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The Fifth Generation of Light Has Arrived

Because we live indoors 90 percent of the time, we must ensure that the light we see provides the necessary daytime blue and nocturnal blue-free condition essential for good health

This alternation between bright blue-rich daylight and the absence of blue at night is the key signal that keeps the 24-hour rhythmic processes of our bodies, called circadian rhythms, in harmony with the natural world. These blue wavelengths are 25 times more effective than the other color components of the white light spectrum in resetting circadian clocks because they are detected by blue-sensitive melanopsin-containing cells in the retina of our eyes. Then, over the past five years, we have studied the efficacy and safety of circadian lighting installed in 65 safety-critical workplaces, including Chevron, Dow Chemical, the U.S. Coastguard, Duke Energy, and National Grid.

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