Sketch series 1

 

Impact of Light on Health

 

Impact of Light on Health

Callie Williams

    Whether it is apparent or not, light has an extreme effect on us as human beings. There is ”good” light and there is “bad” light and the effects of both types are made known through our health. “Bad” light is not bad in every aspect just as good light is good in every aspect. It's all about moderation and the timing of exposure that truly matters. Becoming conscientious of your body's needs in terms of light, our overall welfare can be improved and we can have a better relationship with light.

As far as “bad” light goes, we interact with it a lot this day in age. Incandescent light bulbs, our cellphones, laptops, TV screens, GPSs and a number of other devices we practically can't live without, emit blue light. Although this type of light is meant to be energy saving, it has harmful effects on people. Blue light has the ability to ruin your chances of getting a full night of quality sleep and may even go as far as being a cancer causing agent. As far as being detrimental to sleep, the article “In Eyes A Clock Calibrated by Wavelengths of Light” talks about how we have a light sensitive hormone in our body called melatonin. The presence of this light slows the production of this hormone to keep us awake and alert and studies show that light should be eliminated at least 90 minutes prior to going to sleep. 

On the other hand, we have good light. One of the best examples of good light is simply the light beaming down from our sun. In healthy quantities, the sun can boost your immune system and just make you feel better overall. It's something that is essential to humans and it's easy to understand why being outdoors is so irresistible. Being outdoors is also important for regulating our bodies and our sleep schedule.  The article “Let The Sunshine In” discusses how the sun helps to jumpstart our bodies' vitamin D production. Vitamin D is very important to maintain the health of our bones. Calcium is what makes up the majority of our bones, however, calcium can only be absorbed in the presence of vitamin D. The article also mentions that although we need light, many of us are not outside enough to absorb and take in all of the sun's benefits. A solution to this would be placing more lamps. This can help tune your circadian rhythm, as long as you turn them off well in advance of heading to bed. Although the sun is certainly a good source of light with an ongoing list of benefits, too much sun exposure isn't good for us. One of the only downfalls of sunlight is skin cancer, which can be life threatening, so it is important to not be overexposed. According to the article “In Eyes A Clock Calibrated by Wavelengths of Light” since blue light is effective at keeping us alert, exposure to blue light can also help you recall information.

Beil, L. (2011, July 4). In eyes, a clock calibrated by wavelengths of light. The New York Times. Retrieved January 25, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/05/health/05light.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print

Schiffman, R. (2020, April 28). Let the sunshine in. The New York Times. Retrieved January 25, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/28/well/live/coronavirus-sunlight-uv-stress-mood-immune-system-vitamin-D.html 

Light paper 1- Light Reveal Experience

 

Light Reveal Experience 

Callie Williams 

    Each and every person on the planet has had their own experience with light, weather it be too
much light, or not enough. Light plays a huge role in the way we perceive the world around us and go
about our lives. Light gives us information and orients us to the planet and is important in accomplishing
tasks in our day to day lives. In reference to light and place, the text mentions that industrialized countries
widely use artificial lighting. We use lamps for bedtime reading, task lighting for late nights at work and even the
flashlights on our cellphones to help us find the thing we dropped behind the bed. From my own experience,
a lot of the experiences that I've had with artificial lighting have been either neutral or negative (give or take the
ambient lighting of a nice restaurant). For example, task lighting in my painting studio never seems to
be at the right place and creates a glare or is either too bright or not bright enough. Another negative
experience I've had with artificial lighting is staying in the interior design studio all night. You never
realize how cold and harsh artificial lighting feels until you’ve spent thirteen or more consecutive hours
sitting under a fluorescent bulb.
    On the other hand though with light and nature, almost every experience i've ever had with
natural lighting has been positive and memorable, in fact some of my favorite memories I’ve had are being
outside in the sun's presence. Walking through the forest at sunset in January, playing at the park
with friends after school, and the sun peering into the airport windows just before you board your
early morning flight to name a few.The sun's ability to light our world is amazing, not to mention that
natural lighting is much better for painting. Natural light has the seemingly miracle ability to boost your
mood and draw you outside to soak up the rays. “Lighting Revealing Experience” talks about how lighting
in different parts of the world look different depending on the season and time of day but when you live
in a particular area for a long time, you begin to expect certain patterns of light in the sky. This is certainly
true for me as I have lived in Virginia my entire life and I can almost predict light patterns. If
It has been a rainy day, it gets darker later in the day much sooner than if it had been a clear, sunny day.
If it has been a hot and humid summer day, the air looks much hazier and the light does not feel as
powerful.I had never heard of the term “Genius loci” before but after reading more about it and how the
spirit of a place and its lighting are interconnected, I believe that it is true. Lighting, in my opinion, can give
a space or place an almost “holy” feeling. An experience i've have with genius loci that I’ve had somewhat
recently was visiting Maymont park in early spring around 4pm. There weren't many people out so the park
was quiet and serene. I remember seeing the bright sun through a colonnade and in that moment, the park
felt sacred.

Lighting Revealing Experience by Marietta Millet from the book Light Revealing Architecture, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1996.