From Interesting Engineering, May 25:
Turns out lasers are better than telescopes, binoculars, and lenses at reading text written on a target located miles away.
Imagine standing on one side of a large valley and being able to read a label on a bottle sitting on the opposite hill, without using a camera, telescope, or binoculars.
Sounds like a scene from a spy movie, right? Well, you’d be surprised to know that scientists in China have just made it real. They have developed a new laser-based system that can clearly pick up small details, like millimeter-sized text, from a distance of 1.36 kilometers (about 0.85 miles), which is roughly 14 football fields away.
This laser-based imaging system could be of great use in many fields. For instance, it might allow archaeologists to examine ancient carvings on cliffs without climbing them, and help environmental researchers monitor distant wildlife habitats.
The science of long-distance reading....
....MUCH MORE
Time to start studying-up for my next eye exam.
