Kid's invention warns birds about windows

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Eighth grader Charlie Sobcov has developed a unique solution to prevent bird collisions with windows by creating painted plastic decals that are visible to birds but nearly invisible to humans. The decals utilize ultraviolet paint, which alerts birds to the presence of a solid barrier without obstructing human views. This innovative approach has garnered attention for its potential to reduce bird fatalities. However, some participants in the discussion noted that similar products have been available since 2003 from WindowAlert in Oregon, raising questions about the originality of Sobcov's invention. The conversation also touched on the visibility of different wavelengths to various bird species and included light-hearted comments about technology and past inventions.
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http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2009/01/21/ot-090121-bird-decals.html?ref=rss"
Eighth grader Charlie Sobcov wants to stop birds from dying in collisions with windows, but he doesn't want to ruin anybody's view.
For his latest school science fair project he has invented painted, plastic decals that can be placed — discreetly — right in the middle of a window pane.

"This paint is a colour that birds can see but humans can't," he said Wednesday on CBC Radio's All in a Day. "It's like putting a big stop sign in the middle of the window."

The colour is ultraviolet, beyond the range of colours visible to humans. That means the "stop sign" let's birds know the window is solid, but is nearly invisible to humans.
This kid is all win. He's going to make a fortune, and for the best reasons.

Good for you, Charlie!
 
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Does it mean that all birds, regardless of species, see exactly the same range of wavelengths? Somehow I doubt it.

Kudos to the kid for the out of the box thinking, but journalist should be sent back to the High School.
 
*slaps head*
 
fish never have any trouble with windows! :biggrin:

dunno about flying-fish, though :rolleyes: …​
 


tiny-tim said:
WindowAlert of Oregon have been making them since 2003 …

see http://www.windowalert.com :wink:

Haha, technology journal fail.
 
Nice invention, never heard of it before.
 
unseen crashes

tiny-tim said:
WindowAlert of Oregon have been making them since 2003 …

And, even before that, didn't Bill Gates make a fortune out of making patches for windows to avoid unseen crashes? :biggrin:
 

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