Let There Be Light Series — Foundations of Light and Health

Welcome to the Foundations of Light and Health.

this is the Let There Be Light Series

Prelude

• Light Is a Nutrient: The Big Idea Behind the Series

Part I. Foundations of Light

• Introduction to Light, and the Photoelectric Effect: Everything Alive Is Built to Catch Light

• The Evolution of Light

• Light and Heliotherapy: Sunlight as Medicine

• Light and Energy: What Happens When a Photon Reaches a Cell

• Light and Non-Linear Effects

• Light and the Electromagnetic Spectrum

• Light and Full-Spectrum Sunlight

• Light and the Benefits of Sunlight

Part II. Properties and Components of Light

• Light and Color Temperature: Why the color of the light tells your body what time it is

• Light and Scattering: What happens to light once it is inside you

• Light and Penetration Depths into the Skin: How deep does light go?

Part III. Wavelengths and Rhythms

• Light Across the Day: The Sun’s Sequence

  • Dawn and Sunrise Rx

  • UVA and Mid-Morning Rx

  • UVB and Midday Rx

  • Solar Noon Rx

  • Afternoon and Sunset Rx

  • Twilight Rx

  • Evening and Nighttime Rx

  • Moonlight Rx

• The Whole-Day Light Rx (A Recap) — with every window of the day in one place, from dawn to moonlight.

• A Further Breakdown of Wavelengths — Every band does a different job, at a different depth, and you need all of them

  • A Deep Dive into UV Light (UVA, UVB, UVC)

    • UV as Medicine: Why Ultraviolet Heals, and Why It Never Works Alone

    • Sunlight and Cancer: Night shift work is a probable carcinogen. Sun-seekers outlive sun-avoiders.

  • A Deep Dive into Visible Light

  • A Deep Dive into Red and Infrared Light, with an emphasis on near-infrared

Part IV. Colors of Light

• Red Light (covered in A Deep Dive into Red and Infrared Light)

• Orange Light

• Yellow Light

• Green Light

• Natural Blue Light

• Indigo and Violet Light

• Pink Light

Part V. Light in Modern Contexts

Natural vs. Artificial Light: Not All Light Is Created Equal

How Much Light

• Indoor Living and Light Deprivation: Starving in the Dark

• Light and Daylight: What Your Room Isn’t Giving You

• Cloud, Shade, and Season: What Still Gets Through

What Color Light

• Artificial Blue Light: Daylight’s Signal At The Wrong Hour

• The Blue Light Hazard: What Your Retina Is Up Against

• Mercury and Fluorescent Light: The Hidden Cost of the Tube

How Steady the Light Is

• Light and Flicker: The Strobe You Can’t See

• Choosing the Right Light (Buyer’s Guide)

When the Light Arrives

• Light at Night: The Darkness We Lost

Who Controls Your Light

• Artificial Light and Mind Control: How Light Shapes What You Do

• Lighting Regulations and Policy: Who Decides What Light You Live Under

• Building Design and Health-Centric Architecture: Designing for the Sun

Conclusion

• Light Spectrum and Its Impact on Human Health: The Whole Spectrum, Together