Imagine how different
your life would be
if you had a condition that made
your vision poor,
being outdoors risky,
and your appearance
different from everyone else.
Doesn’t sound easy.
But for the duration of this episode,
you’re going to experience
what it would be like if you were albino.
According to the National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation,
albinism occurs in all racial and ethnic groups.
In other parts of the world,
the occurrence can be as high as one in 3,000.
It happens everywhere,
but albinism is most common
in sub-Saharan Africa.
It can be difficult for albinos
to make a living in these regions.
Their skin is so sensitive to sunlight
that they can't do agricultural work.
And growing food
is the main income-producing activity
in many rural areas.
But lack of income
isn't the only threat to albinos.
In Tanzania,
at least 75 people
with albinism have been killed since 2000.
In some parts of the world,
it’s believed that albino body parts
possess magical powers
and are sold on the black market
for as much as $75,000.
Even if you don’t live in sub-Saharan Africa,
you’d still face discrimination and stigma.
"It's a giant Q-tip."
"Hank!"
But what really is albinism
and why does it have such a
huge effect your body?
It all starts with melanin.
Melanin creates the color of your skin,
hair, and eyes.
You have several genes that
produce and distribute this complex polymer.
But sometimes,
one of those genes doesn’t work correctly,
causing a lack of melanin.
This results in the snow-white appearance
that we imagine when we think about albinism.
But there are actually different types of albinism.
Oculocutaneous albinism affects your eyes,
hair, and skin.
It’s more common than
ocular albinism which involves only your eyes.
We’re going to stick with
oculocutaneous albinism in this episode,
which is the type that affects your whole body.
So what would happen if everyone became albino?
We’re going to skip over the immediate chaos
and jump to a future
where we’ve got things
a little more figured out.
And even though we're all albino,
you wouldn't look like everyone else.
The amount of melanin and pigmentation
in your skin and hair would still differ
from person to person.
Your eyes would most likely be blue,
but they could also be hazel or brown.
And no, they wouldn't be red.
Sometimes, an albino's eyes can look red.
That’s because the blood vessels
at the back of the eye become visible
when the lighting is just right.
The whole red eyes thing is a myth.
Living with albinism,
you'd definitely make different fashion choices.
You’d want more coverage,
especially in the summer.
You'd enjoy wearing nice linen pants or long, lightweight dresses.
Sun hats with large brims
and big sunglasses would be all the rage.
Why?
The lack of melanin in your skin
would make you prone to skin cancer.
But with the right treatment and precautions,
like protective clothing and sunscreen,
you could avoid dangerous sun exposure.
Slathering your body in sunscreen
would be part of your morning routine.
You’d also stay indoors when the sunlight is most intense,
only enjoying outside activities
in the morning and evenings.
Or, you might decide to move to somewhere with less sunlight.
Like Rjukan,
a village in the south of Norway,
nestled between the mountains.
It only receives direct sunlight
for half the year.
But sunnier cities
would adapt to everyone's needs.
Huge sun shades would be constructed
outside restaurants and public areas.
And supersensitive skin
wouldn’t be the only thing you'd have to contend with.
You’d also have problems with your vision.
Most albinos are legally blind.
This means that your natural vision
would not allow you to
perform some everyday tasks
without assistance.
So we'd all be using handheld magnifiers,
e-readers, and glasses.
And braille could become the world’s
most common written language.
But, with a legally blind population,
our infrastructure
would need some major changes.
You’d mostly rely on a robust public transportation system
outfitted with visual cues.
If you have enough money,
you’d own a self-driving, electric car.
And if you were one of the few
people who were able to drive,
you’d enter the specialized
and highly sought-after field of driving.
If everyone woke up one day with albinism,
then hopefully we’d understand that there's
nothing mythical or superstitious about it.
And we’d all have more compassion.
And if we redesign our cities with
everyone’s unique needs in mind,
it could help all of us.
How would your work and neighborhood
change if everyone was completely blind?
Well, that’s a story for another What IF.