To learn more about the differences between natural and artificial light, check out the side-by-side comparisons below! As a scientist i'm always curious about our natural world. I carry around a spectrometer which allows me to 'see' the mix of colors and intensities in light (much like a [...]
We need light to feel energized and happy. Our mood and energy depend upon getting sufficient bright light during the day to signal ‘awake and alert’. Without this signal, our bodies can’t clearly distinguish between night and day, and don’t provide the energy and hormones we need to [...]
Exposure to natural light is a critical ingredient for a good night’s sleep - but most people don't understand that we need BOTH bright light during the day, AND biological 'darkness' to sleep well at night. Blue light and sleep are fundamentally tied together - our bodies depend [...]
Humans, plants and animals have internal clocks which are synchronized by the daily cycle of light and dark. In October 2017 the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to three researchers for their work on the underlying mechanisms which govern the internal clock of living organisms. Sir Paul [...]
Natural light is fundamentally different than the artificial light sources which we use in our homes, offices and schools. (1) Natural light is full spectrum, which means it contains all the colors of the rainbow, as well as wavelengths (colors) that we cannot see (infra-red and ultra violet). [...]
Our bodies rely on the daily cycle of natural light from bright and blue during the day to soft and warm in the evenings (and then darkness) to synchronize our circadian rhythms, and thereby regulate our health and wellness. Insufficient light during the day leaves us feeling [...]
The daily cycles of natural light profoundly impact the health, wellness and academic performance of children. Exposure to bright blue light during the day to boosts mood, alertness, concentration and energy levels. Studies show that exposure to natural light improves student test scores, attendance and behavior. Unfortunately artificial [...]
Natural light underpins the health and wellness of infants and their caregivers. As any new parent knows, babies are born without a well-developed sense of night and day, and their internal body-clocks need external cues to help establish their sleep wake/cycle. Infants depend upon exposure to the daily [...]
Our health and wellness depends upon the daily cycles of natural light, but we don't have to live in darkness after sunset - we just have to be smart about how we use artificial light. To put it simply: after dark we should avoid bright blue light which [...]
Darkness during the night is as important to our health and wellness as the need for exposure to bright light during the day. Artificial light is an engine of civilization and human progress, but the widespread use of electric light has a significant consequences. Exposure to artificial light [...]
