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Scientists in Germany have flipped the switch on what is being described as "the world's largest artificial sun," a device they hope will help shed light on new ways of making climate-friendly fuels. The giant honeycomb-like setup of 149 spotlights — officially known as "Synlight" — in Juelich, about 30 kilometres west of Cologne, uses xenon short-arc lamps normally found in cinemas to simulate natural sunlight that's often in short supply in Germany at this time of year. By focusing the entire array on a single 20-by-20 centimetre spot, scientists from the German Aerospace Centre, or DLR, will be able...

New Map Shows the Dark Side of Artificial Light at Night ... The most fundamental difficulty, however, has been that no one knows exactly how severe the problem is.

There are many reasons why people get insufficient sleep in our 24/7 society, from early starts at work or school, or long commutes, to caffeine-rich food and drink. But the precipitating factor is an often unappreciated, technological breakthrough: the electric light. Without it, few people would use caffeine to stay awake at night. And light affects our circadian rhythms more powerfully than any drug. Just as the ear has two functions (hearing and balance), so too does the eye. First, rods and cones enable sight; and second, intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) containing the photopigment... --snip-- The US Institute...

SANTA ANA, Calif. - Mockingbirds sing all night long. Mountain lions take wide detours around the wildlife crossings they're supposed to be using. And two species of nocturnal snake slither quietly toward oblivion in the scrub lands of Orange County, Calif. The reason? The nights have grown far too bright. That's the message delivered powerfully in a new book, "Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting" - maybe not in Oprah's book club, but for many scientists trying to preserve native wildlife, a must-have. A product of four years' labor, the book pulls together the latest scientific findings on effects of...