Welcome back, I am Adeline Atlas, 11 times published author and this is the Quantum Humans Series.

Most people assume that once the sun goes down, human vision is all but useless. Unlike cats or owls, we stumble through the dark, relying on flashlights, night-vision goggles, or the glow of our devices to see. But what if that wasn’t necessary? What if night vision could be engineered—internally? In this video, we examine the real-life experiment conducted by biohacker Gabriel Licina, who altered his biology to give himself functional night vision. No goggles. No electronics. Just chemistry, optics, and a willingness to risk his eyes in the name of human enhancement.

Licina is a molecular biologist and co-founder of the California-based biohacking group Science for the Masses. In 2015, he became the subject of global headlines when his team developed a protocol using chlorin e6 (Ce6)—a molecule found in deep-sea fish and used in cancer treatments—to enhance the human eye’s sensitivity to low light. Their theory was that Ce6, suspended in a carefully prepared solution, could be delivered into the eye to embed in the rods—the cells responsible for vision in dim environments. If it worked, it would allow a person to see in the dark unaided, in real time.

The Ce6 compound had previously been used in photodynamic therapy, where it’s activated by specific wavelengths of light to target cancer cells. But Licina’s team speculated that its light-absorbing properties could be repurposed. If introduced to the eye and absorbed by retinal cells, Ce6 might allow more photons to be captured—enhancing natural night vision.

The procedure was performed with extraordinary caution. In a controlled environment, under red light, Licina reclined with his eyes held open while another researcher slowly dripped the Ce6 solution into each eye. He wore protective lenses during daylight hours and remained in low-light conditions during the test period to prevent phototoxicity. Within an hour, his vision began to change.

In controlled tests, Licina could identify objects, shapes, and symbols at distances up to 50 meters in near-total darkness—conditions under which the control subjects could see almost nothing. The enhancement was temporary but effective. For the next several hours, Licina demonstrated improved contrast detection and mobility in low-light environments. The team conducted multiple tests, including navigating darkened spaces and identifying moving targets. The results were repeatable—and unprecedented.

But this wasn’t a one-night experiment. Licina continued to explore the effects and limitations of the treatment over a 30-day span, using lower doses and observing his responses in a range of conditions. He reported that the enhancement faded within hours but could be re-induced. There were also side effects: temporary eye irritation, dry eyes, and increased light sensitivity the following day. For safety, daylight exposure was minimized and monitored. Despite the risks, Licina experienced no permanent damage, although his team remained vigilant and transparent about the experimental nature of the project.

This experiment wasn’t conducted in a corporate lab or military base. It happened in a garage. A makeshift lab. A group of independent researchers exploring the frontier of human biology—not to cure disease, but to upgrade perception. Their results were widely debated, criticized by some as reckless and praised by others as visionary. But one thing was undeniable: it worked.

And now, the mainstream is catching up.

In the years following Licina’s experiment, several research teams began pursuing similar enhancements. At the University of Science and Technology of China, researchers in 2019 successfully injected nanoparticles into the eyes of mice, giving them infrared vision for up to 10 weeks. The nanoparticles bound to photoreceptor cells, allowing the animals to detect near-infrared light and navigate mazes in darkness. The implication was clear: humans could potentially receive a similar upgrade, either through injection or genetic engineering.

Biotech startups are now exploring gene therapies that introduce IR-sensitive proteins—borrowed from deep-sea organisms—into human retinal cells. These proteins would act as biological sensors for light frequencies normally invisible to the human eye, permanently expanding the visual spectrum. While human trials have yet to begin, preclinical models are promising. The next generation of night vision may not come in goggles—it may be coded into your DNA.

Simultaneously, research at Harvard and MIT is pushing another boundary: ultraviolet perception. Most mammals, including humans, filter out UV light through the lens of the eye. But with genetically modified lenses or protein coatings, it’s possible to allow UV photons to reach the retina. Birds, insects, and reptiles already perceive UV naturally—it helps them spot trails, track prey, and identify patterns invisible to us. If humans could see UV, we’d be able to detect sun damage, chemical trails, and biofluorescence—all with the naked eye.

But chemical and genetic methods aren’t the only route. Some companies are developing nanotech implants—tiny retinal overlays that filter and re-map parts of the spectrum. These implants would function like built-in color correction lenses, adjusting contrast and boosting low-light performance without changing the biology of the eye. Early versions are being tested in patients with retinal degeneration, but enhancement applications are already on the roadmap.

All of this leads to a critical shift in how we think about sight. Vision isn’t fixed. It’s programmable. Tunable. Upgradeable. And as the body becomes more modular, senses may become optional packages. Want to see in pitch black? Inject the right protein. Want to detect body heat? Add an infrared layer. Want to view the electromagnetic landscape? Apply a quantum photonic lens.

These aren’t dreams. They’re engineering problems being solved now.

But let’s return to Licina.

Why did he do it?

In interviews, he said the point wasn’t just to prove it could be done—it was to challenge the assumption that human biology is sacred and unchangeable. “We live in a world where biology is treated like destiny,” he said. “But we can hack it. We can shift it. And that opens the door to something bigger.”

That “something bigger” is evolution by design.

The risks of these enhancements are real—especially when done without regulation or long-term studies. Vision is delicate. Retinas don’t regenerate. Phototoxicity is a constant threat. But so is stagnation. In a world where the environment is increasingly hostile, and where perception defines survival, having the ability to see beyond the standard spectrum is no longer just a curiosity. It’s a competitive edge.

And as enhancement becomes normalized, the social consequences begin to take shape.

Will there be vision classes? Infrared-optimized elites versus standard-spectrum workers?

Will schoolchildren be upgraded for colorblindness, only to find their peers seeing spectrums they’ve never imagined?

Will law enforcement or military personnel be given exclusive access to night-adapted perception, raising ethical questions about surveillance and power?

These are the kinds of debates society must prepare for—not in the future, but now.

Because people like Gabriel Licina are no longer anomalies. They’re the prototypes of Human 2.0—individuals who test the limits of biology not to repair, but to evolve.