December 2025: Myth Busted!, Light Pollution News

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This Episode:

What an episode we have today for you! Joining me is lighting designer, Dr. Amardeep Dugar; astrotourism guru, Stephan Picard; and author of the new book, “Creatures of Darkness,” Dani Robertson.

Today, the saga of the Melrose Park – Fort Lauderdale, Florida community comes to an unceremonious end; are we more prone to self-harm at night?; and maybe you’re searching for that perfect gift for a loved one…well look no farther than a bed for your phone!

Host:

Guests:

Dr. Amardeep Dugar

Dr. Amardeep M. Dugar is the founding principal of Lighting Research & Design and a trained architect who advocates for all elements of lighting design, education, and research. He holds a Masters degree in Architectural Lighting from the University of Wismar/Germany and a Ph.D. from Victoria University of Wellington/New Zealand, which solidified his professional and academic leadership role. Dr. Dugar is a highly accomplished professional, having been named the Outstanding Young Scientist at the India International Science Fest 2016 and one of the 40-Under-40 Hottest Lighting Designers in the World 2017 by Lighting Magazine UK. His career includes working on high-profile projects, teaching at architecture schools, and conducting lighting workshops to educate students and professionals on the importance of lighting. He is also the co-founder of the Virtual Lighting Design Community (VLD Community), an online platform for lighting. He believes in the balance of body and mind, a philosophy drawn from his dedicated practice of yoga, which deeply influences his life-centered approach to lighting.

Dr. Dugar maintains a significant presence in the professional lighting community, holding numerous certifications and memberships. He is a Certified Lighting Designer (CLD), a professional member of the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) and the Lighting Designers Association of India (LiDAI), and a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES). Furthermore, he is a fellow member of the Society of Light and Lighting (SLL) and the India Society of Lighting Engineers (ISLE). His leadership roles include serving on the IES Board of Directors, Chairing the IES Global Development Committee, and acting as Past President of LiDAI. Dr. Dugar has been a frequent presenter at international conferences, including the IES Annual Conference, Light Fair International, IALD Enlighten, and the Professional Lighting Design Convention, among others.

Dani Robertson

Dani Robertson, a Dark Sky Officer for Eryri National Park and the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is originally from Greater Manchester but moved to the Welsh countryside at an early age. She is prolific in conservation work, championing the darkness for all, and is a regular speaker at public outreach events. Her advocacy for night skies was recognized by the International Dark Sky Association in 2022, when she received the Dark Sky Defender Award. All Through the Night was her first book and equipped readers with the tools for defending our skies. Be on the look for for her new book, Creatures of Darkness!

Stephane Picard

Astrotourism entrepreneur, CEO of Cliff Valley Astronomy.

Full Article List:

1. Ikea just made a mini bed for your phone, Grace Snelling, Fast Company.
2. The Human Mind Isn’t Meant to Be Awake Past Midnight, Scientists Warn, Carly Cassella, ScienceAlert.
3. Artificial outdoor light at night and depression in older adults in the USA, England, Northern Ireland, and Ireland, Environment International.
4. Individual-Level Exposure to Light at Night and Sleep Health: A Comparison between Real-Time Mobility-Based Measurements and Indoor Residence-Based Measurements, Environmental Science & Technology.
5. The Effects of Urbanization on Chronic Kidney Disease and Renal Function Decline: Findings from a Nation-Wide Longitudinal Study, Toxics.
6. An all-sky light pollution model for global-scale applications that embraces a full range of cloud distributions, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
7. Earth is getting darker. Here’s why that’s got scientists worried, Iain Todd, BBC Sky at Night.
8. A US startup plans to deliver ‘sunlight on demand’ after dark. Can it work – and would we want it to?, Michael J. I. Brown and Matthew Kenworthy, The Conversation.
9. The Space Mirror Mirage: Physics, Economics, and the Glow of Investor Illusion, Charles Rotter, WattsUpWithThat.
10. Google plans to put datacentres in space to meet demand for AI, Robert Booth, The Guardian.
11. How Starcloud Is Bringing Data Centers to Outer Space, Angie Lee, Nvidia.
12. Enlighten Americas 2025:  Bright Minds, Dark Skies, Inside Lighting.
13. We’ve Lit Our Way Into a Complex Problem, Inside Lighting.
14. In the dark: Streetlight fight divides Florida neighborhood, Susannah Bryan, Tampa Bay Times.

Light Pollution News: December Highlights

IKEA Phone Sleep Collection Promotes Digital Wellness

IKEA launched the Phone Sleep Collection, featuring miniature beds designed for smartphones. The innovative product includes tracking technology that monitors how long phones remain on the bed. Users who keep their devices “tucked in” for seven hours nightly over a full week receive a $27 IKEA shopping voucher, encouraging digital detox and better sleep hygiene.

Circadian Rhythm and Nighttime Decision-Making

Research suggests humans may make more self-deprecating decisions during late-night hours due to circadian rhythm disruption. A 2022 study indicates the human mind experiences stress when awake past midnight, potentially leading to poor judgment and harmful choices.

However, this research presents nuanced findings. While nighttime drinking and risky behaviors increase after dark, many individuals report peak productivity during evening hours. Students and researchers often find late-night work sessions peaceful and conducive to deep focus, challenging the notion that nighttime is universally problematic for cognitive function.

Artificial Light at Night Linked to Depression Risk

A groundbreaking study published in Environment International examined nearly 40,000 adults aged 50+ across the United States, England, Ireland, and Northern Ireland. Researchers found a correlation between increased outdoor artificial light at night (ALAN) and higher depression rates in communities.

Important note: The study establishes correlation, not causation. Additional research is needed to identify specific mechanisms linking light pollution to mental health outcomes.

Light Measurement Methodology Study Reveals Research Gaps

Environmental Science and Technology published research comparing two common methods for measuring nighttime light exposure. The study tracked 484 adults over 1,748 nights using both wrist-worn light sensors and stationary bedside light meters.

Key Findings:

• Wrist detectors registered false positives from body heat and light artifacts
• Fixed bedside meters missed exposure when subjects moved during sleep
• Bed coverings obscured wrist detector readings
• Average nighttime light levels measured 1-2 lux
• Positive correlation found between light exposure and sleep interruption
• Women experienced greater sleep disruption from nighttime light than men

Urbanization, Light Pollution, and Chronic Kidney Disease

Chinese researchers studied the relationship between artificial nighttime light and chronic kidney disease using satellite data. The study analyzed 113 cities between 2011-2015, involving over 5,000 participants aged 45+.

Research Parameters:

• Urbanization measured by five-year average nighttime light intensity
• Light intensity range: 0.017 to 2.176 units (average 0.438)
• For every 0.1 unit increase in artificial light at night, chronic kidney disease risk increased 7.3%

The study emphasized correlation rather than causation, with researchers noting that air pollution, climate change factors, and lifestyle modifications likely play significant causal roles in kidney disease development.

Cloud Cover Amplifies Light Pollution Up to 27 Times

Research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences demonstrates that low cloud cover can magnify artificial light brightness up to 27 times in zenith sky luminance. Cities with populations exceeding 80,000 experience even stronger amplification effects, significantly increasing skyglow and reducing astronomical visibility.

Earth’s Reflectivity Decreasing Due to Climate Change

BBC’s Sky at Night Magazine reports that Earth is absorbing more sunlight as global warming melts reflective ice and snow. This phenomenon reduces the planet’s albedo effect, contributing to accelerated warming cycles and darker planetary surfaces during daylight hours.

Space Mirror Solar Power Plan Expands to 4,000 Satellites

Reflect Orbital’s ambitious space-based solar power project has dramatically scaled from an initial 57 satellites to 4,000 orbital mirrors. Each satellite would measure approximately two-thirds the size of an American football field, orbiting 625 kilometers above Earth.

Project Details:

• Funding: $1.25M SBIR contract from US Air Force (June 2024), $6.5M seed round (September 2024), $20M Series A (May 2025)
• Estimated light intensity: 0.04 watts per square meter (twice as bright as full moon)
• 3,000 satellites needed in concentrated formation to achieve 20% midday sun levels
• System would require over 1,000 satellite handoffs per hour
• Critics estimate 9km diameter mirrors needed to reach project goals

Critics including Charles Rotter describe the plan as suffering from “Silicon Valley Space Syndrome,” where venture capital funding and branding attempt to overcome physical constraints. Environmental concerns focus on increased light pollution and night sky destruction.

Google and Starcloud Plan Space-Based Data Centers

Google Project Suncatcher:

• Orbital data centers 400 miles above Earth (60 miles higher than Starlink)
• Optical links for AI training operations
• Launch of two test satellites planned for 2027
• Advantages: natural cooling, constant solar power access

Starcloud Initiative:

• Current testing: refrigerator-sized satellite
• 2026: Starcloud-2 launch (size specifications pending)
• 2030 goal: space station-sized data center with solar panels stretching 2.5 miles
• For comparison: International Space Station solar panels span 240 feet

Major Light Pollution Conferences 2024-2025

Artificial Light at Night Conference 2025

Featured speakers:

• Ulrike Brandi (lighting designer)
• Dr. Hector Linares (researcher)
• Dr. Robert Lucas (physiology specialist)
• Dr. Elena Maggi (biologist)
• Yana Yakushina (lawyer)
• Kerem Asfuroglu (lighting designer)

Bird Collision Prevention Alliance Virtual Summit

Included presentations from Michael Rymer and Mark Grosz on reducing bird strikes through responsible lighting design.

Dark Sky International Under One Sky Symposium

24-hour annual event featuring:

• Lynne Peeples (author and researcher)
• Steve Mariconda (presenter)
• Josh Dury (astrophotographer)

Enlighten Americas 2025

Conference focused on lighting design and darkness preservation, including debate over 10-footcandle safety code illumination requirements.

Fort Lauderdale Streetlight Controversy

Melrose Park neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale, Florida faced contentious debate over proposed streetlight installation affecting 10,000 residents.

Project Costs:

• Initial installation: $1.3 million
• Annual maintenance: $431,000 in perpetuity
• Total lights proposed: 500+

Community Division:

Donna Guthrie (Melrose Park Civic Association president) opposed the project, citing security concerns from excessive lighting. City Commissioner Pamela Beasley-Pittman supported installation. Community members divided, with some claiming five residents held the neighborhood “hostage” by opposing lighting, while others supported Guthrie’s evidence-based concerns about light pollution.

The debate illustrates typical conflicts between traditional “more light equals safety” perspectives and research-based responsible lighting advocacy.

In Memoriam: Ben Chappell (1984-2024)

The astrophotography community mourns the loss of Ben Chappell, Pennsylvania resident, podcaster, and creator of The Narrowband Channel on YouTube. A talented machinist who founded his own business creating hunting modifications and exhibition solutions, Chappell was known for generously sharing his expertise in night sky photography. He passed away from cancer at age 39, survived by his wife Rebecca and four children.

Light Pollution News: December Read Along

Starting things off today, we talk a lot about sleep on this show. Have any of you ever thought, ‘boy, it’d be great if I could tuck my phone in besides me at night?’
Well, Ikea did! In fact, you can buy an actual bed for your phone, albeit much smaller than your actual bed. Ikea is selling the ‘Phone Sleep Collection’, which looks just like your Ikea bed, just tiny and inclusive of a chip that tracks how long the phone sits on the bed. And if the phone stays tucked in for 7 hours for a full seven day week, you, the owner, are awarded with a $27 shopping voucher for next trip to Ikea.
I came across something that popped up in my feeds, but in actuality is a reprint from 2022.  I decided to keep it in the lineup this episode because I think it brings up some interesting questions. The article argues that us humans simply weren’t mean to be awake in the wee hours of the night. In fact, it goes further to say that nighttime is even dangerous for individuals because, researchers claim, that we are more likely to make self-deprecating decisions at night, than during the daytime, because the body is essentially under circadian rhythm duress.

This idea of a self-harming nighttime peeked my ears.  In some respects, yes, people tend to make bad life choices at night. I think many of us have experienced this. People may be more apt to say, go out drinking at night than during the day. However, here in the US, as I’m you the listener at home are aware, we have whole Sundays where folks wake up at the crack of dawn to get rip roaring drunk before NFL football games. And to counter the narrative, while I surely had many busy nights in college, some of my more fondly recollected nights were not those party nights but rather through long hours researching papers in the library. 

Because it was night, it was almost, dare I say, relaxing to be nose deep in the books. And in general, to this day, I’ve found it easiest to write early in the morning or later in the evening. 

For this next one, I’m going to use an anecdote of my own recent life, I’d love to hear yours, so please chime in as you wish. 

A few years back, we moved from a quiet street that had a modest amount of exterior lighting, but the exterior lighting that was in place was quite obtrusive. For instance, moving beyond street lights, one of our neighbors kept two tall and super bright end of driveway-decorative lights on. The problem being that, among other things, there was no driveway and essentially these stood at the sidewalk level. Then, behind us, a new neighbor installed always on motion sensing lights on a second floor deck that, quite honestly served no purpose and would would flare up to bright light status every time the wind blew – entering directly into our place. 

Then, we moved to a more secluded area with limited light trespass and have about as close to a natural night experience that you can get in a city. After that move, I can truly say that nights feel less stressful. Even simple things like going outside at night aren’t as stressful b/c I don’t immediately have to enter into the glaring confines of our godforsaken prison style street lighting system here in Philly. 
This is all a large lead up to a study that came out this month from Environment International that found, at a prima facie level, that when there are increased levels of exterior artificial light at night in an area, you tend to have increased levels of depression. The study sampled a population of just under 40,000 people all aged 50 or older, across the US, England, Ireland, and Northern Ireland. Now, I must say, this study assigns no causation, and much more work would have to be done to identify specific drivers. Clearly it’s not a one and one causal input.

A study from Environmental Science and Technology looked at two different methods that researchers study how artificial light at night impacts individuals.  The study looked at 484 adults over the course of 1,748 nights. Each person wore a wrist light sensor device and also had a stationary bedside light meter placed in their bedroom. The study identified the failings of utilizing one method over the other exclusively in research, with the hope to strengthen the methodology of future studies.

For instance, the wrist detector registered light artifacts and body heat as sources of light in the late hours, while the fixed bedside meter only identified light exposure if the individual remained in a fixed location. Additionally, wrist detectors can be obscured by sheets and bed coverings at night. 

And if you’re curious to know the results, the study found that nighttime light levels averaged around 1-2 lux. There was a positive correlation between light and nighttime awakenings / sleep interruption. And the burden of sleep interruption from light at night appeared to fall to women over men, which I think Kaitlyn, my wife, would probably agree with. 

One last health study involved an assessment of chronic kidney disease and urbanization. Take note, urbanization, in this case, wasn’t measured strictly by population density and size. Rather, researchers used an average nighttime light calculated by a five year average of nighttime light intensity as derived from satellite data. The dataset ranged from .017 to 2.176 units across these Chinese cities, whereby the average fell to around .438 units. Higher, in this case, simply means brighter nights. 

For you at home who may be curious, the study involved over 5,000 participants over the age of 45 between 2011 to 2015, and they identified 113 cities. For every .1 unit increase in artificial light at night, the risk of chronic kidney disease increased by 7.3%. However, you’ll be forgiven if you thought that this was trying to show anything beyond a correlation between artificial light at night and kidney disease. Nope, while researchers infer that there may be some impact from artificial light at night, their focus instead assessed the role of other environmental factors like air pollution and climate change, and lifestyle changes as being potentially causal in the development of kidney disease.

Since that last one was bit of a geography based story, I wanted to touch on something I see every cloudy night. From the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers modeled out how artificial light at night amplifies brightness, finding that low clouds could magnify brightness up to 27x in zenith sky luminance…with even potentials for stronger effects in cities over 80,000 individuals. 
On the coattails of that, ‘The Earth is getting darker,’ according to the BBC’s Sky at Night Magazine. No, they don’t mean that your night sky is getting darker, rather, the planet is simply absorbing more sunlight due to global warming melting the reflective material.  Which segues into a story that is back in the news. 

You may recall, about a year and a half ago, we initially talked about this ambitious idea to fuel solar power plants by using space mirrors. At the time, these were being tested by balloon with light pollution estimates to be equivalent to an area with “some construction going on.” – It’s a year later and I still don’t know what the hell that means. 

In 2024, the company planned on introducing an additional 30 minutes of sunshine by using 57 satellites. If you missed out on that episode, it’s June 2024 episode: Crap Lighting. I will also recommend that you go back and listen to our September 2024 episode: What is Safe, whereby we jump into some of the history of this idea.

Well, what a difference a year makes, am I right? The plan has been revised a bit. Up to 4,000 satellites from that original 57 estimate. Oh, and the size of these bad boys would be around 2/3 of an American football field orbiting at 625km above the Earth. 

Well, Charles Rotter wrote up an opinion piece of true art on the climate change website/podcast, WattsUpWithThat. I highly recommend you take a read of this article. Rotter compares this plan to being a mix between a “[James] Bond villain’s dream mixed with Silicon Valley marketing.” He claims that Reflect Orbital is suffering from Silicon Valley Space Syndrome – a belief Rotter defines as physical constraints overcome through unique branding and sizable venture capital funding. 

So what of Reflect Orbital’s idea, is it plausible? Well that depends on who you ask. Reflect Orbital received a $1.25M Small Business Innovation Research contract from the Air Force this past June. Reflect Orbital initially raised $6.5M in their September of 2024 Seed Round, then garnered another $20M from a Series A round back in May of this year. 

If you ask Rotter, he estimates that the light intensity one of these satellites would only garner .04 watts per square meter of energy – or as he puts it, twice as bright as the full moon. According to Michael Brown and Matthew Kenworthy, it would take 3,000 of these satellites concentrated in one area to simply obtain 20% of the “midday sun” levels. Rotter goes on to say that a system like this would need over 1,000 handoffs per hour. Handoffs per hour is a metric used to describe frequency of connection swaps between satellites. 
Rotter points to needing up to a 9km diameter mirror to obtain the desired goal. Further pointing to the preposterous economics at play, much like with founder Ben Nowack’s previous employer, Starlink. But the biggest damning comes from the irony of this so called “green energy” solution, for which this fails on multiple fronts. And to that point, here’s a comment that I think you at home probably already uttered while listening, “It’s like people are hellbent on destroying the night sky…”

Well, let’s not stop there when drinking our Silicon Valley Punch! Did you hear about this? Well, space may not just be the purview of dueling satellite internet mega-constellations, or dystopian mirror satellites; but it also may be the place to put server farms!

Google wants to put data centers for use in AI training into space utilizing optical links that has “tremendous potential for scale.” These would orbit 400 miles above the Earth’s surface, which is about 60 miles higher than Starlink. The advantage for space based data centers is both cooling and constant solar powered renewable energy. Project Suncatcher plans to launch two test satellites by 2027. 
But Google may be playing from behind as a company called Starcloud is already on it. Currently, they’re testing a small satellite – well small in terms of the plan laid out by Starcloud – it’s only the size of a refrigerator. But next year they expect to test Starcloud – 2, for which the size specifications haven’t been released yet. And by 2030, the plan is to build something akin to a space station but a data center – with solar panels stretching 2.5 miles across. To put in perspective, the ISS’ solar panels stretch 240 feet across.

Let’s move away from depressing topics. There were three big conferences that took place since our last episode. The first one was the periodic Artificial Light at Night conference which featured lighting designer, Ulrike Brandi; researchers, Dr. Hector Linares; Dr. Robert Lucas who focused on physiology; biologist, Dr. Elena Maggi, and two very familiar friends of the show – our friends, lawyer, Yana Yakushina and, lighting designer, Kerem Asfuroglu. 

Right around the same time, there was the Bird Collision Prevention Alliance virtual summit, that included among other folks, past guest Michael Rymer, and my friend, Mark Grosz. 

Then, of course, about a week or so later, Dark Sky International’s annual 24 hour symposium – Under One Sky took place, with Lynne Peeples, whom we had on as a guest last month out of shear scheduling coincidence.  I’d like to also give a round of applause to Steve Mariconda, who I’m sure did an excellent presentation! And of course, no night would be complete without some excellent photos from past guest, Josh Dury. 

There was also Enlighten Americas 2025, which took place in early October that focused on bringing lighting designers together, apparently with a focus on something that may seem antithetical to lighting engineers, and that is darkness. One of the topics that stole the show appears to be a debate over safety codes requiring 10 footcandles of illumination. Then, there was also this article ‘We’ve Lit Our Way into a Complex Problem,’ that showed up in Inside Lighting, essentially pointing to issues that have arisen from industry carelessness with regard to lighting. 
We’ll finish out today’s show with some political theater, but it’s not who you think. Down in the neighborhood of Melrose Park in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The city of Fort Lauderdale, which sits outside of Miami, has made no less than four tries at installing street lighting in the community.  The issue derived from the city’s plan to install over 500 street lights into the neighborhood for a tax burden of $1.3M in the first year, and $431k each additional year in perpetuity for maintenance. The area is home to 10,000 residents. 

While cost was at the crux of the issue, there were also political rivalries between Donna Guthrie, the president of the Melrose Park Civic Association, and city commissioner Pamela Beasley-Pittman. Beasley-Pittman beat out Guthrie in the 2022 city commissioner race. 

At the end of the day, it appears that the community came out in droves to influence the council’s decision on purchasing streetlighting. One resident named “Michael” claimed that the community was being held hostage by a small constituent of residents, 5 in particular, who are opposed to street lighting. The resounding response by community members was that “this is a waste of time, lights create security, stupid!” Which countered Guthrie’s message that increased lighting would create insecurity – this is a message that many folks who argue against excessive lighting try and make. 

So this Fort Lauderdale issue played out kinda like a microcosm of a responsible lighting advocate’s claims versus the entrenched grain of thinking.

Before we close out today, I’d like to recognize at least one man we lost this year. This past fall, the astrophotography world lost fellow podcaster and Pennsylvania resident Ben Chappell. Chappell, previously a guest on this show back in November of 2023, I believe, was a virtuoso behind the camera. I randomly bumped into Ben at the 2023 Cherry Springs Star Party, where he parked his big RV adjacent to my campsite.  Then proceeded to start up the weedwacker and mow the grass around his vehicle. 

He was a character who, through his talent as a machinist started up his own business selling hunting modifications and worked on fabricating complex exhibition solutions. Most importantly, I think he’ll be remembered by his YouTube presence, the Narrowband Channel. Ben was 39 when he passed due to cancer. He leaves behind four children and his wife Rebecca. 

Ben was definitely one of those people who would always be willing to help folks learn how to photograph the stars. He will be missed by many.