AHS19

In our ancient past, our internal biological clock - or circadian clock - was predominantly set by fluctuations in light across the solar day. Now, however, things are quite different. Technological advances over the past century, starting with the invention of the lightbulb, have dramatically changed our patterns of daily light and darkness exposure. Today, our cities and homes can be illuminated all the time, regardless of season or time of day. In addition, Americans on average spend about 90% of their time indoors (Klepeis et al., 2001), and are able to extend periods of light exposure well into the evening with artificial lighting. But do these changes matter for our health and if so, what are different strategies one can use to affect their daily light exposure so that it's closer to a natural rhythm? This talk will explore these ideas and questions.