Random Thoughts From Marybeth

Eat 'em Anyway

The other day one of my children said something about wanting to eat more carrots in order to see better in the dark. I had a quick mental argument with myself, do I keep quiet or point out that this is a fallacy? (I like to argue with myself, I always win.)

I like carrots. I want my kids to eat carrots. Maybe I should have just let it go, but I didn't. I said that unless you have a vision problem due to a Vitamin A deficiancy, carrots won't improve your night vision. At that time I didn't know the origin of the idea that carrots will help you see better in the dark. Tonight I found the real story.

In World War II, Britain's air ministry spread the word that a diet of these vegetables helped pilots see Nazi bombers attacking at night. That was a lie intended to cover the real matter of what was underpinning the Royal Air Force's successes: Airborne Interception Radar, also known as AI. The secret new system pinpointed some enemy bombers before they reached the English Channel.

British Intelligence didn't want the Germans to find out about the superior new technology helping protect the nation, so they created a rumor to afford a somewhat plausible-sounding explanation for the sudden increase in bombers being shot down. News stories began appearing in the British press about extraordinary personnel manning the defenses, including Flight Lieutenant John Cunningham, an RAF pilot dubbed "Cats Eyes" on the basis of his exceptional night vision that allowed him to spot his prey in the dark. Cunningham's abilities were chalked up to his love of carrots. Further stories claimed RAF pilots were being fed goodly amounts of this root vegetable to foster similar abilities in them.