Onion Goggles – Silly Yet Funny and Functional

Cutting onions has always been a problem because of all the associated tears and "crying." And during all this (extremely long) period of time, a lot of people have given a very serious thought to protecting their eyes from the gases coming from chopped onions, with pretty much zero success. All sorts of substance combinations have been created in order to neutralize the defensive actions of onions, but it just looks like the best solution so far has been the invention of the Onion Goggles.

 

So, what's going on when we cut an onion? Some enzymes inside the cell walls are being suddenly mixed together and they create new chemicals that are then transformed into gas and travel by means of air currents into our eyes and nostrils.

 

And no, it's not the smell: these gases dissolve in the fluids they encounter, namely the tears that keep the eyes moist, and create an acid that further gives the burning sensation. The nervous system reacts and produces more tears while attempting to diminish the acid concentration in said liquid, thus lowering the negative impact; and this is what's happening when you (and basically almost everyone else) cry while cutting onions.

 

The Onion Goggles have nothing to do with all the enzymes an chemicals as they are very effective at macro-level: they'll simply cover your eyes and thanks to their foam-padded frame, none of the harmful gases will get in contact with your eyes. Hence no more tears. Indeed, the Onion Goggles are looking funny, but nobody said anything about fashion or getting out of the house wearing them, isn't that so?

 

I guess that nobody will take any damage as far as the self-esteem is concerned if wearing these goggles for some 5-10 minutes, especially in the kitchen. Or you can perform the onion chopping duties in your friends’ kitchen so they won't shed a tear... and get paid in beer, for a change. Nice gadget, and the price isn't that crazy, either: one cent short of $25. I guess your lady's makeup is worth the investment.

 

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