tag:theconversation.com,2011:/nz/topics/darkness-32242/articlesDarkness – The Conversation2023-05-30T12:23:18Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2024882023-05-30T12:23:18Z2023-05-30T12:23:18ZWhy more cities are hiring ‘night mayors’ and establishing forms of nighttime governance<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528904/original/file-20230529-2741-l211gc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=58%2C25%2C5511%2C3682&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A dancer at 'The Fairy Tale Ball' in Madrid in October 2022.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/participant-performs-on-stage-during-the-fairy-tale-ball-news-photo/1433721531?adppopup=true">Aldara Zarraoa/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Growing up in a small town in Brazil, my daily life was shaped by the rhythms of my family’s working hours. My father has been a night shift worker for over three decades at a local factory. We got used to silent days and busy nights, noticing how our lives weren’t in sync with those of our neighbors.</p>
<p>After all those years, my fascination with the night as a separate, habitable world became a research project as a Mellon Fellow at McGill University. Then it became an opportunity to work with local governments and communities on nightlife policies. </p>
<p>From June 2020 to November 2022, I was a member of the <a href="https://www.mtl2424.ca/en/">MTL 24/24’s first Night Council</a> in Montreal, where I contributed to data research and policies for nighttime governance.</p>
<p>While trying to understand nocturnal life, two main questions emerged: Why should cities govern themselves after dark? How can they responsibly do so?</p>
<p>The recent calls for a “<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-03836-2">science of the night</a>” and evidence-based nighttime policymaking are taking place, as over <a href="https://www.nighttime.org/chapter-five-nighttime-governance-in-times-of-covid/">50 cities around the world</a> have developed new forms of nighttime governance.</p>
<h2>A complex ecosystem</h2>
<p>Often, when people think about the nighttime in cities, a core set of impressions come to mind. </p>
<p>There’s fear of the dark, safety concerns and noise disturbances. It’s a period that’s ripe for partying, illicit activities and recklessness. And then there are the traditional notions of night: silence, sleep and rejuvenation. </p>
<p>Much work has gone into figuring out how to alleviate some of these fears and facilitate quietude, such as <a href="https://direct.mit.edu/books/book/4986/American-IlluminationsUrban-Lighting-1800-1920">building out a public lighting infrastructure</a> and passing <a href="https://www.nonoise.org/lawlib/cities/ordinances/Boston,%20Massachusetts.pdf">noise codes</a> with <a href="https://www.cb5.org/cb5m/announcements/noise_code_guide.pdf">special hotlines</a> for noise complaints.</p>
<p>However, the nightlife of any given city is far more complex. </p>
<p>In my research, I mapped people, activities, organizations and communities <a href="https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7272288">that operate primarily during the night</a>, forming a nightlife ecosystem.</p>
<p>Some cultural spaces and institutions operate at night, like museums, college libraries and cafes. Media outlets don’t stop reporting about the world at night, while some restaurants and convenience stores serve up food, drinks and cigarettes 24/7. If an accident happens at night, people need access to health care. Childbirth doesn’t wait for the sun to rise.</p>
<p>Waste management and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2007.04.001">roadwork</a> often take place after dark to avoid interrupting traffic, and many formal and informal laborers <a href="https://autonomy.work/portfolio/workingnights/">do the work of keeping cities running efficiently</a> while other people sleep. In many cities around the world, public transit runs late or overnight, and various communities make use of the city after dark to congregate, learn and explore, whether it’s at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, night school or open mic nights.</p>
<h2>Governing and studying the night</h2>
<p>Fortunately, policymakers and scholars have recently made a push <a href="http://www.revistascisan.unam.mx/Voices/pdfs/11102.pdf">to prioritize the hours</a> when cities are supposedly asleep.</p>
<p>Amsterdam was the first city to formally recognize the night as a space and time that requires special attention from elected officials, citizens and civil servants.</p>
<p>Following more than 10 years of appointing unofficial night mayors, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098019895224">Amsterdam formally institutionalized the position in 2014</a>, which set the stage for a bureaucracy of councils, departments and commissions dedicated to governing the city after dark.</p>
<p>Perhaps not surprisingly, New York – the largest city in the U.S. – was at the forefront of this movement in the country. </p>
<p>In September 2017, the city established its <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/site/mome/nightlife/nightlife.page">Office of Nightlife</a> with the appointment of Ariel Palitz as its founding director – the equivalent of a night mayor or night czar. With Palitz <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/18/nyregion/ariel-palitz-nyc-nightlife.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytimes">stepping down from the role in early 2023</a>, the city is looking for a new “nightlife mayor.” This office is tasked with the routine regulation of after-hours businesses and issuing licenses, as well as confronting abstract challenges like the ways in which gentrification leads to rising rent prices, which threaten cultural and community spaces that operate at night.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528711/original/file-20230528-17-tv54m1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Man sits on construction scaffolding overlooking New York City skyline." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528711/original/file-20230528-17-tv54m1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528711/original/file-20230528-17-tv54m1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=806&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528711/original/file-20230528-17-tv54m1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=806&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528711/original/file-20230528-17-tv54m1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=806&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528711/original/file-20230528-17-tv54m1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1013&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528711/original/file-20230528-17-tv54m1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1013&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528711/original/file-20230528-17-tv54m1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1013&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">In 2017, New York established its Office of Nightlife.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/view-on-the-empire-state-building-and-the-nocturnal-news-photo/56457316">brandstaetter images/Hulton Archives via Getty Images</a></span>
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<p>Since then, Washington has established <a href="https://communityaffairs.dc.gov/monc">an office for nocturnal governance</a>, Boston recently created <a href="https://www.wbur.org/news/2023/03/17/boston-nightlife-czar-corean-reynolds-st-patricks-day-newsletter-weekender">the position of night czar</a>, and Atlanta <a href="https://atlanta.eater.com/2022/4/7/23015039/atlanta-mayor-andre-dickens-forms-nightlife-division-night-mayor">formed a Nightlife Division</a>.</p>
<p>Night governance is more institutionalized in the higher-income parts of the world, but experiments and studies also exist in lower-income countries. In 2022, Bogotá joined the “24-Hour Cities Network,” following the publication of <a href="https://observatorio.desarrolloeconomico.gov.co/sites/default/files/files_articles/bogotaproductiva24horas_web_final.pdf">an extensive report</a> commissioned by the local government in 2019, to help city leaders understand the nocturnal needs of the Colombian capital. </p>
<p>Other cities in Latin America, such as San Luis Potosí in Mexico, have self-appointed night ambassadors. Cali, the third-largest city in Colombia, launched an initiative that <a href="https://www.mtl2424.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/DIAGNOSTIC-SUR-LA-VIE-NOCTURNE-A%CC%80-MONTRE%CC%81AL_2020.pdf">mapped the nighttime priorities of its residents</a>.</p>
<p>In academia, there’s also been a push to better understand the night. As the authors of <a href="https://www.nighttime.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Rise-Up-A-Manifesto-for-Nightlife.pdf">a 2022 nighttime manifesto</a> wrote, “Nightlife inspires individuals, forms communities, and ignites cities. Rather than serving as an escape from the present, nightlife provides us with a window into different realities.”</p>
<p>Encompassing disciplines like <a href="https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00642968/file/La_nuit_derniere_frontiere_de_la_vi.pdf">geography</a> and <a href="https://www.versobooks.com/products/56-nightwalking">history</a>, an <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/j3010001">interdisciplinary field called “night studies”</a> has emerged, bringing together scholars from various backgrounds to better understand the urban night from a range of perspectives. There have been studies on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1289%2Fehp.117-a20">light pollution</a> and its effects on humans and wildlife, <a href="https://journals.lwbooks.co.uk/soundings/vol-2018-issue-70/abstract-7590/">how the shuttering of LGBTQ nightclubs has weakened communities</a> and how late-night venues and businesses <a href="https://www.creative-footprint.org/new-york/">spur higher rents</a>.</p>
<h2>Responsible tech adoption</h2>
<p>As cities formally adopt systems to govern the night, one of my key concerns centers on the rise of surveillance technology and the deployment of big data. </p>
<p>Even if technology isn’t one of the main pillars of nighttime governance just yet, municipal governments have already been investing in <a href="https://rosalux.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/RLS-NYC_smart_cities_EN.pdf">smart technologies</a>, often without proper frameworks in place to safeguard human rights. One of the most controversial examples is the deployment of <a href="https://www.ajl.org/federal-office-call">facial recognition technologies in public spaces</a>, which has happened in cities such as New York, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. <a href="https://www.banfacialrecognition.com/festivals/">The use of facial recognition at music festivals</a> in 2019 led to campaigns for its ban.</p>
<p>In my view, the urge to make the night safer should not simply mean more surveillance. </p>
<p>The use of surveillance technologies has also been shown to increase <a href="https://read.dukeupress.edu/books/book/147/Dark-MattersOn-the-Surveillance-of-Blackness">racial</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/20539517211053712">gender</a> discrimination because they often incorporate biased data sets and disregard historical inequalities. There’s a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098014552934">long history of night regulations and policing</a> that has <a href="https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/urban-nightlife/9780813569390">disproportionately targeted minorities</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Person rides bike in front of hanging lights." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528713/original/file-20230528-158323-ui1pvr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528713/original/file-20230528-158323-ui1pvr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528713/original/file-20230528-158323-ui1pvr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528713/original/file-20230528-158323-ui1pvr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528713/original/file-20230528-158323-ui1pvr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528713/original/file-20230528-158323-ui1pvr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528713/original/file-20230528-158323-ui1pvr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Thousands of bikers take to the streets during an annual event called ‘Ciclovia Nocturna’ in Bogotá, Colombia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/thousands-of-people-took-to-the-streets-on-their-bicycles-news-photo/1237135190?adppopup=true">Juan David Moreno Gallego/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images</a></span>
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<p>With responsible, careful deployment, however, certain data can be a <a href="https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7272288">useful tool for night governance</a>. For example, responsibly tracking movement at night can help cities understand where more nighttime public transit might be useful.</p>
<p>Expanding safety and a sense of belonging is essential. While <a href="https://www.mtl2424.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/MTL2424_RapportConsultations_fe%CC%81vrier2021.pdf">consulting with residents of Montreal</a>, I learned about the ways in which they wanted <a href="https://seloppgcomufmg.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Arte-Comunicacao-e-transpolitica-Selo-PPGCOM-UFMG.pdf">the night to be safer</a> for LGBTQ communities and free from racial and ethnic discrimination. The city’s nightlife was also entangled with the fight against gentrification and more reasonable noise mitigation policies – issues that affect many places in North America.</p>
<p>As more American cities adopt nighttime governance mechanisms, lessons learned from cities like Montreal are valuable – and can help families like my own, who don’t operate on the traditional 9-to-5 clock, <a href="https://hal.science/halshs-01700806">thrive</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/202488/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jess Reia received funding from the Mellon Foundation. They are currently a member of the Coalition for Independent Technology Research and a former member of MTL 24/24's first Night Council in Montreal, Canada.</span></em></p>Nighttime is much more than a source of danger or an occasion to party – it’s a portal into a different world, with rhythms, challenges and lifestyles of its own.Jess Reia, Assistant Professor of Data Science, University of VirginiaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1582852021-05-20T12:27:23Z2021-05-20T12:27:23ZFireflies need dark nights for their summer light shows – here’s how you can help<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401360/original/file-20210518-15-jn05i2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4897%2C3220&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Fireflies light up a June night in central Maine.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://flic.kr/p/o6LHoG">Mike Lewinski/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Before humans invented fire, the only things that lit up the night were the moon, the stars and <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/biolum.html">bioluminescent</a> creatures – including fireflies. These ambassadors of natural wonder are soft-bodied beetles that emit “cold light,” using <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-fireflies-glow-and-what-signals-theyre-sending-118574">a biochemical reaction</a> housed in their abdominal lanterns.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401739/original/file-20210519-19-9m1u0b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Two fireflies on a leaf, back ends touching." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401739/original/file-20210519-19-9m1u0b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401739/original/file-20210519-19-9m1u0b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=1073&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401739/original/file-20210519-19-9m1u0b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=1073&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401739/original/file-20210519-19-9m1u0b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=1073&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401739/original/file-20210519-19-9m1u0b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1349&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401739/original/file-20210519-19-9m1u0b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1349&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401739/original/file-20210519-19-9m1u0b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1349&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Fireflies mating.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sara Lewis</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
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<p>Fireflies exchange bioluminescent courtship signals as a precursor to mating. In doing so, they construct spectacular light shows that inspire joy and delight in people <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.391">all around the world</a>. Unfortunately, human activities threaten to extinguish these silent sparks.</p>
<p>In recent decades, fireflies have vanished from many places where they were once found. Like other insects, fireflies are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biz157">threatened by habitat loss and pesticide use</a>. They are also uniquely vulnerable to the harmful effects of <a href="https://www.darksky.org/light-pollution/">light pollution</a>.</p>
<p>As scientists who study <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=-Dg42W8AAAAJ&hl=en">fireflies</a> and how they are <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=LLRndSkAAAAJ&hl=en">affected by artificial light</a>, we want to make sure that future generations can continue to enjoy one of nature’s greatest wonders.</p>
<h2>A life in the dark</h2>
<p>Fireflies evolved some <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/syen.12132">100 million years ago</a> and have blossomed into more than 2,200 species that are found on every continent except Antarctica. Here in North America, nearly 150 different species of flashing firefly light up our summer nights.</p>
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<p>Most North American species have a two- to four-week mating season. Each evening, males and females engage in a dash of light flirtation. The males fly around, producing a species-specific pattern of flashes. Females, perched in the undergrowth, discreetly respond when they are interested with flashes of their own.</p>
<p>For the vast majority of evolutionary history, nighttime light sources were predictable and short-lived: The sun set, and the moon waned. But as advances in technology made it cheaper and easier for humans to light up their environment, light pollution has become a constant presence in urban, suburban and rural habitats.</p>
<p>Human-caused light sources – house lights, path lights, streetlights – often shine all night, year-round. Humans can use curtains to block out a neighbor’s annoying LED floodlight, but nocturnal animals aren’t so fortunate. The more we light up the night, the less space we leave for the firefly flash dance.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0BOjTMkyfIA?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Synchronous fireflies, native to the U.S. Southeast, coordinate their flashes into bursts that ripple through groups of insects.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>Blinded by the light</h2>
<p>We and <a href="https://fireflyersinternational.net/">other firefly researchers</a> have become increasingly worried about the future of these remarkable insects. More than a decade of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4557">scientific research</a> offers ample evidence that light pollution is a threat to firefly reproduction. </p>
<p>The fundamental problem is visibility: Fireflies use their bioluminescence to flirt in the dark. It doesn’t work so well with the lights on.</p>
<p>Scientists have known for some time that direct illumination from a nearby streetlight <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ae.2015.31004">makes male fireflies flash less</a>, but that is only half the story. As with most animals that engage in complex courtship rituals, female fireflies are the choosy ones – and they are watching the show with the rest of us. When a female sees a male she likes, she flashes back. He zips over, and that’s when the magic happens.</p>
<p>Our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/icad.12487">recent lab study</a> shows that females of a common New England firefly species are even more sensitive to direct illumination than their male counterparts. Under artificial light, males flash about half as often, while females rarely, if ever, flash back. </p>
<p><iframe id="LA5D5" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/LA5D5/2/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>It may be that female fireflies are quite literally blinded by the light shining down into their eyes. Or even if they do manage to pick out a male flash pattern here and there, they might not think it worth a reply. Previous research shows that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ento.53.103106.093346">female fireflies prefer bright flashes over dim ones</a>, and background light can turn an otherwise bright flash into one that is dull and unimpressive.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401766/original/file-20210519-17-i0xmdb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Female firefly on a stem, flashing her light." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401766/original/file-20210519-17-i0xmdb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401766/original/file-20210519-17-i0xmdb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401766/original/file-20210519-17-i0xmdb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401766/original/file-20210519-17-i0xmdb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401766/original/file-20210519-17-i0xmdb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401766/original/file-20210519-17-i0xmdb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401766/original/file-20210519-17-i0xmdb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A female firefly signals.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://fireflyexperience.org/">Radim Schreiber/Firefly Experience</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The brightness of the artificial light source makes a big difference, but its dominant color is also a factor. Fireflies don’t see blue or red light very well because they have evolved to focus in on the <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/210/4469/560">particular yellow-green hue that they use to communicate</a>. Amber light, which has a yellow-orange hue, is most disruptive to firefly courtship – even more so than white light – because it approaches the color of firefly bioluminescence. </p>
<h2>Help fireflies reclaim the night</h2>
<p>Current research supports a few simple <a href="https://xerces.org/publications/fact-sheets/firefly-friendly-lighting">firefly-friendly lighting guidelines</a> that can help protect both fireflies and <a href="https://www.treehugger.com/worlds-first-bat-friendly-town-turns-night-red-4868381">other animals</a> that need the dark.</p>
<p>First, remove unnecessary light. Lights left on in the middle of the night – especially in natural habitats like backyards, parks and reserves – too often go unused by anyone. Install motion detectors, timers and shielding to ensure that light goes only where people need it, when they need it. These devices can <a href="https://www.darksky.org/light-pollution/energy-waste/">pay for themselves</a> over the long term. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401369/original/file-20210518-15-35pnhy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Graphic showing the cost of excess outdoor lighting." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401369/original/file-20210518-15-35pnhy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401369/original/file-20210518-15-35pnhy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401369/original/file-20210518-15-35pnhy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401369/original/file-20210518-15-35pnhy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401369/original/file-20210518-15-35pnhy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401369/original/file-20210518-15-35pnhy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401369/original/file-20210518-15-35pnhy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">In addition to harming nocturnal wildlife, light pollution wastes energy and money.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.darksky.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Energy-waste-web.jpg">International Dark Sky Association</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Second, keep necessary light as dim as possible. Modern LEDs tend to be <a href="https://www.darksky.org/our-work/lighting/lighting-for-citizens/led-guide/">much brighter than they need to be</a> for public safety. To easily dim an LED, cover it with a few sheets of paper or layers of painter’s tape. For older lighting types, which can overheat when covered, use heat-resistant cellophane or acrylic gel filters instead.</p>
<p>Finally, remember this: The redder the better! When buying new outdoor lights, opt for monochrome red LEDs. Some lighting manufacturers have begun to tout amber LEDs as “insect-friendly,” but they are not thinking about fireflies. And while <a href="https://www.thespruce.com/yellow-bug-away-lights-2175146">it’s true</a> that amber light doesn’t attract as many flying insects as white light, red light attracts <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/jez.2188">even fewer</a>.</p>
<p>As with any harmful environmental pollutant, limiting how much artificial light we create will always be more effective than trying to lessen its impact. Fortunately, light pollution is instantly and completely reversible, which means that we can change things for the better for fireflies with the flip of a switch. </p>
<p>Fireflies give us so much, and don’t demand a lot in return – just a bit of dark night to call their own.</p>
<p>[<em>The Conversation’s science, health and technology editors pick their favorite stories.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/science-editors-picks-71/?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=science-favorite">Weekly on Wednesdays</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/158285/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Avalon Owens received a 2019 Environmental Fellowship from the Robert & Patricia Swizter Foundation, and is a member of the IUCN SSC Firefly Specialist Group and Zoological Lighting Association.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sara Lewis co-chairs the IUCN SSC Firefly Specialist Group. </span></em></p>Fireflies’ summer evening light shows are a delight for humans, but for the insects they are a crucial mating ritual – and human-caused light pollution is a buzz kill.Avalon C.S. Owens, PhD Candidate in Biology, Tufts UniversitySara Lewis, Professor of Biology, Tufts UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1491292020-11-11T14:10:42Z2020-11-11T14:10:42ZCities need to embrace the darkness of the night sky – here’s why<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/368840/original/file-20201111-13-l5sv4e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/aerial-view-bangkok-twilight-night-117107053">Tungphoto/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As the coronavirus pandemic has moved around the world, cities have gone into lockdown and people have been encouraged to stay at home. In many places, curfews have been introduced.</p>
<p>Back in spring under the first UK lockdown, I went on numerous night walks in my home city of Manchester. I was struck by several things. Without traffic or trains, birdsong prevailed in this peculiar quietness. The air was fresh and crisp without the usual pollution. Yet, the artificial lights of the city at night still blazed, for no one.</p>
<p>Now, as England enters a second national lockdown, urban landscapes remain just as bright. It’s a similar situation around the globe, a powerful reminder of the wasteful ways we have become so accustomed to that we don’t even think about them. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Nightingale Hospital North West, city centre Manchester, November 8 2020." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/368362/original/file-20201109-13-reo08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/368362/original/file-20201109-13-reo08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368362/original/file-20201109-13-reo08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368362/original/file-20201109-13-reo08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368362/original/file-20201109-13-reo08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368362/original/file-20201109-13-reo08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368362/original/file-20201109-13-reo08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Nightingale Hospital North West, city centre Manchester, 8 November 2020.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Nick Dunn @darkskythinking/instagram</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Light pollution is a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/nov/02/treat-artificial-light-form-pollution-environment">big problem</a>, not just because of the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-54721921">needless energy</a> and money that it represents. Light is everywhere, an often-uninvited byproduct of our contemporary lives, shining from the devices we use and through the environments we inhabit.</p>
<p>Darkness, meanwhile, appears unwanted. How did we get to the point where if an urban landscape is not dazzling with light it must be troubling, even threatening?</p>
<h2>From dark to light</h2>
<p>Since the Enlightenment, Western culture has been closely bound with ideas of illumination and darkness as representative of good and evil. Shining a light on all things meant the pursuit of truth, purity, knowledge and wisdom. Darkness, by contrast, was associated with ignorance, deviancy, malevolence and barbarism. </p>
<p>Between the 16th and 18th centuries in Europe, for example, changes in attitudes and beliefs toward the night were important in framing perceptions of darkness that have endured. Transformations in societies gave rise to new opportunities for labour and leisure – which, coupled with the evolution of artificial illumination and street lighting, recast the night as an expansion of the day. Rather than being embraced, darkness was viewed as something to be banished with light.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/368853/original/file-20201111-17-vd4mrl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Drawings of historical lighting devices." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/368853/original/file-20201111-17-vd4mrl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/368853/original/file-20201111-17-vd4mrl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368853/original/file-20201111-17-vd4mrl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368853/original/file-20201111-17-vd4mrl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368853/original/file-20201111-17-vd4mrl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368853/original/file-20201111-17-vd4mrl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368853/original/file-20201111-17-vd4mrl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Lighting through the ages.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Eclairage.jpg#/media/File:Eclairage.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But this view was not necessarily shared by other cultures. For example, in his 1933 classic <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2002/oct/05/featuresreviews.guardianreview25">In Praise of Shadows</a>, the Japanese author Jun'ichirō Tanizaki pointed out the absurdity of greater and greater quantities of light. Instead, he celebrated the delicate and nuanced aspects of everyday life that were rapidly being lost as artificial illumination took over:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The progressive Westerner is determined always to better his lot. From candle to oil lamp, oil lamp to gaslight, gaslight to electric light – his quest for a brighter light never ceases, he spares no pains to eradicate even the minutest shadow.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In the context of many city centres today, darkness is unwanted – connected to criminal, immoral and sinister behaviour. Yet <a href="https://research.arup.io/story/cities-for-girls">recent research</a> by engineering firm Arup has shown that some of these concerns might be misplaced. Further <a href="http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/66626/1/__lse.ac.uk_storage_LIBRARY_Secondary_libfile_shared_repository_Content_Sloane%2C%20M_Tackling%20Social%20inequalities_LSE-Tackling-Social-Inequalities-in-Public-Lighting-May-2016.pdf">research</a> has shown that cities need a better understanding of light to help tackle inequality. It can be used to promote civic life and help create urban spaces that are vibrant, accessible and comfortable for the diverse people who share them.</p>
<p>Meanwhile values of light, clarity, cleanliness and coherence in urban landscapes have been transferred across the global experience of culture more widely, resulting in a worldwide disappearance of the <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/06/pawnee-sky/486557/">night sky</a>.</p>
<h2>The cost of light</h2>
<p>This is not a small issue. Scientists are increasingly referring to this as a global challenge. The <a href="https://www.darksky.org/">International Dark-Sky Association</a> has shown that the waste in both energy and money is huge – in the US alone this adds up to $3.3 billion and an unnecessary release of <a href="https://www.darksky.org/light-pollution/energy-waste/">21 million tonnes</a> of carbon dioxide each year. Of greater concern are the <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/space/2019/04/nights-are-getting-brighter-and-earth-paying-price">devastating impacts</a> over-illumination and light pollution is having upon human health, other species, and the planet’s ecosystems. </p>
<p>The circadian rhythms of humans are disrupted by exposure to artificial light at night, making those working on-call, long hours or in shift work <a href="https://wellcomecollection.org/articles/W3RHUSkAACIAF1mQ">prone to diseases</a> such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and gastrointestinal disorders. Britain’s night workers now account for <a href="https://www.tuc.org.uk/news/number-people-working-night-shifts-more-150000-5-years">one in nine</a> employees, so this is a significant issue. </p>
<p>Millions of migrating birds become <a href="https://theconversation.com/want-to-save-millions-of-migratory-birds-turn-off-your-outdoor-lights-in-spring-and-fall-114476">disorientated</a> by electric lights, causing them to crash into buildings, while migrating <a href="https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/global-light-pollution-affecting-ecosystems-what-can-we-do">sea turtles and beetles</a> that use moonlight become disorientated.</p>
<p>It is clear we need alternatives – and quickly. Instead of reducing lighting pollution, new LED technologies actually <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/11/e1701528">increased it</a>. This is because they have been rolled out with an emphasis on economic savings rather than scrutinised and applied with the nuance they are capable of in terms of array, colour, and power. Shifting the emphasis from quantity to quality is crucial so that we can appreciate different types of lighting appropriate to different contexts, such as the lighting scheme for Moscow’s <a href="https://www.arup.com/projects/zaryadye-park">Zaryadye Park</a>, designed by US design studio Diller Scofidio + Renfro, which reflects existing sources of light.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="River view at dusk with soft lighting." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/368851/original/file-20201111-23-ifmnad.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/368851/original/file-20201111-23-ifmnad.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368851/original/file-20201111-23-ifmnad.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368851/original/file-20201111-23-ifmnad.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368851/original/file-20201111-23-ifmnad.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368851/original/file-20201111-23-ifmnad.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368851/original/file-20201111-23-ifmnad.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Zaryadye Park, Moscow.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/moscow-september-06-2018-view-zaryadye-1177496041">Ekaterina Bykova/Shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Valuing darkness</h2>
<p>Dark skies have value. They are a profoundly wonderful yet highly threatened natural asset. It is unsurprising that people are increasingly rediscovering the joys of walking at night, whether in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/dec/15/night-walks-great-tonic-urban-stress-your-stories-nocturnal-city">cities</a> or the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2020/oct/25/why-walking-at-night-dark-is-good-for-the-soul">countryside</a>.</p>
<p>We need a new conception <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-03836-2">of the dark</a> and new visions for places that enable us to reconnect with the night sky through more responsible and less environmentally harmful lighting. Although intended as art, Thierry Cohen’s <a href="https://thierrycohen.com/pages/work/starlights.html"><em>Villes éteintes</em></a> (Darkened Cities) photographic series is powerful in the way it conveys how future cities could be with a more responsible and ecological approach to urban illumination. His photographs are a reminder of our connection to the cosmos and the dark skies many miss out on. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/B9DIFCbIDBJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>Among the complex and cascading issues that climate change presents, engaging with the <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Rethinking-Darkness-Cultures-Histories-Practices/Dunn-Edensor/p/book/9780367201159">potential of darkness</a> in our cities is more important and urgent than ever before. Urban development around the world remains uneven and it would be easy to repeat and increase the problems we have already caused with light pollution. It is time for us to embrace the darkness.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/149129/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nick Dunn is affiliated with the International Dark-Sky Association. </span></em></p>Dark skies have value. They are a profoundly wonderful yet highly threatened natural asset.Nick Dunn, Professor of Urban Design, Lancaster UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1240442019-10-03T11:39:36Z2019-10-03T11:39:36ZHow do my eyes adjust to the dark and how long does it take?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/294898/original/file-20190930-194829-1hizumo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C107%2C2820%2C1787&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Give yourself time and you can see in the dark.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/green-eye-dark-closeup-toned-681643954">Anton Watman/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/curious-kids-us-74795">Curious Kids</a> is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com</a>.</em></p>
<hr>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>How long does it take for your eyes to adjust to the dark and how does it happen? – Ellen T., 8, Cambridge, Massachusetts</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>No one can see in total darkness. Fortunately, there’s almost always some light available. Even if it’s only dim starlight, that’s enough for your eyes to detect. What’s truly amazing is how little light is required for you to see.</p>
<p>Human eyes have two main features that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptation_(eye)">help us see better in low light</a>: the pupil’s ability to change size, and the eye’s two types of light-sensing cells.</p>
<h2>Opening up to let in more light</h2>
<p>Your pupils are the black areas at the front of your eyes that let light enter. They look black because the light that reaches them is absorbed inside the eyeball. It’s then converted by your brain into your perceptions of the world.</p>
<p>You’ve probably noticed that <a href="http://markfairchild.org/WhyIsColor/Questions/3-2.html">pupils can change size</a> in response to light. Outside on a bright sunny day, your pupils become very small. This lets less light into the eye since there’s plenty available. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/experts-eyes-adjust-to-darkness/">When you move to a dark place</a>, your pupils open up to become as large as possible. This expansion allows your eye to collect more of whatever light there is.</p>
<p>But from its tiniest size to its most wide open, your pupil can enlarge its area by a factor of only about 16 times. You can see well across changes in light level of far more than a million times. So there has to be something else going on.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/294899/original/file-20190930-194852-1r4geu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/294899/original/file-20190930-194852-1r4geu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/294899/original/file-20190930-194852-1r4geu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=457&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294899/original/file-20190930-194852-1r4geu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=457&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294899/original/file-20190930-194852-1r4geu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=457&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294899/original/file-20190930-194852-1r4geu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=574&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294899/original/file-20190930-194852-1r4geu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=574&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294899/original/file-20190930-194852-1r4geu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=574&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Light enters the eye through the pupil (on the left) and hits the retina, which is covered with light-sensitive rod and cone cells.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/schematic-structure-retina-rod-cells-cone-117249538">Designua/Shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Switching to different light sensors</h2>
<p>That’s where the photorecepters come in. These are <a href="https://www.exploratorium.edu/video/peripheral-vision-whats-going">the light-sensing cells</a> that line your retina, the back part of your eyeball. The two kinds of photorecepters are called cones and rods, named because of their shapes.</p>
<p>Cones work when there is plenty of light. They’re able to respond to different colors of light, providing color vision. They also allow you to see fine detail and do things like read when the light is bright enough.</p>
<p>Rods, on the other hand, are far more sensitive to light and <a href="http://markfairchild.org/WhyIsColor/Questions/5-2.html">incapable of discriminating colors</a>. They also pool their responses together when needed – that makes you more sensitive to light, but also means you’re less able to see fine details. That’s why you can’t read a book in the dark, though you might see its rectangular shape.</p>
<p>As you move from a brightly lit area to a dark one, your eyes automatically change from using the cones to using the rods and you become far more sensitive to light. You can see in the dark, or at least in very low light.</p>
<h2>Just how long does it take?</h2>
<p>When you’re in bright light, your rods are completely overwhelmed and don’t work. If you flip off the lights, your pupil will immediately open up. Your photorecepters start to improve their sensitivity, to soak up whatever light they can in the new dim conditions.</p>
<p>The cones do this quickly – after about five minutes, their sensitivity maxes out. After about 10 minutes in a darker place, your rods finally catch up and take over. You’ll start to see much better. After about 20 minutes, your rods will be doing their best and you will see as well as possible “in the dark.”</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/294600/original/file-20190927-185383-2bg6qy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/294600/original/file-20190927-185383-2bg6qy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/294600/original/file-20190927-185383-2bg6qy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294600/original/file-20190927-185383-2bg6qy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294600/original/file-20190927-185383-2bg6qy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294600/original/file-20190927-185383-2bg6qy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294600/original/file-20190927-185383-2bg6qy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294600/original/file-20190927-185383-2bg6qy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Let your eyes adapt to the dark and see what you can see.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/huW_b5gK280">yann bervas/Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/seeing-in-the-dark1/">Try it</a>. Find a very dark place, maybe your bedroom at night. Turn on whatever light you have and gather some colorful objects. Spend some time noticing how colorful, sharp and full of contrast things look.</p>
<p>Then turn off the lights and watch how the appearance of your room and objects <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4380301/">changes over time</a>. First it will seem very dark; then you will rapidly see better, thanks to your pupils and cones doing their jobs. Then, if it is dark enough, you will notice another rather sudden improvement after about 10 minutes, when the rods start to show their stuff. This is called <a href="http://markfairchild.org/WhyIsColor/Questions/5-5.html">dark adaptation</a>.</p>
<p>What about total darkness? If you can find a place with absolutely no light, perhaps a closet, bathroom or basement, you can try the experiment again. This time, even after 20 minutes you won’t see any objects in the room. But you won’t see total blackness either. Try it and observe what happens.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com</a>.</em></p>
<p><em>Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/124044/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark D. Fairchild does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Just the tiniest bit of light can let you see in the ‘dark.’ Here’s how your eyes do it.Mark D. Fairchild, Professor of Color Science, Rochester Institute of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1038052018-09-28T14:33:41Z2018-09-28T14:33:41ZThe science of street lights: what makes people feel safe at night<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238453/original/file-20180928-48665-t9jak5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C146%2C5173%2C3483&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Comforting or creepy?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/empty-night-street-on-small-village-1017713293?src=ydyzePvylZq952R76kXVNQ-1-10">Shutterstock.</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Winter is coming: the nights are drawing in and in the Northern Hemisphere the hours of darkness already outnumber the hours of daylight. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494417300762">Research</a> has shown that darkness produces a big fall in the <a href="https://theconversation.com/vanishing-act-why-pedestrians-and-cyclists-disappear-when-it-starts-getting-dark-84938">number of people out walking</a> – and a major reason for this is that people feel less safe walking in the dark. </p>
<p>There may be an <a href="https://www.sciencealert.com/here-s-the-evolutionary-reason-why-we-re-afraid-of-the-dark">evolutionary explanation</a> for why people feel less safe at night – we can’t see as well, and this may have exposed our ancestors to greater threat from predators. Nowadays, it’s not so much the prospect of being eaten by a savage beast that concerns would-be pedestrians, but the fear of being mugged or victimised. </p>
<p><a href="http://luxreview.com/article/2018/03/major-study-finds-lighting-cut-crime-by-39-">Some studies suggest</a> that new outdoor lighting can reduce crime rates in an area, but there is conflicting evidence on this. A <a href="https://campbellcollaboration.org/library/effects-of-improved-street-lighting-on-crime">large review of research</a> found a link between new lighting and reduced crime rates, but improvements were seen in daylight as well as darkness, suggesting that street lighting is not the only factor. This review has also been <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/23639132?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents">criticised by other researchers</a>, and a large statistical analysis <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jul/29/turning-off-street-lights-does-not-lead-to-more-or-accidents-study">found no link</a> between crime rates and switching off or dimming street lighting at night.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238455/original/file-20180928-48647-o9ws3b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238455/original/file-20180928-48647-o9ws3b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=319&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238455/original/file-20180928-48647-o9ws3b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=319&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238455/original/file-20180928-48647-o9ws3b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=319&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238455/original/file-20180928-48647-o9ws3b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238455/original/file-20180928-48647-o9ws3b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238455/original/file-20180928-48647-o9ws3b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Alight at night.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/terraced-houses-night-time-on-portland-119742640?src=7SKQey3hVtbWwpdvEmqlog-1-11">Shutterstock.</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Street lights may or may not have an effect on crime, but one thing’s for sure – brighter levels of light do <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15502724.2016.1169931">make people feel safer</a> when walking at night. This can lead to <a href="https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12966-016-0343-4">a significant increase</a> in the number of minutes people spend walking each week. It can also reduce the number of people who avoid leaving their homes at night, reduce social isolation, improve physical and mental well-being and <a href="http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110118185910/http:/www.cabe.org.uk/files/what-home-buyers-want.pdf">increase community pride</a>.</p>
<p>Street lighting can improve the quality of neighbourhood life by making people feel safer – but, even so, it would be unwise to flood our streets with light at night. Street lighting costs money: the UK’s annual bill is <a href="http://luxreview.com/article/2015/08/what-if-all-the-uk-s-streetlights-were-upgraded-with-leds-">estimated at around £220m</a>. Artificial light at night may also have a negative impact on wildlife and the natural world, for example by <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/toads-frogs-amphibians-lights-slow-growth-extinction-night-case-western-reserve-university-a8429511.html">stunting the growth</a> of frogs and toads and preventing them from laying their eggs. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/fatal-attraction-how-street-lights-prevent-moths-from-pollinating-60331">Fatal attraction: how street lights prevent moths from pollinating</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The skyglow from street lights also means we rarely get to see the true wonder of the night sky, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-mid-wales-39686737">frustrating astronomers</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494418302913">limiting our appreciation</a> of the natural environment. For these reasons, lighting should be used selectively and efficiently – and this requires good guidance to help those responsible for installing and maintaining our street lighting.</p>
<p>The guidelines for street lighting in the UK and many other countries are currently based on <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1477153517739055">questionable evidence</a>. That’s why our <a href="http://www.lightingresearch.group.shef.ac.uk/">lighting research group</a> at the University of Sheffield undertook a programme of research to find out how lighting relates to feelings of reassurance after dark, and improve the evidence on which lighting guidelines are based. </p>
<h2>Illuminating evidence</h2>
<p>In <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1477153518775464">one recent experiment</a>, we asked people to walk along a number of streets in the city of Sheffield at night and rate how safe they felt. We also asked these people to walk and rate the streets in the day, to create a baseline measure of safety and to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15502724.2016.1169931">account for biases</a> that may occur if safety ratings were taken only after dark.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238451/original/file-20180928-48662-19vdyob.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238451/original/file-20180928-48662-19vdyob.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238451/original/file-20180928-48662-19vdyob.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238451/original/file-20180928-48662-19vdyob.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238451/original/file-20180928-48662-19vdyob.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238451/original/file-20180928-48662-19vdyob.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238451/original/file-20180928-48662-19vdyob.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Would you feel safe?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/street-65466331?src=leR5Gmum_FEWZymyjtvPbg-4-68">Shutterstock.</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The difference in safety ratings between the day and night walks told us something about the lighting on that street – the smaller the difference between day and dark ratings, the safer people felt due to the lighting. We compared our participants’ different ratings against measures of the lighting on each street, including the average illuminance (amount of light falling on the street surface) and uniformity (how evenly spread out the lighting was). </p>
<p>Today, average illuminance is the main measure used when installing and evaluating street lighting. But we found that, while increasing average illuminance was linked with improved feelings of safety, uniformity was more important for making people feel safe. So it might be more important to have evenly distributed lighting, rather than bright lighting, to make people feel safer. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/news/article/led-streetlights-given-go-ahead">Local</a> <a href="https://www.buckscc.gov.uk/news/4500-old-style-street-lights-to-be-replaced/">authorities</a> are undergoing major changes to their lighting, as they replace the traditional orange sodium lamps with new LED lighting. These new LEDs are more energy efficient, which saves taxpayers’ money. They also give councils <a href="http://luxreview.com/article/2015/04/how-leds-could-make-wellington-streets-safer">greater control</a> over the lighting they provide, for example by dimming and switching off when there are no pedestrians about. </p>
<p>Used properly, street lights can improve people’s lives and help neighbourhoods come alive at night. But there’s still a lot to discover about how people respond to street lighting and the impacts it has on society and the environment – experiments such as these can help to light the way.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/103805/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jim Uttley currently receives funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 interACT project (grant agreement number 723395), and previously received funding from the EPSRC MERLIN-2 project (grant number EP/M02900X/1).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Aleksandra Liachenko Monteiro receives funding from EPSRC MERLIN-2 project (grant number EP/M02900X/1) for research regarding how road lighting enhances reassurance in pedestrians and a PhD scholarship from the University of Sheffield.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Steve Fotios receives funding from EPSRC to support research of road lighting for pedestrians (grant references EP/H050817 and EP/M02900X/1).
He is affiliated with national and international bodies for lighting guidance, the Institution of Lighting Professionals (ILP) and the International Commission on Illumination (CIE). </span></em></p>Street lighting may not actually reduce crime – but it can make people feel safer at night.Jim Uttley, Research Fellow, University of LeedsAleksandra Liachenko Monteiro, PhD Candidate, University of SheffieldSteve Fotios, Professor of Lighting and Visual Perception, University of SheffieldLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/672672016-10-19T09:32:55Z2016-10-19T09:32:55ZAnthill 6: Into the darkness<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/142194/original/image-20161018-15115-117m0iq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Bokeh Blur Background Subject/www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>With the nights closing in and Halloween just around the corner, we’re shining a light on darkness for our October episode of <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/the-anthill-27460">The Anthill</a>, a podcast from The Conversation. </p>
<p>We start with the spooky allure of horror films. There’s no better place to find out why horror stories get our spines tingling than in a graveyard – as Holly Squire found out when she met Alison Peirse, lecturer in theatre, film and television studies at the University of York. And along the way she found out about the history of that much-loved stalwart of any Halloween party – the witch and her broomstick. Alison Rowlands, professor of European history at the University of Essex, explains the dangers of being accused of attending a nighttime witches’ Sabbath.</p>
<p>From Halloween horrors, we switch to some magical and mysterious real-world science. We speak with Jocelyn Monroe, a physics professor at Royal Holloway, University of London, about the hunt for <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/dark-matter-95">dark matter</a>. She takes us on a journey from outer space to the world’s deepest laboratory, which has been dug out beneath a nickel mine in rural Canada. </p>
<p>Two recent events in London got Michael Parker thinking about the future of the city’s nightlife. Just as the <a href="https://theconversation.com/london-finally-gets-its-night-tube-but-is-there-a-dark-side-to-24-7-transport-64080">24-hour night tube</a> finally opened for business on weekends, one of London’s most famous nightclubs, <a href="https://theconversation.com/loss-of-fabric-nightclub-is-latest-blow-to-londons-cultural-capital-65065">Fabric, was forced to shut</a> its doors. He spoke to a trio of researchers who study what goes on after dark – geography lecturer Robert Shaw from Newcastle University, professor of urban design Marion Roberts at the University of Westminster and historian Adam Smith at the University of Sheffield – to find out how our nighttime habits are evolving and why.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/142218/original/image-20161018-15137-1ki74ml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/142218/original/image-20161018-15137-1ki74ml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/142218/original/image-20161018-15137-1ki74ml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/142218/original/image-20161018-15137-1ki74ml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/142218/original/image-20161018-15137-1ki74ml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/142218/original/image-20161018-15137-1ki74ml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/142218/original/image-20161018-15137-1ki74ml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Last call?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Pressmaster/shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>To finish off, we head back to the shadows – this time of the online world. Much that has been written about the dark web, that hidden part of the internet, has been about the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-fall-of-silk-road-isnt-the-end-for-anonymous-marketplaces-tor-or-bitcoin-42659">illicit activities</a> that go on there. But as Clint Witchalls found out when he spoke to Steven Murdoch, principal research fellow in the Information Security Research Group at University College London, it’s no worse than the regular part of the internet – and calling it the “dark” web gives it a bad rap. </p>
<p>Click <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/the-anthill-27460">here to listen again</a> to any of The Anthill podcasts – which each take a theme and ask academics from a variety of disciplines to talk about their research. Listen to some of our previous episodes, <a href="https://theconversation.com/anthill-1-about-time-59355">About time</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/anthill-2-brexit-special-60581">Brexit</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/anthill-3-rooting-for-the-underdog-62368">Underdogs</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/anthill-4-fuel-64021">Fuel</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-anthill-5-reboot-part-2-65765">Rebooting</a>. Subscribe via <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/the-anthill/id1114423002">iTunes</a> or <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-959768434">Soundcloud</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p><em>The Anthill theme music is by Alex Grey for Melody Loops. The Mind the Gap recording was <a href="https://soundcloud.com/london-sound-survey/mind-the-gap-tube-announcement">by the London Sound Survey</a>.</em></p>
<p><em>A big thank you to City University London’s Department of Journalism for the use of their studios.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/67267/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
A podcast on darkness: from why it makes us scared, to what kind of nightlife can thrive in the modern city and an update on the hunt for dark matter.Will de Freitas, Environment + Energy Editor, UK editionAnnabel Bligh, Business & Economy Editor and Podcast Producer, The Conversation UKGemma Ware, Head of AudioHolly Squire, Special Projects Editor, The Conversation UKLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/666972016-10-17T15:12:11Z2016-10-17T15:12:11ZJo'burg by night: A time for dreamers, graffiti artists, lovers and dancers<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/141431/original/image-20161012-13462-zpo1bs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Chilean-German DJ Matias Aguayo performing at Kitchener's Bar in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Charles Leonard</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>For someone who only frequents Braamfontein in downtown Johannesburg during the day, De Beer Street at night would be almost unrecognisable. The city’s main party suburb is always an entanglement of cars and bodies. Always a lane of hovering vehicles, their hazard lights flashing, limbs and bass-lines pouring from the open doors. Always a current of club-goers claiming the night-street for pedestrians, willing to encounter strangers in ways they would not normally do during the day.</p>
<p>From the one corner, where the club cum bar <a href="http://www.jhblive.com/Places-in-Johannesburg/restaurants/kitcheners-carvery-bar/5118">Kitchener’s</a> is, all the way up to the next corner next to the <a href="http://bannisterhotel.co.za/">Bannister Hotel</a>, people queue for the dancefloor and find solidarity in waiting. Someone argues with the bouncers, a child begs those in line, a dealer offers marijuana, a young woman yells to a friend across the street.</p>
<p>Yet not too far away from the De Beer Street turbulence are inner city roads that only a few hours earlier were a knot of activity. Congestion dissipates with the daylight and these streets are left empty, creating a cavern in which pedestrian footsteps echo, and drivers move seamlessly from one near-redundant traffic light to the next.</p>
<p>The night has a different rhythm, feel, and aesthetic to the day. This “second city”, academic William Sharpe once <a href="http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/i8744.pdf">said</a>, “comes with its own geography and its own set of citizens”. We occupy space differently at night. Yet so little attention has been given (both within academia and without) to the multifaceted articulations of place, power, atmosphere and identity that constitute Johannesburg after dark. </p>
<h2>Fear of the dark</h2>
<p>Scholars of urban studies are increasingly acknowledging that the discipline, and indeed the wider imagining of cities, is characterised by nyctaphobia: A fear of the dark, and relatedly, the night. As is so often the case, it is artists that are giving us a creative language to describe and engage with that which was once impenetrable.</p>
<p>Elsa Bleda’s recent “<a href="http://www.redbull.com/za/en/music/stories/1331814793620/nightscapes-by-elsa-bleda">Nightscapes</a>” exhibition is one such example. The young photographer’s arresting images capture the serenity, mystery and other worldliness of Johannesburg by night. A primary impetus for her work lies in the century-old Rupert Brooke <a href="https://books.google.co.za/books?id=xgypAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA52&lpg=PA52&dq=robert+brooke+cities+reveal+themselves+cats&source=bl&ots=_2bBVIT0TJ&sig=DrBe6g7NRygh-QCkaFBVRyREfw4&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiB-oXq3IHPAhUFLsAKHRIXB70Q6AEILTAD#v=onepage&q=robert%20brooke%20cities%20reveal%20themselves%20cats&f=false">quote</a> that “cities, like cats, will reveal themselves after dark”. Nevertheless, urban residents are all-too-often strangers to the night.</p>
<p>Darkness often comes with a web of seedy associations – of terror, shadow, deviance, abandonment and impenetrability. There are anxieties about criminals using the night as camouflage, about the vulnerabilities of women, and about the dangers of poorly lit roads.</p>
<p>And indeed the dark is often charged with ambivalent possibilities. On Friday, October 14 slices of Braamfontein’s night-streets, including <a href="http://ewn.co.za/2016/10/15/Popular-jazz-club-damaged-in-Braamfontein-violence">The Orbit Jazz</a> club, were torched amid turbulent protest: sites of play incidentally colliding with those of fierce, volatile struggle.</p>
<p>Darkness can also awaken the imagination, offering atmosphere for transgression, abandon and fantasy. Social anthropologist <a href="https://www.wits.ac.za/staff/academic-a-z-listing/h/juliahornbergerwitsacza/">Julia Hornberger</a> <a href="https://books.google.co.za/books?id=hNONyzwm420C&pg=PA285&dq=julia+hornberger+nocturnal+johannesburg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwishMnh2oHPAhXMIMAKHXZVAc4Q6AEIGjAA#v=onepage&q=julia%20hornberger%20nocturnal%20johannesburg&f=false">said</a> of Johannesburg dusk: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Going forward into the night is like going backwards in time. Chipped corners on balconies heal, cracks in the plastering disappear … </p>
</blockquote>
<p>The night is a time for dreaming, for graffiti artists, for activists, lovers and dancers.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/141433/original/image-20161012-13471-1o7qunc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/141433/original/image-20161012-13471-1o7qunc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=318&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/141433/original/image-20161012-13471-1o7qunc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=318&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/141433/original/image-20161012-13471-1o7qunc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=318&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/141433/original/image-20161012-13471-1o7qunc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/141433/original/image-20161012-13471-1o7qunc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/141433/original/image-20161012-13471-1o7qunc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">One of Johannesburg’s most adventurous DJs Mxolisi Makhubo behind the decks.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Charles Leonard</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Paradoxically, darkness is often the necessary backdrop for glistening electric illumination, with all the associations of developmental modernity and consumptive excess. Indeed, despite the ways in which electricity blackouts have brought Johannesburg residents into new encounters with the dark, much of our urban night lives take place amid a superfluity of light technologies – traffic lights, nightclub LEDs, police sirens or fluorescent towers in the distance. Light has been a mechanism to claim nocturnal time and territory – to make the dark habitable, exploitable, police-able, profitable and beautiful. </p>
<h2>After-dark nightscape</h2>
<p>Curated lighting is so much a part of the nighttime infrastructure – designating areas of safety, enchantment and surveillance, and then disappearing as day breaks. Braamfontein’s after-dark nightscape is marked by the multi-coloured spectacle of the Nelson Mandela Bridge overhead, abrasive car lights, flash billboards and flickering neon. Again in <a href="https://networks.h-net.org/node/22277/reviews/22974/reitano-sharpe-new-york-nocturne-city-after-dark-literature-painting">New York Nocturne: The City After Dark in Literature, Painting, and Photography, 1850-1950</a>, Sharpe <a href="http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/i8744.pdf">tells</a> us: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Like a city, night has a history. And the two come together explosively with the spread of artificial light.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>A recent event, <a href="http://10and5.com/2016/08/24/introducing-alight-a-festival-of-light-based-art-in-jozi/">"Alight”</a>, saw artists and designers launch audiences into a series of encounters with electric light in the night. There was a maze of illuminated blocks that responded to touch. Also, a net of sparkle strung to the ceiling. Lasers sketched silhouettes across a cement wall. There were glowing balloons and networks of interactive video technology.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/141423/original/image-20161012-13467-15haak2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/141423/original/image-20161012-13467-15haak2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/141423/original/image-20161012-13467-15haak2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/141423/original/image-20161012-13467-15haak2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/141423/original/image-20161012-13467-15haak2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/141423/original/image-20161012-13467-15haak2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/141423/original/image-20161012-13467-15haak2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Part of the recent ‘Alight’ exhibition in Johannesburg, a net of sparkle strung to the ceiling.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Beth Vale</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>On the darker side of the Juta Street intersection, it connected audiences to Johannesburg’s nocturnal city and promoted a sense of place through play, light and music. But what “Alight” also achieved, in my mind, was to make explicit the infrastructure of our nightlives, which rather than being assembled from bricks and mortar, is more tangibly a composite of sound, darkness, illumination, and moving bodies.</p>
<h2>A nightclub without the music and lights</h2>
<p>Ever been to a nightclub during the day, without the darkness, the music, the ambient lighting or the intimacy of the crowd? It feels like a non-place. So much of our attachment to nightclub spaces is made from bodies in motion, set to carefully curated sound and light-scapes, all of which disappear at dawn. In urbanist AbdouMaliq Simone’s <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/173743/summary">words</a>, we might begin to see “people as infrastructure”. </p>
<p>Human practices, the absence or presence of others, in the city gives places particular contours, creates obstruction or permissiveness, and alters the look and feel of a place.</p>
<p>Moving through Johannesburg’s night city, particularly as a young woman, has meant adopting particular protective sensibilities. But it has also opened up alternate ways of knowing and encountering the city and its practices. </p>
<p>In the realm of the urban night, artists are exposing the dearth of academic language and imagery, prompting us to research and collaborate outside our conventional bounds. They are showing us how much of human life goes unnoticed, while most of the world sleeps.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/66697/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Beth Vale does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Scholars of urban studies are acknowledging that the discipline is characterised by a fear of the dark and the night. But artists are giving us a creative language to engage with the darkness.Beth Vale, Post-doctoral Fellow NRF Chair: Local Histories, Present Realities, University of the WitwatersrandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.