A CLOSER LOOK

Take a look at the animal kingdom and pay careful attention to the physiology of successful predators. You’ll notice a few common threads, such as sharp claws and teeth, quick reflexes, strong muscles, and precise senses. Although some hunters rely primarily on enhanced smell, touch, and hearing, many of the most dominant species have fine-tuned vision. Eagles, for example, have eyes that are disproportionately large for their heads, with deep central foveas and extremely high rod and cone cell density. According to Live Science, an average eagle has vision four to five times more precise than a human’s, in addition to vastly improved low-light acuity and color perception — they can see parts of the color spectrum we can’t, including ultraviolet light. So, it’s no surprise that these birds can ambush prey from high above with pinpoint accuracy.

Although we use the term “eagle-eyed” to describe humans with outstanding vision, our eyes can’t possibly compete with those of a real eagle. Thankfully, we have something other animals don’t: The ability to improve our senses through tools and technology. For thousands of years, we’ve been using glass lenses to create optical magnification devices that let us see faraway objects — ships on the horizon, enemy troops on the battlefield, and prey to hunt. Many of the early devices were singletube monoculars, but we quickly