Anyone who likes to go to parties knows that the light can be particularly bright there. But at a well-known crypto exchange in China, things got completely out of hand last weekend. Several visitors complained after the event of intense eye pain and reduced vision. How can simple stage lighting cause something like that? We looked into it.
Glenn Haex 07-11-23, 21:14 Last update: 07-11-23, 21:31 Source: The Guardian, The Verge
The high-profile incident took place at a three-day crypto festival in Hong Kong. The event brought together more than 2,000 ‘Bored Apes’ enthusiasts. The ‘Bored Apes’ are colorful pictures (NFTs) that are sold on the internet for thousands of euros. But the evening, which was supposed to be a party, turned out poorly for dozens of visitors.
What happened?
Several people suddenly suffered from eye problems. “I woke up around 3am with a burning eye pain,” visitor Chloe told the Financial Times. “It felt like someone had rubbed chili pepper in it.” Another witness had the same complaints and had to go to the hospital: “I opened my eyes when I got up, and it burned terribly. I went to the hospital and they told me it was due to too bright stage lights. I often go to festivals, but I had never experienced this before.”
For one of the visitors, the intense light even led to photokeratitis or snow blindness. This is an inflammation of the cornea, causing red eyes and constant tearing. “It’s one of the worst pains I’ve ever felt,” Adrian Zduńczyk said on Twitter.
Adrian Zduńczyk, CMT
@crypto_birb
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How could this happen?
According to visitors’ doctors, the problem is due to ultraviolet or UV light. It would have been too strong, causing people to suffer from eye problems. “That is perfectly possible,” says science expert Martijn Peters. “There are three types of UV light: UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C. Typical party lights, black lights, mainly emit UV-A light. That is the light with the longest wavelength and least energy of the three. In theory, UV-A light is the least dangerous. But if your power source is not properly adjusted and you are exposed to it for a long time, this can pose a risk. Or if it is a lamp that provides UV-B light, for example. You can then get a burn of the eyes and skin, a bit like from the sun.”
The Bored Ape Yacht Club, the organizer of the event, has since announced that it is taking guests’ complaints seriously. “We suspect that just under 1% of all attendees had severe symptoms and have advised them to contact a doctor. We can confirm that most people have now seen their complaints decrease.”
Crypto Turk
@CryptoTurkweb3
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2023-11-07 20:14:17
#Stage #lights #dozens #injuries #China #whats
