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[Photo: "Smart" sunglasses can be adjusted so the lenses block from 55 percent (top) to 95 percent (bottom) of the incoming rays.]

Forget about whether glasses make you smarter or not - for sure they make you look more colorful! These prototype "smart" sunglasses were presented in Chicago at at last week's American Chemical Society's 233rd national meeting.

"The prototype glasses are powered by a watch battery that attaches to the glasses frame, and the wearer spins a tiny dial on the arm of the glasses to change color or shade. The lenses were created by sandwiching a gel between two layers of electro chromic material. Applying a small voltage moves charged particles from one layer to another, and changes the transparency. Once the glasses are a certain tint they will stay that way without power for about 30 days. A single watch battery is able to power thousands of transitions", says Chunye Xu, research assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Washington.

More photos and video animation at the University of Washington.