
  • $\begingroup$ Is there a visual which exhibits the main results? What you tell me in your answer contradicts what I read in the abstract. $\endgroup$
    – Myridium
    Commented Mar 28, 2017 at 7:38
  • $\begingroup$ @Myridium Yes, there are graphs of sensitivity verse wavelength. I am telling the actual squinting sensitivity vs. wavelength, whereas the abstract is telling you "After correction for absorption by macular pigment and the ocular media". $\endgroup$
    – DavePhD
    Commented Mar 28, 2017 at 11:01

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