🚀 go-pugleaf

bcarpent@sun.cis.smu.edu (Bryan Carpenter) writes:

>Can anyone reasonbly verify or deny all or one of these ideas?
[This was later in the post].
No, but it seems like a nice time to discuss this topic.

>I'd like to pose a question.  Some scientists have identified a problem
>regarding the way in which humans use light.  They contend that energy is
>wasted by improper shielding.  They claim that because of improper
>shielding light is used to light the sky as opposed to the ground.  

From my point of view, the worst aspect of this problem is the wasted 
energy.  If 50% of the light is going up, then the same amount of light
could be gotten by a bulb with half the wattage (simplified).  If you're
wondering if this really happens, you can see it on a cloudy night, 
especially when driving into town on the interstate.  The clouds will
appear illuminated.

>Additionally, astronomists have found Earth bound celestial viewing
>increasingly difficult as more of the planet is urbanized.  That means
>that astronomists are forced to make only "guesstimations" when dealing
>with astronomical matters.  

Yes, but if the lighting is constant, computers can be used to "subtract"
the ground light sources (up to a point).  Besides, astronomers have to
deal with lots of other problems, like clouds, ground movement, earth
rotation, ...

>Some psychologists have also asserted that humanity as a whole is being
>impacted by the lack of stars readily viewable in the night sky.  They say
>that urban societies are unable to contemplate thier origins.  This lack
>of thought has caused society to become restless and irritable.

Do you mean to reference someone in particular?  I remember reading in my
Psych101 book that rats got irritable when the were put in a cage that was
lighted all the time.  My wife and I get irritable when we can't block out
the street lights enough for optimal sleeping.  However, I don't associate
"comtemplation of my origins" or "contemplation of urban societies' origins"
with the ability to see stars in the sky.  I think you have an interesting
point in here somewhere but I'm not sure what it is.

>Thank You
>Bryan Carpenter 
>bcarpent@sun.cis.smu.edu

I guess your town is not my town, but my response should work anyway.

Eric Hughes