Italy’s ministry of health confiscated 7000 pairs of 3D glasses from cinemas. And they pledge to take away more, claiming the glasses could easily pass around “hygiene risks” if not disinfected between screenings, and that they lacked tags proving they don’t cause vision problems.
It’s somewhat suspicious that this sweeping health initiative comes soon after the announcement of a 3D remake of Caligula by veteran Italian softcore auteur Tinto Brass. But according to a new study, the Italians might well be onto something.
The study found that 3D viewing causes headaches and blurred vision. That’s because it forces viewers to focus on things in the foreground (which causes eyes to converge) and distance (which causes them to separate) simultaneously. The effect is called “vergence accommodation conflict,” and its unwanted side effects tend to be strongest in younger people.