Well, EXTREMELY generally speaking, the physiology of the 'Side Of The Eye' technique is correct. Astronomers call the technique 'averted vision'. Go out some night to a dark area (no streetlights polluting the sky) and experiment a little. Find a star, and look straight at it (you can do this naked eye). Now, look off to one side of it a little, and it should become noticeably brighter. Using this technique, you should become aware of stars that virtually disappear when you look straight at them. The technique also works with binoculars and telescopes -- anywhere there's sufficient field of view to put the object in question off-center of the back of your eyeball. It doesn't take much offset to work - you're only looking a few degrees off, not trying to look into your own ear...
I've heard that this is the second cousin to the 'blind spot' we all have on the back of the eye, where there's no photo receptors - it's where the optic nerve is attached to the eyeball.
In any event, he's sorta kinda right...the elements in the eye that detect light/motion are much more sensitive (work better in low light) than the elements that detect color. Exactly where in the eye there are greater concentrations of which one, I'm not sure.
And about those binoculars jammed in the lawn chair? Funny looking to be sure, but, hey, if it gives a steady view...I have much more heartburn with the interpretation of what they see...