Chris Bennett: Looking with light management

Few parts of the human body are assailed by modern life like the eyes which makes the introduction of Johnson & Johnson’s latest photochromic contact lens an interesting innovation.

Our bodies are cossetted in clothes and airconditioning, machines save our muscles, and chew-less food is presented to us on a plate. Developments from fire to electricity have generally made man’s life more comfortable but all have put ever greater strain on our vision.

The idea of mixing photochromic technology with a contact lens throws up a range of questions: how dark does it go and how quickly, what is the cosmetic effect and what does it feel like visually?