Unveiling the ancient astronomy of southwestern Pueblo Indians.
The City Dark (83 minute version)
- Description
- Reviews
- Citation
- Cataloging
- Transcript
THE CITY DARK chronicles the disappearance of darkness. The film follows filmmaker (and amateur astronomer) Ian Cheney (KING CORN, BIG RIVER,TRUCK FARM), who moves to New York City from Maine and discovers an urban sky almost completely devoid of stars. He poses a deceptively simple question, 'What do we lose, when we lose the night?'.
Exploring the threat of killer asteroids in Hawai'i, tracking disoriented hatching turtles along the Florida coast, and rescuing birds on Chicago streets injured by collisions with buildings, Cheney unravels the myriad implications of a globe glittering with lights--including increased breast cancer rates from exposure to light at night, and a generation of kids without a glimpse of the universe above. In six chapters weaving together cutting-edge science with personal, meditative sequences reflecting on the human relationship to the sky, THE CITY DARK shines new light on the meaning of the dark.
The film features stunning astrophotography and a cast of eclectic scientists, philosophers, historians, and lighting designers including Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, astronaut Don Pettit, neurologist Dr. George Brainard, Harvard Medical School scientist Dr. Steven Lockley, cosmologist Chris Impey, and lighting designer Herve Descottes.
'The City Dark is a thought provoking, revealing and judicious film. Aware people will greatly appreciate the long-awaited appearance of a documentary that finally brings to light some dangerous distortions of our society. For the unaware, the unfortunately large proportion of inhabitants of our planet, the film will be an eye-opener. Cheney beautifully links astronomy to biology, with social and anthropological ramifications that should be conveyed to our politicians. As clock biologist and amateur astronomer, I loved this film!' Dr. Paolo Sassone-Corsi, Distinguished Professor and Director, Center for Epigenetics and Metabolism, University of California-Irvine
'A clear, concise, well-documented exploration of a seldom-considered issue while simultaneously proposing answers to help offset it. Those concerned about the environment, wildlife, human health, and our vanishing cultural heritage will find The City Dark an enlightening view.' Brent Marchant, Library Journal
'Cheney reaches out to scientists in multiple disciplines to discuss the implications of this very recent technological and settlement change...A very useful documentary in the classroom context. There are many springboards for further discussion and use of supplementary materials, and the film is recommended for those who teach human ecology, urban studies, and astronomy.' Jeff Wanser, Hiram College, Anthropology Review Database
'Entertaining and thought-provoking...Mr. Cheney's film is a personal lament for the star-filled night sky he experienced growing up in Maine, but it is neither sorrowful nor a rant; he somehow manages to give this engaging work a sense of humor. He also manages to make it smart...This film makes you want to go find a starry sky to camp under quickly, before it's all gone.' Neil Genzlinger, The New York Times
'This film puts an engaging personal touch on the question of why have the stars disappeared from urban skies around the world. And more importantly, what have we lost because of this light pollution? The story is not just for astronomers - you'll never look at the sky in quite the same way again.' Dr. Woody Sullivan, Professor, Astronomy Department, University of Washington, Co-editor, Preserving the Astronomical Environment
'The City Dark takes viewers to the dark side. Most people on this planet are city dwellers that have never seen a truly dark sky...Cheney shows viewers just how dramatically our view of the night sky is being altered by urbanization. Like the rain forests and wildlife habitats, urbanization is eating away the primeval dark sky, to the point where most people rarely see anything up there but the Moon and a few bright planets...The City Dark won't leave you in the dark about light pollution. It's a must see for city dwellers who don't know what they're missing!' Dr. Terry D. Oswalt, Professor and Head, Physics and Space Sciences Department, Florida Institute of Technology
'A compelling journey of learning and realization that delves into the basic questions raised by the explosive spread of electrical lighting in the past 125 years: What does it mean to our place in the universe to not see the stars? What does it mean for our own health and that of other species to be exposed to light at night? Why do we light the night? What can we do about it? The images and stories speak for themselves, nudging the viewer through a gradual transition from appreciating the beauty of sparkling city lights, to recognizing their damaging effects on people and other species, to imagining a healthier and more sustainable future. The City Dark is an excellent introduction to an under-appreciated topic, which it approaches in a fair-minded and balanced manner.' Travis Longcore, Associate Professor, Spatial Sciences Institute, University of Southern California, Co-Editor, Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting
'The City Dark is the most comprehensive and intelligent documentary on light pollution to have been produced. Ian has examined the societal issues related to the rise of light pollution in a way that tries to challenge the viewer to think differently about the way we use outdoor lighting. He has also been able to distill the sometimes complex technical issues related to light at night (LAN) into a very accessible and informative source of information that anyone can use.' Bob Parks, Executive Director, International Dark-Sky Association
'Comprehensive...helps us discover that night skies are more than just a pretty tableau--although the striking nighttime cinematography in the film never lets us forget how lovely they are...A great way to demonstrate that astronomy has real world implications and its importance to our everyday life.' Green Teacher
'Highly recommended for general audiences...The video provides excellent support for astronomy, urban studies and environmental curricula. Perhaps the first non-planetarium experience of the stars for inner city viewers, the film will remind all of the humbling vastness and extraordinary beauty of the universe.' Cliff Glaviano, Bowling Green State University, Educational Media Reviews Online
'Poetic and visually arresting (even hypnotic)...Stunning astrophotography...Highly recommended.' Video Librarian
'The City Dark is an extraordinarily thoughtful documentary, highly recommended especially for public and school library collections.' The Midwest Book Review
'Thought-provoking...Reminds viewers to appreciate a star-filled night sky and our place in the universe.' Booklist
'The most important thing The City Dark has to tell us is that by losing touch with the stars, we've lost touch with something that inspired our distant ancestors in a profoundly spiritual way...It's no accident, observes [Hayden Planetarium's Neil deGrasse] Tyson at one point, that so many ancient people focused their religious yearnings on the stars--mysterious, glorious beacons that blazed down from skies unpolluted by city lights.Those stars may not become any more visible soon, but the movie will.' Michael Lemonick, TIME
'Wonderful film...The myriad implications of a planet glittering with artificial lights are explored, from increased health risks to a generation of kids deprived of the wonders of the universe. Featuring stunning astrophotography and a cast of eclectic scientists, historians, and lighting designers, The City Dark is a cautionary tale of light pollution and the disappearance of the night sky.' San Francisco Green Film Festival
'An informative, well-rounded look at light pollution told with a star-gazing enthusiast's passion for his subject...Impressive images of star-filled nights will remind audiences of childhood trips to the planetarium, and few will fail to notice the difference when they next look up into the heavens.' Variety
'The effects are multifaceted, and Cheny reaches out to scientists in multiple disciplines to discuss the implications of this very recent technological and settlement change...A very useful documentary in the classroom context. There are many springboards for further discussion and use of supplementary materials, and the film is recommended for those who teach human ecology, urban studies, and astronomy.' Jeff Wanser, Hiram Collage, Anthropology Review Database
'Ian Cheney did a wonderful job with this movie...A very personal, compelling, and unique perspective on the issues of light pollution and the disappearing stars...Unexpectedly, this film also teaches us about humility, i.e. not focusing entirely on or thinking too highly of ourselves, but putting ourselves and our lives in proper perspective. Specifically, by looking at the stars and thinking about the greater universe, we should come to realize how little we know and how small we are in the grand scheme of things.' Clement Lau, UrbDeZine
'A crucial film...We've documented light pollution in our own neighborhood and urge others to do the same...This is one you definitely shouldn't miss.' David Dickinson, Astro Guyz
''What do we lose when we lose the night?' Cheney wonders. It's a haunting question. He doesn't try to answer it head on (how could he?). Instead, he peers at it from unexpected angles.' Boston.com
'A City Dark really makes you think about what kind of alternatives are both sustainable and feasible.' Louis Proyect: The Unrepentant Marxist
'I didn't know how long the documentary would hold the attention of a fidgety fourth-grader. But he was immediately drawn into Cheney's quest. He was shocked that astronomy students on Staten Island were able to see only the very brightest stars and planets in New York City's light-polluted skies. He asked me to stop the film after a segment that showed baby sea turtles traveling toward lighted parking lots and strip malls--and death--and away from the ocean...When the film was done, he hugged me for a long moment. 'I'm glad we have a night sky,' he said.' Kristen Laine, Appalachian Mountain Club's Great Kids, Great Outdoors
'Ian Cheney's film was an eye-opening exploration of light pollution and our culture of lighting up the night sky...I want to help bring attention to light pollution because of the negative effects it has on humans and animals alike.' Green Schools Alliance blog
'Quiet, reflective...It changed the way I look at the city, the sky, the stars, and night itself.' Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture
'Light pollution? If that topic seems a tad under the radar, the excellent documentary The City Dark may put an end to that...Poetic, at times profound.' Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times
'The City Dark invites you to look outside of yourself...An absolutely beautiful film from its quiet, nostalgic beginning to the final rapid-fire revelations from the compelling individuals we meet throughout.' Nick GioBarbieri, The Austinist
'Endlessly fascinating film wizardry...Cheney seems to present viewers with a magical new pair of metaphorical glasses.' Prairie Miller, News Blaze
'This year one of the true standout films...Very entertaining and thought-provoking film...Quite humorous, visually engaging, and will hold your attention throughout.' Garry Denny, Director of Programming, Wisconsin Public Television
'Visually arresting and even hypnotic...I was transfixed...It's an eye-opener.' Charles Cassady, Jr., Cleveland Movie Blog
'[The film] is like a plaintive love song to the night skies...Elegant and poetic...Ian Cheney has built a bridge with this documentary, hoping to give us a new appreciation for the jewels of the darkened sky.' Jana J. Monji, Chicago Sun-Times
'Illuminating...Definitely worth watching, even if you have a lovely view of the night sky right outside your window.' Whitney Matheson, USA Today
'One must admire the writer-director-producer's talent and tenacity...The City Dark brings awareness to something most of us take for granted.' Eric Monder, Film Journal International
'Eloquent and compelling...The City Dark puts us back in touch with the deep yearning and mystical appreciation we have for night skies filled with bright and awesome stars!' Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
'Illuminating...Cheney's film is well worth the time, though its conclusions will likely keep you up at night.' Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News
Citation
Main credits
Cheney, Ian (screenwriter)
Cheney, Ian (film producer)
Cheney, Ian (film director)
Cheney, Ian (cinematographer)
Cheney, Ian (film editor)
Other credits
Original music, The Fishermen Three, Ben Fries cinematography, Ian Cheney, Taylor Gentry; editing, Ian Cheney, Frederick Shanahan.
Distributor subjects
American Studies; Animal Behavior/Communication; Anthropology; Astronomy; Birds; Design; Environment; Health; Lighting; Pollution; Science, Technology, Society; Sociology; Urban Studies; Urban and Regional Planning; WildlifeKeywords
WEBVTT
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[insects chirping]
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[camera clicking]
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[loud croaking]
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[car whooshing]
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[indistinct and garbled
transmissions]
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[haunting, warbling music]
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[car horn blares and fades]
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[car brakes squealing]
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[brakes squealing]
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[brakes hiss]
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[siren wails faintly]
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[camera clicking]
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[dramatic percussive music]
00:02:23.533 --> 00:02:25.500
- [singing]
Do-do, do-do
00:02:25.533 --> 00:02:27.533
Do-do, do-do
00:02:31.300 --> 00:02:33.100
Do-do, do-do
00:02:33.133 --> 00:02:34.267
Do-do, do-do
00:02:34.300 --> 00:02:35.333
[camera clicks]
00:02:37.267 --> 00:02:40.267
[camera clicking]
00:03:16.700 --> 00:03:18.867
[car horn blares]
00:03:18.900 --> 00:03:20.033
[whistles blasting]
00:03:20.067 --> 00:03:21.233
[car horn honks]
00:03:22.700 --> 00:03:23.700
- What is it?
00:03:23.733 --> 00:03:28.967
This is November 25th.
00:03:31.733 --> 00:03:34.000
I can\'t even see one star.
00:03:34.033 --> 00:03:39.767
November 25th at 6:00
in the freezing cold.
00:03:39.800 --> 00:03:41.267
Is that a star?
00:03:41.300 --> 00:03:42.867
Oh, yeah.
00:03:42.900 --> 00:03:44.867
Oh, there\'s another.
00:03:44.900 --> 00:03:46.967
Two.
00:03:47.000 --> 00:03:49.833
Oh, now I\'m getting...
Now I\'m getting it.
00:03:51.533 --> 00:03:55.467
Six, sev... or, no,
I already got that one, I think.
00:03:55.500 --> 00:03:57.133
Now, I can only see
about half of the sky
00:03:57.167 --> 00:03:58.300
\'cause of this building,
00:03:58.333 --> 00:04:00.067
so we\'ll assume
there\'s 12 stars.
00:04:00.100 --> 00:04:02.400
[mellow acoustic music]
00:04:02.433 --> 00:04:06.233
So I live in a city...
A big city...
00:04:06.267 --> 00:04:07.400
With 8 million people
00:04:07.433 --> 00:04:11.267
and, on most nights,
only a few dozen stars.
00:04:13.633 --> 00:04:18.267
I\'d grown up spending much
of my childhood in rural Maine,
00:04:18.300 --> 00:04:20.933
small town, 4,000 people.
00:04:20.967 --> 00:04:23.600
At night, more stars
than I could count
00:04:23.633 --> 00:04:25.133
or even capture with my camera.
00:04:26.467 --> 00:04:29.100
- [singing]
Do-do, do-do
00:04:29.133 --> 00:04:31.100
Do-do, do-do
00:04:31.133 --> 00:04:33.767
Do, do...
00:04:33.800 --> 00:04:37.367
- I built my own telescope
out of an old cardboard tube,
00:04:37.400 --> 00:04:40.933
attended astronomy camp,
00:04:40.967 --> 00:04:42.767
and invented
my own constellations
00:04:42.800 --> 00:04:45.467
from the stars
above my parents\' old barn.
00:04:52.633 --> 00:04:53.767
I\'d never stopped to wonder
00:04:53.800 --> 00:04:57.433
what those dark, starry nights
meant to me.
00:04:57.467 --> 00:04:59.600
But when I moved to the city,
00:04:59.633 --> 00:05:02.167
I felt at once like I was
at the center of the world
00:05:02.200 --> 00:05:05.167
under all those lights
00:05:05.200 --> 00:05:08.067
and like I\'d left
something important behind,
00:05:08.100 --> 00:05:11.400
something I couldn\'t name.
00:05:11.433 --> 00:05:14.300
What do we lose
when we lose the night?
00:05:19.633 --> 00:05:21.100
- I don\'t know of a civilization
00:05:21.133 --> 00:05:25.100
that didn\'t have
some kind of mythology
00:05:25.133 --> 00:05:26.733
about the night sky.
00:05:26.767 --> 00:05:29.100
[metal clanking]
00:05:29.133 --> 00:05:33.267
- If our civilization
didn\'t see the stars
00:05:33.300 --> 00:05:36.267
and didn\'t see how big
the universe was,
00:05:36.300 --> 00:05:39.267
would they come to believe
that they\'re more important
00:05:39.300 --> 00:05:40.933
in this much tinier universe
00:05:40.967 --> 00:05:42.667
because that\'s all they see?
00:05:46.700 --> 00:05:52.000
- I worry that our
lack of contact with the sky
00:05:52.033 --> 00:05:54.600
is doing something to us
that\'s very subtle.
00:06:02.800 --> 00:06:05.800
[ferry horn blaring]
00:06:11.633 --> 00:06:13.833
- A lot of people
don\'t know much about the sky
00:06:13.867 --> 00:06:15.333
\'cause there\'s all these
kinds of weird phenomena.
00:06:15.367 --> 00:06:17.000
That\'s why there
are so many UFOs around,
00:06:17.033 --> 00:06:19.000
\'cause there are a lot
of crazy people around too.
00:06:19.033 --> 00:06:22.667
But they see a light
moving around or a meteor...
00:06:22.700 --> 00:06:23.700
They never seen a meteor...
00:06:23.733 --> 00:06:25.133
They call it UFO, you know?
00:06:25.167 --> 00:06:26.600
In a sense, to them, it\'s a UFO,
00:06:26.633 --> 00:06:28.600
because they\'re not used
to looking at the sky,
00:06:28.633 --> 00:06:31.100
and if they do look at the sky
and do catch something,
00:06:31.133 --> 00:06:33.100
they don\'t understand
what it\'s all about...
00:06:33.133 --> 00:06:35.433
Most people, most people.
00:06:35.467 --> 00:06:37.267
But, you know,
Americans are not known
00:06:37.300 --> 00:06:40.800
for their knowledge, you know?
00:06:46.933 --> 00:06:49.567
- Professor Irving Robbins
is an astronomer
00:06:49.600 --> 00:06:51.833
who runs one of the last
remaining observatories
00:06:51.867 --> 00:06:53.500
in New York City.
00:06:53.533 --> 00:06:55.173
- Welcome to the College
of Staten Island,
00:06:55.200 --> 00:06:56.500
located on Staten Island,
00:06:56.533 --> 00:06:58.000
which is one
of the five boroughs
00:06:58.033 --> 00:06:59.367
of the city of New York.
00:06:59.400 --> 00:07:01.433
Of course, Staten Island
is in the United States
00:07:01.467 --> 00:07:02.733
on planet Earth, so welcome.
00:07:02.767 --> 00:07:03.767
[clanking and whirring]
00:07:03.800 --> 00:07:06.467
There she goes.
00:07:06.500 --> 00:07:11.800
We like to joke around
that this is safe astronomy.
00:07:11.833 --> 00:07:14.467
Take that off.
00:07:14.500 --> 00:07:18.133
I\'ve seen twice
the Milky Way in New York,
00:07:18.167 --> 00:07:20.133
when there was the blackouts.
00:07:20.167 --> 00:07:21.967
In 1966, I was in Brooklyn.
00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:24.133
I was working
in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
00:07:24.167 --> 00:07:26.800
Lights all went out,
and there I was;
00:07:26.833 --> 00:07:28.133
I could not believe the heavens.
00:07:28.167 --> 00:07:29.467
It was like on the deserts.
00:07:29.500 --> 00:07:31.467
I mean, all...
The whole Northeast went out,
00:07:31.500 --> 00:07:34.133
and the sky was spectacular,
just beautiful.
00:07:34.167 --> 00:07:35.667
It was really beautiful.
00:07:35.700 --> 00:07:36.833
As you know, in New York,
00:07:36.867 --> 00:07:38.500
there is a light pollution
problem.
00:07:38.533 --> 00:07:41.700
We\'re limited to how far deep
in space we can go
00:07:41.733 --> 00:07:44.800
because of the light pollution.
00:07:44.833 --> 00:07:47.300
When you look at the sky,
the sky...
00:07:47.333 --> 00:07:50.067
The light in the sky
really is the sum total
00:07:50.100 --> 00:07:52.067
of everything around you.
00:07:52.100 --> 00:07:54.900
It\'s like I have
a beautiful painting, right?
00:07:54.933 --> 00:07:57.067
Very nice, but now I come along
with an eraser,
00:07:57.100 --> 00:08:00.467
and I erase all of it
and just leave a few spots.
00:08:00.500 --> 00:08:03.167
That\'s what
light pollution does.
00:08:05.200 --> 00:08:07.600
This is what we call
a crappy night.
00:08:07.633 --> 00:08:10.100
Actually, we sometimes
call it \"schmutz.\"
00:08:10.133 --> 00:08:12.467
That\'s another local expression.
00:08:20.167 --> 00:08:22.533
- What astronomers call
light pollution
00:08:22.567 --> 00:08:24.367
occurs when lights
shining upward
00:08:24.400 --> 00:08:26.600
bounce off dust
and particulates in the air,
00:08:26.633 --> 00:08:30.700
causing the very sky to glow.
00:08:30.733 --> 00:08:32.367
To live in New York these days
00:08:32.400 --> 00:08:35.533
is to live under
a kind of illuminated tent,
00:08:35.567 --> 00:08:38.533
a dome of light.
00:08:38.567 --> 00:08:40.533
But it wasn\'t always.
00:08:40.567 --> 00:08:44.700
When Henry Hudson sailed
into New York Harbor in 1609,
00:08:44.733 --> 00:08:46.933
his first mate recorded
in his journal,
00:08:46.967 --> 00:08:49.767
after setting out to explore
in a rowboat,
00:08:49.800 --> 00:08:51.600
that it grew so dark
00:08:51.633 --> 00:08:53.433
that they could not find
the ship at night
00:08:53.467 --> 00:08:56.300
and sailed to and fro
on their oars.
00:08:59.767 --> 00:09:04.333
In those days, people used stars
to navigate the seas.
00:09:07.567 --> 00:09:11.200
Ancient constellations
like Orion the Hunter
00:09:11.233 --> 00:09:14.200
were later joined
by more modern inventions
00:09:14.233 --> 00:09:17.400
like compass and the telescope.
00:09:20.467 --> 00:09:21.867
On the Earth below,
00:09:21.900 --> 00:09:23.700
the only lights
for thousands of years
00:09:23.733 --> 00:09:28.533
were crude torches, campfires,
and candles.
00:09:28.567 --> 00:09:31.033
By the 17th and 18th centuries,
00:09:31.067 --> 00:09:35.233
oil lamps powered by whale oil
illuminated Manhattan.
00:09:36.867 --> 00:09:40.667
In the early 1800s,
gas lighting was introduced.
00:09:40.700 --> 00:09:43.333
And finally,
in the late 19th century,
00:09:43.367 --> 00:09:45.867
a new form of lighting emerged.
00:09:49.333 --> 00:09:52.133
- It has been said,
correctly, I think,
00:09:52.167 --> 00:09:57.100
that there is no better symbol
00:09:57.133 --> 00:10:01.133
of modern progress
00:10:01.167 --> 00:10:06.967
than the advent of electricity
in general
00:10:07.000 --> 00:10:10.967
but electric lighting
in particular.
00:10:26.300 --> 00:10:29.300
[doorbell ringing]
00:10:33.867 --> 00:10:36.167
- This doesn\'t bother me.
00:10:36.200 --> 00:10:38.333
Bothers a lot of people, though.
00:10:38.367 --> 00:10:40.667
Hey, you want to see the...
I tell people you...
00:10:40.700 --> 00:10:44.133
If you came into a light store
that looked like that,
00:10:44.167 --> 00:10:46.967
wouldn\'t you wonder, you know,
00:10:47.000 --> 00:10:49.300
what kind of place it is?
00:10:49.333 --> 00:10:51.433
[man speaking indistinctly]
00:10:51.467 --> 00:10:54.567
[door creaks open]
00:10:54.600 --> 00:10:59.067
About 75,000 lightbulbs
back here, approximately,
00:10:59.100 --> 00:11:01.300
different types.
00:11:01.333 --> 00:11:04.800
There was my father
who was in the business,
00:11:04.833 --> 00:11:08.100
and my grandfather
was also in the business,
00:11:08.133 --> 00:11:11.767
and he knew Edison.
00:11:11.800 --> 00:11:13.933
My grandfather was an inventor.
00:11:13.967 --> 00:11:18.267
So he, you know, was friendly
with Thomas Edison,
00:11:18.300 --> 00:11:23.167
and my grandfather was there
when things started.
00:11:23.200 --> 00:11:29.167
This one is an original
Edison lightbulb,
00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:32.167
and these still actually work.
00:11:33.433 --> 00:11:36.567
[electricity whirring faintly]
00:11:36.600 --> 00:11:40.533
1879 was the first lightbulb.
00:11:43.933 --> 00:11:45.900
More light.
00:11:45.933 --> 00:11:50.367
As you went up in generations,
00:11:50.400 --> 00:11:52.700
the brightness increased.
00:11:52.733 --> 00:11:57.200
They were trying to maximize
the amount of light.
00:11:57.233 --> 00:12:00.733
Self-ballasted
mercury vapor.
00:12:00.767 --> 00:12:04.033
Then they came out
with high-pressure sodium,
00:12:04.067 --> 00:12:07.033
which was a yellowish light,
00:12:07.067 --> 00:12:10.833
and that one
gets even brighter than this.
00:12:10.867 --> 00:12:14.500
And then they came out
with the metal halide.
00:12:14.533 --> 00:12:17.333
That\'s this.
00:12:17.367 --> 00:12:20.333
That one,
you could cook a meal on that.
00:12:20.367 --> 00:12:23.333
That\'s how hot this one gets.
00:12:23.367 --> 00:12:25.000
You look at this after,
00:12:25.033 --> 00:12:27.833
and you won\'t be able
to see for a while.
00:12:27.867 --> 00:12:29.467
[magnet clicks]
00:12:29.500 --> 00:12:32.567
Believe me, today I see stuff,
00:12:32.600 --> 00:12:34.600
new stuff that\'s coming out,
it\'s like, wow.
00:12:36.367 --> 00:12:38.667
- Today\'s lights
are capable of producing
00:12:38.700 --> 00:12:40.267
thousands more lumens
00:12:40.300 --> 00:12:42.367
than Edison\'s original
lightbulb.
00:12:45.133 --> 00:12:49.733
The mercury vapor light is
popular on barns and warehouses.
00:12:49.767 --> 00:12:52.833
The metal halide often
illuminates car dealerships.
00:12:52.867 --> 00:12:55.000
And high-pressure
sodium lights
00:12:55.033 --> 00:12:57.167
are found on cobra head
light fixtures
00:12:57.200 --> 00:13:00.233
all across the country.
00:13:00.267 --> 00:13:03.200
As electric lights grew brighter
and more numerous
00:13:03.233 --> 00:13:05.200
throughout the 20th century,
00:13:05.233 --> 00:13:07.867
the starlight
above America\'s cities
00:13:07.900 --> 00:13:09.933
tended to go the other way.
00:13:21.067 --> 00:13:23.367
- As I\'ve gotten older,
00:13:23.400 --> 00:13:25.467
I notice I have to go
farther and farther
00:13:25.500 --> 00:13:27.967
from wherever
there\'s any civilization
00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:31.933
in order to see the sky,
to be part of the universe.
00:13:31.967 --> 00:13:35.267
I began to do
all of my observing
00:13:35.300 --> 00:13:40.433
from down at Jones Beach,
which, in 1973,
00:13:40.467 --> 00:13:43.333
was still reasonably dark.
00:13:43.367 --> 00:13:48.633
Unfortunately, night no longer
comes to Jones Beach.
00:13:51.033 --> 00:13:53.000
We would use this area
right here
00:13:53.033 --> 00:13:55.000
and just unload our scopes,
00:13:55.033 --> 00:13:58.000
and this whole area
would be filled with scopes,
00:13:58.033 --> 00:14:00.400
and the phone is still there.
00:14:00.433 --> 00:14:02.400
I bet you can\'t find the number.
00:14:02.433 --> 00:14:05.900
Ah, yes. 785-9743.
00:14:05.933 --> 00:14:07.067
The number didn\'t change.
00:14:07.100 --> 00:14:08.700
[laughs]
00:14:08.733 --> 00:14:11.200
Pretty much, no matter
which side you went from,
00:14:11.233 --> 00:14:12.700
there were
telescopes everywhere.
00:14:12.733 --> 00:14:17.367
This now, there isn\'t even
a handle to get in here.
00:14:17.400 --> 00:14:19.233
I wonder what they do.
00:14:20.833 --> 00:14:24.067
We determined the length
of an asteroid from here.
00:14:24.100 --> 00:14:28.400
We measured some double stars
from here.
00:14:28.433 --> 00:14:30.067
Depending on the season
of the year,
00:14:30.100 --> 00:14:32.567
it might be Orion in the winter
00:14:32.600 --> 00:14:35.567
or Scorpius and Sagittarius
in the summer,
00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:39.600
with the Milky Way coming up
like the steam from the teapot.
00:14:41.533 --> 00:14:43.867
Great place to be.
00:14:51.100 --> 00:14:53.400
Already, Jupiter\'s coming out,
00:14:53.433 --> 00:14:55.133
biggest planet
in the solar system,
00:14:55.167 --> 00:14:57.467
second biggest object.
00:14:57.500 --> 00:14:59.333
That\'s just the teaser.
00:15:00.733 --> 00:15:04.700
It\'s so sad because
I know what\'s above me
00:15:04.733 --> 00:15:06.033
once it gets dark here.
00:15:06.067 --> 00:15:08.567
It just doesn\'t get dark
anymore.
00:15:13.333 --> 00:15:14.833
- Cities have always been
00:15:14.867 --> 00:15:17.233
kind of overburdened
with lights.
00:15:17.267 --> 00:15:20.067
I think you\'re allowed to have
some expectation, though,
00:15:20.100 --> 00:15:21.900
that when you leave the city...
00:15:21.933 --> 00:15:24.733
Ten miles, fifty miles,
a hundred miles...
00:15:24.767 --> 00:15:28.333
That the sky should start
to come back to you.
00:15:31.633 --> 00:15:34.633
[indistinct speech on radio]
00:16:05.000 --> 00:16:07.000
[clanking]
00:16:08.667 --> 00:16:10.467
- Well, it\'s pretty dark.
00:16:10.500 --> 00:16:12.000
[muffled clanking]
00:16:16.700 --> 00:16:19.700
[camera clicks]
00:16:22.033 --> 00:16:25.033
[camera clicks]
00:16:48.167 --> 00:16:50.800
To gauge the quality
of night skies,
00:16:50.833 --> 00:16:54.133
astronomers use a range
of different scales.
00:16:54.167 --> 00:16:55.300
But I found it simplest
00:16:55.333 --> 00:16:57.300
just to give them each
a letter grade,
00:16:57.333 --> 00:17:00.367
with A being some of the best
night skies possible
00:17:00.400 --> 00:17:04.133
and F a sky with few
or no visible stars.
00:17:09.600 --> 00:17:12.700
16, 17, 18, 19, 20,
00:17:12.733 --> 00:17:14.900
21, 22, 23, 24,
00:17:14.933 --> 00:17:17.267
25, 26.
00:17:58.300 --> 00:18:01.367
[train whirring]
00:18:07.567 --> 00:18:10.567
[people singing indistinctly]
00:18:16.333 --> 00:18:17.800
- Okay, I can\'t tell you
00:18:17.833 --> 00:18:21.467
that I\'m very familiar
with the stars.
00:18:21.500 --> 00:18:24.300
However, yes,
at camp especially,
00:18:24.333 --> 00:18:26.300
out in the field,
you do stargazing,
00:18:26.333 --> 00:18:27.467
depending on the weather,
00:18:27.500 --> 00:18:29.300
and that\'s actually pretty cool.
00:18:29.333 --> 00:18:30.467
My son was in the Coast Guard.
00:18:30.500 --> 00:18:31.800
He knows about the stars,
00:18:31.833 --> 00:18:34.933
but he never goes on
any of these damn trips, so...
00:18:34.967 --> 00:18:36.600
- Matty, look at this.
00:18:36.633 --> 00:18:39.333
You scroll up and down
with the ball.
00:18:39.367 --> 00:18:41.000
- All right, find the utensils.
00:18:41.033 --> 00:18:43.000
What did you do with them
last time after the trip?
00:18:43.033 --> 00:18:44.067
- We put them all together.
00:18:44.100 --> 00:18:45.133
- Gabriel\'s not going?
00:18:45.167 --> 00:18:46.133
- Dylan\'s not going?
00:18:46.167 --> 00:18:47.933
- Freddy says he\'s not going.
00:18:47.967 --> 00:18:49.700
- Everybody\'s telling me now
they\'re not going.
00:18:49.733 --> 00:18:53.367
There were nine people going.
Now there are five.
00:18:53.400 --> 00:18:55.867
Does everybody know what
they need to bring tomorrow?
00:18:55.900 --> 00:18:58.433
- Yes!
- Si, señor.
00:18:58.467 --> 00:19:00.533
- This is disgusting.
00:19:00.567 --> 00:19:02.667
Do I look like I want
to be played around with?
00:19:02.700 --> 00:19:06.833
Troop 718 has been in
this neighborhood since 1911.
00:19:06.867 --> 00:19:09.333
New York wasn\'t quite as bright
then as it is now.
00:19:09.367 --> 00:19:13.000
You didn\'t have the sodium lamps
or whatever they use days.
00:19:13.033 --> 00:19:14.500
And we were talking about,
you know,
00:19:14.533 --> 00:19:16.167
what if you get lost
in the woods?
00:19:16.200 --> 00:19:19.333
And someone mentioned that
they had read or heard somewhere
00:19:19.367 --> 00:19:21.500
that you don\'t have to worry
so much these days.
00:19:21.533 --> 00:19:25.500
You just have to head towards
the pinkish glow in the sky,
00:19:25.533 --> 00:19:26.833
because everything is so bright,
00:19:26.867 --> 00:19:29.367
no matter how far you are
in the woods.
00:19:31.500 --> 00:19:33.100
It\'s good to get the kids out.
00:19:33.133 --> 00:19:36.433
I don\'t know if it\'s gonna
change their lives necessarily,
00:19:36.467 --> 00:19:39.933
but the whole point is that
they see something different.
00:19:46.100 --> 00:19:47.567
- Yo, everybody stand up.
00:19:47.600 --> 00:19:48.733
- Stand up, yo.
00:19:48.767 --> 00:19:50.367
- We\'re about to do
the flag ceremony.
00:19:54.133 --> 00:19:57.133
[boys speaking indistinctly]
00:19:58.400 --> 00:20:00.600
- It was 10:00... 9:00 p.m.
00:20:00.633 --> 00:20:01.767
- 9:00 p.m.?
What time is it?
00:20:01.800 --> 00:20:02.767
I mean, what day is it?
00:20:02.800 --> 00:20:04.100
All right, now look up.
Go.
00:20:04.133 --> 00:20:06.100
Come on.
00:20:06.133 --> 00:20:08.600
- You can see
a lot more stars now.
00:20:08.633 --> 00:20:10.433
- Look... look at the sky.
It\'s mad late.
00:20:10.467 --> 00:20:12.267
- It\'s all... lookit.
- Yo, look up, yo.
00:20:12.300 --> 00:20:13.767
Everybody, turn off your lights.
00:20:13.800 --> 00:20:15.933
Turn off your lights
for, like, a quick second.
00:20:15.967 --> 00:20:17.767
- Oh, my God.
00:20:17.800 --> 00:20:19.767
There\'s, like, a hundred stars.
00:20:19.800 --> 00:20:21.600
- I never seen the Milky Way.
00:20:21.633 --> 00:20:22.900
- Matty,
can we go to sleep here?
00:20:22.933 --> 00:20:23.900
Can we go to sleep here?
00:20:23.933 --> 00:20:25.767
- No.
00:20:28.033 --> 00:20:30.000
- There\'s so much lights
in New York City
00:20:30.033 --> 00:20:31.567
that you can barely see
the stars.
00:20:31.600 --> 00:20:33.167
So when you look up,
you only can see
00:20:33.200 --> 00:20:35.667
the reflection of the all
the lights around the city,
00:20:35.700 --> 00:20:37.500
so then you look up,
and you can\'t see no stars.
00:20:37.533 --> 00:20:40.833
- You probably see maybe
one or two stars.
00:20:40.867 --> 00:20:43.167
This would be
a great place to live.
00:20:43.200 --> 00:20:44.867
- The time goes slower,
and you, like...
00:20:44.900 --> 00:20:46.033
- You get to enjoy your time.
00:20:46.067 --> 00:20:47.533
- Yeah, you actually
enjoy everything.
00:20:47.567 --> 00:20:50.300
- You get to enjoy
the environment, the stars.
00:21:13.767 --> 00:21:16.433
- I was born and raised
in the Bronx, New York,
00:21:16.467 --> 00:21:19.267
in an apartment complex
00:21:19.300 --> 00:21:23.100
prophetically called
the Skyview Apartments.
00:21:23.133 --> 00:21:24.967
And what happened
when I was nine
00:21:25.000 --> 00:21:28.133
was that first visit
to the Hayden Planetarium
00:21:28.167 --> 00:21:30.133
here in New York City.
00:21:30.167 --> 00:21:32.967
There you are in this room,
this odd-shaped room.
00:21:33.000 --> 00:21:34.967
It\'s round,
and it\'s got a round ceiling,
00:21:35.000 --> 00:21:37.600
and they turn off the lights.
00:21:37.633 --> 00:21:40.600
They even have permission
to turn off the exit lights,
00:21:40.633 --> 00:21:42.100
so it\'s comp...
You can\'t even see
00:21:42.133 --> 00:21:43.933
the hand in front of your face.
00:21:43.967 --> 00:21:48.267
And the stars come out,
and I was sure it was a hoax.
00:21:48.300 --> 00:21:49.933
I\'ve seen the night sky
from the Bronx.
00:21:49.967 --> 00:21:51.433
There\'s a dozen stars there,
00:21:51.467 --> 00:21:53.933
and there were way too many
stars in the Hayden Planetarium
00:21:53.967 --> 00:21:56.100
for me to believe it.
00:21:56.133 --> 00:21:58.600
And it would take several years
before I recognized that,
00:21:58.633 --> 00:22:03.533
in fact, this was an accurate
capturing of the night sky.
00:22:05.200 --> 00:22:06.833
And to this day,
I\'m on mountaintops,
00:22:06.867 --> 00:22:08.500
and I look up,
00:22:08.533 --> 00:22:09.667
and I say to my...
00:22:09.700 --> 00:22:11.667
This is a sickeningly urban
thing to say,
00:22:11.700 --> 00:22:13.333
but I look up, and I say,
00:22:13.367 --> 00:22:15.667
\"Reminds me
of the Hayden Planetarium.\"
00:22:15.700 --> 00:22:17.533
[laughs]
You know...
00:22:23.467 --> 00:22:26.433
- You know, we\'re nothing
if we\'re not adaptive,
00:22:26.467 --> 00:22:30.267
and so as we adapt
to these deprivations
00:22:30.300 --> 00:22:31.933
of not seeing the sky,
00:22:31.967 --> 00:22:36.233
we create mechanisms
to mimic them.
00:22:36.267 --> 00:22:40.267
Who knows what
the ultimate effect will be?
00:22:59.767 --> 00:23:01.367
[plastic rattling]
00:23:41.333 --> 00:23:43.300
- What\'s happened
over my lifetime is that
00:23:43.333 --> 00:23:47.633
you have kind of a sprawl
with the city lights.
00:23:47.667 --> 00:23:50.367
[car horn honking]
00:23:50.400 --> 00:23:51.533
Perhaps in the old days,
00:23:51.567 --> 00:23:54.200
it was just homes
with streetlights,
00:23:54.233 --> 00:23:58.033
and now it\'s homes
near shopping malls,
00:23:58.067 --> 00:24:00.433
fully lit parking lots,
00:24:00.467 --> 00:24:03.767
each of which has its own lights
00:24:03.800 --> 00:24:06.800
spilling out
into the surrounding regions.
00:24:13.200 --> 00:24:16.467
- Our society is kind of
taking over the wilderness,
00:24:16.500 --> 00:24:20.000
but it\'s happening slowly,
and no one really notices it.
00:24:22.333 --> 00:24:26.500
Now the sky is just
impossibly bright.
00:24:28.800 --> 00:24:30.100
And so the astronomers
00:24:30.133 --> 00:24:33.100
have had to flee
the population centers
00:24:33.133 --> 00:24:35.967
and move to the desert
and island areas of the world.
00:24:58.400 --> 00:24:59.700
- We\'re right on the border
00:24:59.733 --> 00:25:03.533
between eastern Arizona
and New Mexico.
00:25:03.567 --> 00:25:08.700
- The closest grocery store
is a little over an hour,
00:25:08.733 --> 00:25:11.200
and that\'s in Douglas
on the border.
00:25:11.233 --> 00:25:13.333
This is one of the few regions
00:25:13.367 --> 00:25:16.633
that still has really good
dark skies.
00:25:24.900 --> 00:25:27.300
- The town of Sky Village
was created
00:25:27.333 --> 00:25:29.233
by a man named Jack Newton,
00:25:29.267 --> 00:25:31.567
one of my childhood heroes
00:25:31.600 --> 00:25:33.267
and widely considered to be
00:25:33.300 --> 00:25:37.233
one of the greatest
astrophotographers of our time.
00:25:37.267 --> 00:25:41.100
- We hunted diligently for
dark skies to find this site,
00:25:41.133 --> 00:25:44.100
the darkest spot
in southwestern U.S.,
00:25:44.133 --> 00:25:46.100
and that was Portal, Arizona.
00:25:46.133 --> 00:25:49.100
And then we were able
to collect 450 acres
00:25:49.133 --> 00:25:52.600
and set up the Arizona
Sky Village for astronomers,
00:25:52.633 --> 00:25:54.200
and it\'s been magnificent.
00:25:54.233 --> 00:25:57.233
[whirring]
00:26:00.333 --> 00:26:05.133
My primary instrument here
is a 20-inch telescope
00:26:05.167 --> 00:26:07.067
with a carbon fiber tube.
00:26:07.100 --> 00:26:09.733
- I have a Meade 16-inch
Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope
00:26:09.767 --> 00:26:11.600
as the primary instrument
in there.
00:26:11.633 --> 00:26:14.600
- This is a H-alpha
solar telescope.
00:26:14.633 --> 00:26:15.933
- It carries piggyback
00:26:15.967 --> 00:26:19.600
a Takahashi 180 Epsilon
Astrograph
00:26:19.633 --> 00:26:21.300
high-speed camera lens.
00:26:21.333 --> 00:26:23.800
- This is the observatory
we\'re having built here.
00:26:23.833 --> 00:26:25.633
The telescope mount
will be here,
00:26:25.667 --> 00:26:28.000
and we\'ll have a 10-foot dome
above us here.
00:26:28.033 --> 00:26:30.967
- So we chase
total solar eclipses.
00:26:31.000 --> 00:26:33.300
- It\'s paradise
for an astrophotographer
00:26:33.333 --> 00:26:34.833
to be out here.
00:26:34.867 --> 00:26:37.000
- We all come from different
walks of life,
00:26:37.033 --> 00:26:39.933
but we have all moved here
with one thing in common.
00:26:39.967 --> 00:26:41.600
We all love the night sky.
00:26:41.633 --> 00:26:44.267
[whirring]
00:26:44.300 --> 00:26:46.767
This is my clubhouse.
00:26:46.800 --> 00:26:49.100
Every guy wants a clubhouse
when he grows up,
00:26:49.133 --> 00:26:50.433
and this is it.
00:26:50.467 --> 00:26:51.800
I call my observatory
00:26:51.833 --> 00:26:53.933
Conferring With the Sky
Observatory.
00:26:53.967 --> 00:26:55.367
[dogs barking]
00:26:56.933 --> 00:26:59.667
- I was shooting last night,
00:26:59.700 --> 00:27:04.467
and there\'s the spiral galaxy.
00:27:04.500 --> 00:27:09.300
This one is 57 million
light-years away.
00:27:09.333 --> 00:27:12.000
So the light
left 57 million years ago.
00:27:12.033 --> 00:27:15.800
This is called
the North America Nebula.
00:27:15.833 --> 00:27:18.300
This is called
the Heart and the Soul,
00:27:18.333 --> 00:27:20.700
this being the Heart
and that being the Soul.
00:27:20.733 --> 00:27:24.033
This is Orion\'s Belt,
the three stars in the belt.
00:27:24.067 --> 00:27:27.333
This is the dagger that
hangs down from Orion\'s Belt.
00:27:28.700 --> 00:27:33.667
I would go nuts if I couldn\'t
have the dark night sky.
00:27:33.700 --> 00:27:36.667
There\'s a whole universe
out there.
00:27:42.200 --> 00:27:44.333
- Maybe our feelings about
nature are somewhat similar
00:27:44.367 --> 00:27:46.967
to our feelings about seeing
the dark skies.
00:27:47.000 --> 00:27:49.467
I find it very difficult
to verbalize
00:27:49.500 --> 00:27:51.933
what the attraction is
sometimes.
00:27:56.900 --> 00:27:58.267
- That\'s hard
to put your finger on.
00:27:58.300 --> 00:27:59.767
It really is.
00:27:59.800 --> 00:28:01.733
I don\'t want to say
it\'s a religious experience,
00:28:01.767 --> 00:28:03.467
but it\'s an emotional feeling,
more.
00:28:03.500 --> 00:28:05.633
It\'s like being a child,
in a way.
00:28:05.667 --> 00:28:08.633
It\'s a childlike,
like, kind of wonderment
00:28:08.667 --> 00:28:11.400
at all of this that\'s out there.
00:28:16.900 --> 00:28:20.533
[conversations overlapping]
00:28:20.567 --> 00:28:21.867
- They were stuck
in the trailer,
00:28:21.900 --> 00:28:23.200
so I said, you know...
00:28:23.233 --> 00:28:25.200
- Fortunately, I can have
the lights on right now
00:28:25.233 --> 00:28:28.200
because everybody that\'s here
is here,
00:28:28.233 --> 00:28:29.533
so they can\'t complain.
00:28:29.567 --> 00:28:31.333
As soon as they start leaving
to go observe,
00:28:31.367 --> 00:28:33.433
I\'ll have to shut
even this one lightbulb off.
00:28:33.467 --> 00:28:35.600
- A toast to the new moon.
00:28:35.633 --> 00:28:37.433
- Yeah.
00:28:37.467 --> 00:28:39.100
- New moon!
- New moon.
00:28:39.133 --> 00:28:40.433
All right.
00:28:40.467 --> 00:28:42.600
- Bye!
- Good night.
00:28:42.633 --> 00:28:44.100
- I can\'t see where I\'m going.
00:28:44.133 --> 00:28:45.800
- Thanks, guys.
00:28:49.400 --> 00:28:52.400
[footsteps crunching on gravel]
00:28:59.533 --> 00:29:00.900
[camera clicks]
00:29:00.933 --> 00:29:03.533
[mellow instrumental music]
00:29:03.567 --> 00:29:05.367
- The Milky Way,
when it rises here,
00:29:05.400 --> 00:29:07.867
looks like a thunderstorm
coming toward you,
00:29:07.900 --> 00:29:10.033
and you think, \"Oh, my God,
it\'s gonna cloud over.\"
00:29:10.067 --> 00:29:11.200
And it\'s not.
00:29:11.233 --> 00:29:12.533
It\'s the Milky Way rising.
00:29:12.567 --> 00:29:14.900
It\'s the edge of our galaxy
coming up.
00:29:36.033 --> 00:29:38.833
- Being out under the stars
at night,
00:29:38.867 --> 00:29:42.167
I was reminded of the scale
of our world,
00:29:42.200 --> 00:29:44.967
a scale that\'s all too easy
to forget
00:29:45.000 --> 00:29:48.000
when you don\'t have this clear
a view of the skies above.
00:29:52.433 --> 00:29:56.167
- If we didn\'t have a good view
of a dark sky,
00:29:56.200 --> 00:29:59.233
we wouldn\'t know we lived
in a galaxy like the Milky Way.
00:29:59.267 --> 00:30:00.400
We wouldn\'t know that
00:30:00.433 --> 00:30:03.067
the universe
was 50 billion galaxies,
00:30:03.100 --> 00:30:05.867
each with hundreds of billions
of stars.
00:30:05.900 --> 00:30:08.967
We would know very little
about the universe we lived in.
00:30:10.367 --> 00:30:13.167
Once you\'ve known
what a truly dark sky is...
00:30:13.200 --> 00:30:16.000
Once I observed
the observatories in Hawaii,
00:30:16.033 --> 00:30:17.667
which, to me,
are the gold standard...
00:30:17.700 --> 00:30:20.500
It\'s like once you\'ve smoked
the very best kind of weed
00:30:20.533 --> 00:30:22.267
or had the very best
single malt whisky,
00:30:22.300 --> 00:30:24.300
you know,
you can\'t really go back.
00:30:34.233 --> 00:30:36.367
- Astronomy is the oldest
of the sciences.
00:30:36.400 --> 00:30:37.533
We can go back,
00:30:37.567 --> 00:30:39.367
and we can trace the development
00:30:39.400 --> 00:30:41.867
of our inquiry into the universe
00:30:41.900 --> 00:30:44.200
to the ability
to look up to the sky
00:30:44.233 --> 00:30:46.033
to see things
that you don\'t understand
00:30:46.067 --> 00:30:48.533
that you want to be able
to touch and understand.
00:30:48.567 --> 00:30:51.033
Every civilization
that we know about
00:30:51.067 --> 00:30:53.633
built a science
around explaining
00:30:53.667 --> 00:30:56.333
the sky that was above them
that they saw at night.
00:30:57.867 --> 00:31:00.067
- We\'re going to a place
called Science City.
00:31:00.100 --> 00:31:02.233
- Ladies and gentlemen,
we\'ll be landing very shortly.
00:31:02.267 --> 00:31:04.567
Please make sure your seat belts
are securely fastened.
00:31:04.600 --> 00:31:06.067
Mahalo.
00:31:06.100 --> 00:31:09.567
- It\'s literally true that
there is no better place in...
00:31:09.600 --> 00:31:13.233
On this planet to observe
than the Hawaiian Islands.
00:31:17.200 --> 00:31:21.167
- We\'re headed up
to the summit of Haleakala.
00:31:21.200 --> 00:31:25.167
This is one of the most
isolated spots in the world.
00:31:25.200 --> 00:31:28.333
We\'re going to be up above
this cloud cover.
00:31:28.367 --> 00:31:33.367
Everyone starts to lose
a bit of functionality up here
00:31:33.400 --> 00:31:35.700
and act a little strange.
00:31:35.733 --> 00:31:38.533
For example, with me,
I forget words,
00:31:38.567 --> 00:31:41.233
and I start getting
really chatty.
00:31:54.467 --> 00:31:56.633
But not in this
particular instant.
00:32:03.033 --> 00:32:04.333
It\'s always neat to look down
00:32:04.367 --> 00:32:06.967
and see the ocean of clouds
below you.
00:32:14.800 --> 00:32:16.933
- The volcanic islands of Hawaii
00:32:16.967 --> 00:32:18.800
thrust up out
of the Pacific Ocean
00:32:18.833 --> 00:32:20.500
and all the way through
the clouds,
00:32:20.533 --> 00:32:23.900
giving astronomers
clear air and clear skies.
00:32:26.333 --> 00:32:29.800
On Mauna Kea, some of
the world\'s largest telescopes
00:32:29.833 --> 00:32:34.467
scan the sky from an altitude
of 14,000 feet.
00:32:34.500 --> 00:32:38.600
And on Haleakala, astronomers
have recently built a telescope
00:32:38.633 --> 00:32:40.267
that they describe
as the largest,
00:32:40.300 --> 00:32:43.200
most light-sensitive camera
in history.
00:32:45.833 --> 00:32:48.967
- This is the
Pan-STARRS 1.8-meter telescope.
00:32:49.000 --> 00:32:51.967
Its detectors span an area
like this
00:32:52.000 --> 00:32:54.967
behind this plate
inside the vacuum.
00:32:55.000 --> 00:32:58.100
One of the primary reasons
for building this thing is,
00:32:58.133 --> 00:32:59.967
we want to find
killer asteroids.
00:33:03.033 --> 00:33:06.833
- Well, the Earth is being
hit by stuff all the time.
00:33:06.867 --> 00:33:08.667
The biggest threat
is from objects
00:33:08.700 --> 00:33:12.000
that are about a kilometer
in size or more.
00:33:12.033 --> 00:33:15.667
And if one of those objects
hits the Earth,
00:33:15.700 --> 00:33:19.067
then it produces
a global catastrophe,
00:33:19.100 --> 00:33:22.067
something like
many thousands of H-bombs
00:33:22.100 --> 00:33:24.767
going off instantaneously.
00:33:26.533 --> 00:33:30.000
- It\'s not a question
of if we\'ll ever be
00:33:30.033 --> 00:33:32.167
catastrophically affected
by such a collision.
00:33:32.200 --> 00:33:35.100
It\'s just a question of when.
00:33:35.133 --> 00:33:38.100
- This is
an unidentified object.
00:33:38.133 --> 00:33:39.600
It\'s moving.
00:33:39.633 --> 00:33:42.100
We\'re the first people
to see this object right now.
00:33:44.333 --> 00:33:46.133
- To identify asteroids,
00:33:46.167 --> 00:33:49.300
astronomers compare
sequences of images
00:33:49.333 --> 00:33:53.967
to look for changes
against the background of stars.
00:33:54.000 --> 00:33:56.967
But finding asteroids,
which are small and dark,
00:33:57.000 --> 00:33:59.800
depends on having
extremely dark skies.
00:33:59.833 --> 00:34:03.700
- [singing] Ooh, ooh, ooh
00:34:03.733 --> 00:34:07.367
Ooh, ooh, ooh
00:34:07.400 --> 00:34:10.033
Ooh, ooh, ooh
00:34:10.067 --> 00:34:14.700
- The city now produces
probably 100 times as much light
00:34:14.733 --> 00:34:17.533
as existed back in the \'50s,
maybe more,
00:34:17.567 --> 00:34:21.367
and that light directly competes
with our ability
00:34:21.400 --> 00:34:24.700
to see the light
from the universe.
00:34:24.733 --> 00:34:29.600
- Up here on the mountain,
the sky looks dark to your eye,
00:34:29.633 --> 00:34:31.600
but to something as sensitive
as this,
00:34:31.633 --> 00:34:34.067
it just starts chewing away
and chewing away.
00:34:34.100 --> 00:34:36.467
It\'s as though
you\'re looking through fog.
00:34:40.267 --> 00:34:43.567
- Losing the ability to detect
Earth-killing asteroids
00:34:43.600 --> 00:34:45.900
would be a bad thing.
00:34:45.933 --> 00:34:48.400
But I got the sense that
the astronomers were worried
00:34:48.433 --> 00:34:50.900
about a much deeper loss,
00:34:50.933 --> 00:34:53.067
one tied
to their ancient profession
00:34:53.100 --> 00:34:55.767
of decoding the universe above.
00:34:57.900 --> 00:34:59.367
- If we lived on a planet
00:34:59.400 --> 00:35:03.200
that was forever opaque
to the universe beyond,
00:35:03.233 --> 00:35:05.267
science and inquiry
would have been
00:35:05.300 --> 00:35:09.100
terribly distorted and twisted.
00:35:09.133 --> 00:35:10.433
We once thought that we were at
00:35:10.467 --> 00:35:12.307
the center of the solar system,
and we weren\'t.
00:35:12.333 --> 00:35:13.633
We once thought that the sun
00:35:13.667 --> 00:35:15.133
was at the center
of the Milky Way,
00:35:15.167 --> 00:35:17.467
and that\'s not true either.
00:35:17.500 --> 00:35:19.333
In my lifetime, we once believed
00:35:19.367 --> 00:35:21.167
that there weren\'t
any other planets
00:35:21.200 --> 00:35:23.333
except for the planets
around our Sun,
00:35:23.367 --> 00:35:25.333
and because we could look out
into the sky
00:35:25.367 --> 00:35:26.600
and we could see the universe,
00:35:26.633 --> 00:35:28.067
we now have
a very different picture
00:35:28.100 --> 00:35:31.100
of a universe
that\'s filled with planets.
00:35:32.333 --> 00:35:33.967
Seeing the universe around us
00:35:34.000 --> 00:35:36.133
tells us about our own part
of the universe,
00:35:36.167 --> 00:35:38.300
and to close that door, I think,
00:35:38.333 --> 00:35:43.000
would change the character
of humankind entirely.
00:35:52.533 --> 00:35:55.000
- When I was a teenager
in Maine,
00:35:55.033 --> 00:35:58.667
I would stay up past midnight
to see new constellations
00:35:58.700 --> 00:36:01.433
or catch the moon rising
in the east.
00:36:04.267 --> 00:36:08.733
On some nights, though,
the ocean mists rolled in.
00:36:08.767 --> 00:36:13.267
An enormous glowing blanket
pulled over the entire sky.
00:36:21.033 --> 00:36:23.333
A team of Italian cartographers,
00:36:23.367 --> 00:36:26.167
piecing together a map
of the Earth at night,
00:36:26.200 --> 00:36:29.833
concluded that 2/3 of all humans
now live under skies
00:36:29.867 --> 00:36:32.833
polluted by artificial light.
00:36:32.867 --> 00:36:35.167
As they put it,
\"Mankind is proceeding
00:36:35.200 --> 00:36:38.700
to envelop themself
in a luminous fog.\"
00:37:24.167 --> 00:37:25.400
- When you live in cities,
00:37:25.433 --> 00:37:28.067
you don\'t tend to think
about light pollution,
00:37:28.100 --> 00:37:29.733
because you\'re just in a bubble.
00:37:29.767 --> 00:37:31.567
You\'re in the city bubble,
00:37:31.600 --> 00:37:34.267
and so you sort of don\'t realize
what\'s missing.
00:37:35.767 --> 00:37:39.567
In truth,
most people are just...
00:37:39.600 --> 00:37:41.567
It\'s a little vague to them.
00:37:41.600 --> 00:37:43.900
Their sense of the universe
and how it works
00:37:43.933 --> 00:37:46.900
and their place in it
is really pretty vague.
00:37:48.367 --> 00:37:50.833
But most of the universe
is beyond our reckoning.
00:37:50.867 --> 00:37:53.000
We\'ll never
send spaceships there,
00:37:53.033 --> 00:37:55.667
so the only part of the universe
that\'s malleable
00:37:55.700 --> 00:38:00.067
or amenable to our inspection
and our intervention
00:38:00.100 --> 00:38:02.900
is the planet we live on.
00:38:02.933 --> 00:38:06.233
So that also sort of
reverses back on us,
00:38:06.267 --> 00:38:09.500
how we want to live in this
little piece of the universe
00:38:09.533 --> 00:38:12.067
that we get to deal with.
00:38:12.100 --> 00:38:17.333
And it\'s not much real estate,
but it\'s what we\'ve got,
00:38:17.367 --> 00:38:19.533
and it\'s all we\'ll ever get,
basically.
00:38:22.667 --> 00:38:24.633
- More than one astronomer
I spoke to
00:38:24.667 --> 00:38:27.300
suggested that seeing the stars
00:38:27.333 --> 00:38:30.633
is like seeing
the Earth from space.
00:38:30.667 --> 00:38:33.300
You suddenly realize
the uniqueness
00:38:33.333 --> 00:38:37.133
and the fragility of life
on the planet.
00:38:37.167 --> 00:38:38.600
Which is a reminder as well
00:38:38.633 --> 00:38:42.633
that it\'s more than just humans
who are losing the night.
00:38:47.667 --> 00:38:50.633
[thunder rumbling]
00:38:50.667 --> 00:38:53.667
[waves crashing]
00:39:19.667 --> 00:39:21.067
[rattling]
00:39:21.100 --> 00:39:23.767
[engine whines and rumbles]
00:39:39.333 --> 00:39:40.633
- We\'re just heading north,
00:39:40.667 --> 00:39:46.133
basically to our northern border
with Highland Beach,
00:39:46.167 --> 00:39:49.067
and actually, from here,
you can already see
00:39:49.100 --> 00:39:53.400
the amount of sky glow
we get from that area.
00:39:53.433 --> 00:39:57.267
The glow looking in that
direction is really intense.
00:39:59.667 --> 00:40:02.133
- Every summer,
along the Florida coast,
00:40:02.167 --> 00:40:05.633
thousands of hatching
sea turtles emerge from the sand
00:40:05.667 --> 00:40:08.667
and struggle to find their way
to the sea.
00:40:08.700 --> 00:40:10.833
- For about
the last 200 million years,
00:40:10.867 --> 00:40:14.667
sea turtles have utilized
the beaches in Florida
00:40:14.700 --> 00:40:16.467
as their nesting grounds.
00:40:16.500 --> 00:40:19.967
Over that time period,
in a dark world,
00:40:20.000 --> 00:40:23.667
the sea turtles had learned
that the water was located
00:40:23.700 --> 00:40:26.733
on the lightest horizon,
because the ocean,
00:40:26.767 --> 00:40:29.900
the waters would reflect
starlight.
00:40:29.933 --> 00:40:33.567
In the last 100 years or so
in Florida, obviously,
00:40:33.600 --> 00:40:37.067
the lighting situation
has changed dramatically.
00:40:37.100 --> 00:40:39.233
Instead of going towards
the water,
00:40:39.267 --> 00:40:41.933
they go to the brighter light.
00:40:51.567 --> 00:40:54.567
[waves crashing]
00:40:58.000 --> 00:41:01.367
- Biologists use
infrared camera lights
00:41:01.400 --> 00:41:04.033
to avoid disorienting
the turtles,
00:41:04.067 --> 00:41:06.867
because when the hatchlings
emerge from their nests,
00:41:06.900 --> 00:41:10.067
they have only a matter
of minutes to make it to the sea
00:41:10.100 --> 00:41:13.467
before they grow dehydrated
or fall victim to predators.
00:41:43.367 --> 00:41:49.367
[upbeat music]
00:42:34.033 --> 00:42:35.700
- Nice!
00:43:08.567 --> 00:43:10.700
- We made sure
all the hatchlings we saw
00:43:10.733 --> 00:43:13.033
made it to the water.
00:43:13.067 --> 00:43:16.200
But every summer,
tens of thousands of turtles,
00:43:16.233 --> 00:43:20.733
already a threatened species,
are lost to disorientation.
00:43:30.733 --> 00:43:33.700
I began to think
about disorientation,
00:43:33.733 --> 00:43:37.333
about the way I try to orient
myself on an airplane at night,
00:43:37.367 --> 00:43:39.500
not using the stars
00:43:39.533 --> 00:43:44.000
but using the constellations
of cities glowing below.
00:43:44.033 --> 00:43:46.000
Like someone has taken
the night sky
00:43:46.033 --> 00:43:48.200
and flipped it upside down,
00:43:48.233 --> 00:43:50.833
so that flying between
stars and cities,
00:43:50.867 --> 00:43:54.167
you could understand how,
if only for a moment,
00:43:54.200 --> 00:43:56.667
you might forget
which was which.
00:44:11.767 --> 00:44:14.867
- Sunrise today should be
somewhere around 6:20.
00:44:14.900 --> 00:44:16.567
We\'re gonna be looking
for birds right now
00:44:16.600 --> 00:44:20.133
that may have come down during
the nighttime hours.
00:44:20.167 --> 00:44:22.967
What we do is, we check
along the edges of buildings
00:44:23.000 --> 00:44:25.300
because a bird
that\'s struck the glass,
00:44:25.333 --> 00:44:28.633
they\'re typically sitting
very close to this edge.
00:44:28.667 --> 00:44:31.800
That\'s where they\'re
most likely to be laying
00:44:31.833 --> 00:44:33.467
if they\'re either dead
or injured.
00:45:07.333 --> 00:45:09.133
- Do you ever see any, like,
00:45:09.167 --> 00:45:11.300
dead or injured birds
out on the street?
00:45:11.333 --> 00:45:13.633
- No.
- Really?
00:45:13.667 --> 00:45:16.800
All right.
Can I have a donut?
00:45:16.833 --> 00:45:18.800
[phone rings]
00:45:18.833 --> 00:45:22.467
- Chicago Bird Collision
Monitors.
00:45:22.500 --> 00:45:25.667
10 South Riverside.
Do you have a bird there?
00:45:28.467 --> 00:45:32.267
We find about an average
of 4,000 birds a year
00:45:32.300 --> 00:45:34.400
in our spring
and fall migration combined.
00:45:34.433 --> 00:45:37.733
That\'s 4,000, you know,
both dead and injured combined.
00:45:37.767 --> 00:45:39.900
And we know that
we\'re not finding everything.
00:45:39.933 --> 00:45:41.000
- He\'s movin\'.
00:45:41.033 --> 00:45:42.133
- Oh, that\'s nice.
00:45:42.167 --> 00:45:43.633
- I found him right over here
by my car.
00:45:43.667 --> 00:45:46.000
- Wonderful.
Okay.
00:45:47.467 --> 00:45:49.100
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
00:45:49.133 --> 00:45:50.433
Where is he?
00:45:50.467 --> 00:45:52.200
Oh, it\'s another sapsucker.
Look at this.
00:45:52.233 --> 00:45:53.767
- Oh, that\'s what that is?
A sapsucker.
00:45:53.800 --> 00:45:56.767
- It\'s a woodpecker.
It\'s a yellow-bellied sapsucker.
00:45:56.800 --> 00:45:59.100
- Oh, it is.
Okay, I just...
00:45:59.133 --> 00:46:01.033
Oh, good, he\'s...
Oh, great.
00:46:01.067 --> 00:46:04.700
So he must have hit this
building or something and...
00:46:04.733 --> 00:46:06.367
I just seen him breathing,
00:46:06.400 --> 00:46:10.533
so I had my co-worker
come out with a towel.
00:46:10.567 --> 00:46:12.033
I\'ve used her quite a few times.
00:46:12.067 --> 00:46:13.700
I\'m glad I got her number, so...
00:46:13.733 --> 00:46:15.533
- That\'s great.
00:46:15.567 --> 00:46:19.200
- And this is a case where
you kind of got to move fast
00:46:19.233 --> 00:46:21.700
in case there\'s a gull
that\'s gonna spot him,
00:46:21.733 --> 00:46:22.867
\'cause he\'s in a place
00:46:22.900 --> 00:46:25.067
where there\'s a lot of crows
and gulls.
00:46:29.467 --> 00:46:32.267
He\'s broke the top of his beak.
00:46:32.300 --> 00:46:34.267
And sometimes that can heal,
00:46:34.300 --> 00:46:36.967
but that\'s really kind of sad.
00:46:44.133 --> 00:46:47.600
- The most common injuries
we see by far are...
00:46:47.633 --> 00:46:49.200
It goes a little bit
species by species...
00:46:49.233 --> 00:46:50.800
But certainly head trauma,
00:46:50.833 --> 00:46:53.633
\'cause they\'re obviously flying,
like, headfirst into something.
00:46:53.667 --> 00:46:56.033
I don\'t... remarkably,
I do not tend to see
00:46:56.067 --> 00:46:59.200
a lot of broken legs and wings
with those guys,
00:46:59.233 --> 00:47:00.767
but we get a lot that have...
00:47:00.800 --> 00:47:03.267
Sometimes they actually
have a swollen head,
00:47:03.300 --> 00:47:05.267
and they\'ll actually
come in with...
00:47:05.300 --> 00:47:07.100
Their skin\'s just split
wide open on their head
00:47:07.133 --> 00:47:08.267
from running into something.
00:47:08.300 --> 00:47:09.933
And they come in with blood
in their mouth.
00:47:09.967 --> 00:47:12.567
That\'s real telltale
for a head trauma.
00:47:12.600 --> 00:47:14.400
Sometimes they\'ll be blind
temporarily
00:47:14.433 --> 00:47:17.333
after they\'ve had a hit
on the head that hard.
00:47:21.100 --> 00:47:23.167
- Even though
you can\'t see them,
00:47:23.200 --> 00:47:26.500
there are thousands
and thousands of birds
00:47:26.533 --> 00:47:30.167
flying over your head
every night during migration.
00:47:36.633 --> 00:47:38.433
We know from early studies
00:47:38.467 --> 00:47:41.767
that the stars actually serve
as a map for birds
00:47:41.800 --> 00:47:44.533
as they migrate
through the night skies.
00:47:50.667 --> 00:47:52.467
- The problem
with lights in the city
00:47:52.500 --> 00:47:55.300
is that these birds,
which have been migrating
00:47:55.333 --> 00:47:58.967
with their star chart,
get into the realm of a city,
00:47:59.000 --> 00:48:02.067
and suddenly, there are all of
these artificial stars all over,
00:48:02.100 --> 00:48:03.400
the dots of windows
00:48:03.433 --> 00:48:06.067
and lights in the buildings
of the city,
00:48:06.100 --> 00:48:08.400
and that completely disorients
the birds.
00:48:08.433 --> 00:48:11.567
They get into these
great canyons of buildings
00:48:11.600 --> 00:48:17.600
and then run into glass
and end up killing themselves.
00:48:20.000 --> 00:48:23.133
- Birds are not only
disoriented by city lights.
00:48:23.167 --> 00:48:25.300
They are drawn to them.
00:48:25.333 --> 00:48:27.133
In one study by volunteers
00:48:27.167 --> 00:48:29.800
from The Field Museum
in Chicago,
00:48:29.833 --> 00:48:31.967
a building that shut off
half its lights
00:48:32.000 --> 00:48:34.800
recorded a ten-fold decrease
in bird deaths
00:48:34.833 --> 00:48:37.833
compared to the half of
the building that remained lit.
00:48:40.767 --> 00:48:43.733
- The estimate is that
there\'s a billion birds killed
00:48:43.767 --> 00:48:45.567
across the United States
every year
00:48:45.600 --> 00:48:47.767
by collisions into buildings.
00:48:53.700 --> 00:48:55.867
[handle clanking]
00:48:58.867 --> 00:49:01.900
- This is a drawer that has
a sample of the birds
00:49:01.933 --> 00:49:04.567
that we found at just
one building in Chicago
00:49:04.600 --> 00:49:06.400
over the last 30 years.
00:49:06.433 --> 00:49:09.400
This has a small portion
of the 150 species
00:49:09.433 --> 00:49:13.733
and a very... even smaller portion
of the over 30,000 specimens
00:49:13.767 --> 00:49:16.300
that we\'ve picked up
at this one place.
00:49:16.333 --> 00:49:18.800
This is a scarlet tanager.
00:49:18.833 --> 00:49:20.633
This is the male
in breeding plumage.
00:49:20.667 --> 00:49:23.300
This is the much less dramatic
female.
00:49:23.333 --> 00:49:25.300
This is a very interesting bird
00:49:25.333 --> 00:49:27.300
in that it migrates
from this region
00:49:27.333 --> 00:49:29.300
all the way to Peru
for the winter
00:49:29.333 --> 00:49:31.800
and then back again.
00:49:31.833 --> 00:49:33.800
And it\'s one of the birds
that it always...
00:49:33.833 --> 00:49:36.467
Especially striking
when you find a dead one,
00:49:36.500 --> 00:49:38.467
realizing that it had made
that journey,
00:49:38.500 --> 00:49:40.800
and then it ends against
a glass window
00:49:40.833 --> 00:49:44.267
in a city in the Midwest.
00:50:10.400 --> 00:50:16.400
[solemn instrumental music]
00:50:27.167 --> 00:50:28.467
- When I was young,
00:50:28.500 --> 00:50:31.300
we\'d catch fireflies
behind the barn in Maine
00:50:31.333 --> 00:50:34.167
just by running through
the field with a jar.
00:50:36.200 --> 00:50:38.500
But fireflies...
Like many other species
00:50:38.533 --> 00:50:42.167
that rely on darkness
to mate, hunt, or hide...
00:50:42.200 --> 00:50:46.200
Are in decline because
of changes to their habitat.
00:50:48.867 --> 00:50:51.467
- When we add light
to the environment,
00:50:51.500 --> 00:50:54.800
that has the potential
to disrupt habitat,
00:50:54.833 --> 00:50:59.067
just like running a bulldozer
over the landscape can.
00:51:05.867 --> 00:51:10.333
Darkness is a necessary habitat
for nocturnal animals.
00:51:10.367 --> 00:51:13.333
So what\'s the habitat
for people?
00:51:21.400 --> 00:51:24.700
- I always sleep better
when I\'m home in Maine,
00:51:24.733 --> 00:51:26.700
even sleeping outside,
00:51:26.733 --> 00:51:30.533
something I\'d never even
considered doing in New York.
00:51:30.567 --> 00:51:33.700
Perhaps what I\'d loved
about being up north
00:51:33.733 --> 00:51:36.200
was not only
the light of the stars
00:51:36.233 --> 00:51:38.167
but the dark of the night.
00:51:42.200 --> 00:51:48.200
[dramatic percussive music]
00:52:00.700 --> 00:52:02.333
- Our society
is moving more and more
00:52:02.367 --> 00:52:05.833
towards a 24-7 lifestyle
00:52:05.867 --> 00:52:08.167
where everything\'s open
all night long.
00:52:08.200 --> 00:52:10.167
People are being asked
to work very long hours
00:52:10.200 --> 00:52:11.667
and working all through
the night.
00:52:11.700 --> 00:52:13.000
And we don\'t really understand
00:52:13.033 --> 00:52:14.900
what the long-term
health consequences are.
00:52:14.933 --> 00:52:16.900
- [singing]
Do-do, do-do-do
00:52:16.933 --> 00:52:19.233
- I go to work at 7:00
in the evening,
00:52:19.267 --> 00:52:22.700
and I clock out
at 7:30 in the morning.
00:52:22.733 --> 00:52:24.200
[whirring]
00:52:24.233 --> 00:52:27.967
- I get in at 7:00,
and I get out at 6:00 a.m.
00:52:30.567 --> 00:52:33.167
- Everybody sitting around!
Everybody line up!
00:52:33.200 --> 00:52:35.400
There\'s a lot of professions
that are only at night.
00:52:38.933 --> 00:52:42.733
- We have evolved all life on
the planet for 3 billion years
00:52:42.767 --> 00:52:46.733
with a reliable daily cycle
of 12 hours
00:52:46.767 --> 00:52:51.067
of bright, broad-spectrum light
and 12 hours of dark.
00:52:51.100 --> 00:52:53.233
And it\'s only been
in the last 120 years
00:52:53.267 --> 00:52:55.233
where the masses of people now
00:52:55.267 --> 00:52:58.400
have had their dark period
dramatically eroded
00:52:58.433 --> 00:53:01.300
by the use of electric lighting.
00:53:04.533 --> 00:53:10.533
[gentle acoustic strumming]
00:53:26.667 --> 00:53:28.800
- Ow!
00:53:28.833 --> 00:53:31.633
Not nice to slam
into the breast cancer patient
00:53:31.667 --> 00:53:34.133
on the cancer side specifically.
00:53:34.167 --> 00:53:36.533
Anyhow...
00:53:36.567 --> 00:53:39.400
That\'s the sore side
he just hit.
00:53:39.433 --> 00:53:41.600
We\'re on our way to...
00:53:41.633 --> 00:53:46.100
I believe it is number 6
of 30 radiation treatments.
00:53:46.133 --> 00:53:50.100
Everybody with breast cancer
00:53:50.133 --> 00:53:55.433
thinks about what can they do
to reduce a recurrence.
00:53:55.467 --> 00:53:58.767
But most people I know
don\'t spend an awful lot of time
00:53:58.800 --> 00:54:01.667
thinking about
what got them there.
00:54:01.700 --> 00:54:03.700
It\'s just hard to know.
00:54:06.567 --> 00:54:09.800
- Well, sadly and remarkably,
breast cancer
00:54:09.833 --> 00:54:13.467
is the number one cancer killer
of women in the world.
00:54:13.500 --> 00:54:14.967
Breast cancer risk
00:54:15.000 --> 00:54:18.967
has been going up 1% to 2%
per year relentlessly
00:54:19.000 --> 00:54:21.400
and for reasons
that we really don\'t understand.
00:54:25.367 --> 00:54:27.167
Worldwide, risk of breast cancer
00:54:27.200 --> 00:54:29.167
has been going up everywhere
00:54:29.200 --> 00:54:31.167
and particularly
in those countries
00:54:31.200 --> 00:54:34.700
that are rapidly
industrializing now.
00:54:37.233 --> 00:54:41.200
We thought it had to be
something to do with diet,
00:54:41.233 --> 00:54:42.867
changes in the diet
00:54:42.900 --> 00:54:46.067
to the high-fat, processed-food
Western diet.
00:54:47.767 --> 00:54:52.633
The real good studies of diet
began to hit, be reported,
00:54:52.667 --> 00:54:55.800
in the mid-1980s,
and they were dead negative.
00:54:55.833 --> 00:54:57.633
There was no relationship
00:54:57.667 --> 00:55:00.867
of fat in the diet, for example,
and risk.
00:55:00.900 --> 00:55:03.400
We were all very disappointed
by this.
00:55:03.433 --> 00:55:05.067
If it\'s not diet, what is it?
00:55:07.433 --> 00:55:09.400
What is a hallmark
of industrialization?
00:55:09.433 --> 00:55:12.067
What else changes
as societies industrialize?
00:55:12.100 --> 00:55:15.400
And I was in my apartment
in the middle of the night.
00:55:15.433 --> 00:55:17.233
Woke up as I usually do,
00:55:17.267 --> 00:55:18.900
and there was a streetlight
shining in,
00:55:18.933 --> 00:55:21.233
and I realized
it was bright enough to read,
00:55:21.267 --> 00:55:23.233
and at that moment, I wondered,
00:55:23.267 --> 00:55:26.067
\"Could electric power
and lighting at night
00:55:26.100 --> 00:55:29.600
have anything to do
with breast cancer risk?\"
00:55:31.200 --> 00:55:33.000
- So a series of
epidemiological studies
00:55:33.033 --> 00:55:34.833
were done by different
researchers
00:55:34.867 --> 00:55:36.667
all over the world at the time
00:55:36.700 --> 00:55:39.700
looking at cancer rates
in shift workers.
00:55:42.033 --> 00:55:44.833
- The epidemiologic studies
that have been conducted
00:55:44.867 --> 00:55:47.667
have shown that women
who do shift work
00:55:47.700 --> 00:55:51.333
are at 1 1/2 to 2 times
the risk of breast cancer
00:55:51.367 --> 00:55:53.767
compared to women
who do not do shift work.
00:55:58.700 --> 00:56:00.933
[brakes squealing]
00:56:03.033 --> 00:56:07.667
- That\'s a Byzantine,
quarter of an inch wide.
00:56:07.700 --> 00:56:11.333
So, yeah, you got to...
People like it when you measure.
00:56:11.367 --> 00:56:15.000
You measure the earrings.
00:56:15.033 --> 00:56:17.000
You measure the necklace.
00:56:17.033 --> 00:56:18.667
People like it when you measure.
00:56:18.700 --> 00:56:21.467
It\'s kind of old-fashioned
but...
00:56:24.100 --> 00:56:25.900
I used to sell things on TV.
00:56:25.933 --> 00:56:27.733
And I would work
in the overnights,
00:56:27.767 --> 00:56:32.233
selling a lot of jewelry
but also clothing or cosmetics.
00:56:32.267 --> 00:56:35.233
A lot of shifts would be,
you\'d get into work at 10:00
00:56:35.267 --> 00:56:38.567
and then go on the air
at midnight to 3:00 a.m.,
00:56:38.600 --> 00:56:42.000
or you might be on
the air 3:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.
00:56:45.467 --> 00:56:47.100
I really encourage you
to go ahead
00:56:47.133 --> 00:56:48.433
and give me a call on these.
00:56:48.467 --> 00:56:50.433
You always have your 30-day
money back guarantee.
00:56:50.467 --> 00:56:52.100
If they\'re not as good
as I say they are,
00:56:52.133 --> 00:56:53.600
you send them right back.
00:56:53.633 --> 00:56:57.600
But, boy, gorgeous,
gorgeous rhodolite earrings.
00:56:57.633 --> 00:56:59.900
If you love rhodolite,
do yourself a favor...
00:56:59.933 --> 00:57:02.967
1998.
00:57:03.000 --> 00:57:04.300
[laughs]
00:57:04.333 --> 00:57:05.733
We had fun.
00:57:05.767 --> 00:57:07.233
Look at that scarf.
00:57:07.267 --> 00:57:08.367
See?
That\'s easy to do.
00:57:08.400 --> 00:57:12.233
All you do is...
Is, you tie it like that.
00:57:12.267 --> 00:57:15.767
- The notion that light
could be harmful
00:57:15.800 --> 00:57:19.367
flows very natural from
the beneficial effects of light.
00:57:19.400 --> 00:57:22.533
Anything that can heal
the human potentially,
00:57:22.567 --> 00:57:25.100
if used inappropriately,
can harm.
00:57:25.133 --> 00:57:28.767
How about we turn on
the Earth skylight
00:57:28.800 --> 00:57:31.600
and monochromatic units,
00:57:31.633 --> 00:57:33.933
so I don\'t have to fiddle
with them?
00:57:33.967 --> 00:57:35.767
In this facility here...
00:57:35.800 --> 00:57:37.433
- By studying how people respond
00:57:37.467 --> 00:57:41.267
to different types of light
at different times of day,
00:57:41.300 --> 00:57:43.600
scientists are quickly
unraveling the fact
00:57:43.633 --> 00:57:46.133
that light does more
than help us see.
00:57:48.867 --> 00:57:52.833
- The nervous system has evolved
a means for sending information
00:57:52.867 --> 00:57:57.333
based on time of day
and light and darkness
00:57:57.367 --> 00:57:59.500
independent
of the visual system.
00:57:59.533 --> 00:58:03.433
Light that comes into the eye
stimulates a nonvisual pathway
00:58:03.467 --> 00:58:05.467
right towards the center
of the brain.
00:58:09.333 --> 00:58:11.633
That information
about light and darkness
00:58:11.667 --> 00:58:14.300
is converted
into a hormonal signal,
00:58:14.333 --> 00:58:16.300
the production of melatonin,
00:58:16.333 --> 00:58:17.633
which in turn is released
00:58:17.667 --> 00:58:19.933
and circulates
throughout the entire body.
00:58:23.300 --> 00:58:25.767
- During the daytime,
when we\'re awake,
00:58:25.800 --> 00:58:31.433
our blood samples contain
little or no melatonin.
00:58:31.467 --> 00:58:33.767
But at night, if it\'s dark,
00:58:33.800 --> 00:58:36.300
we produce
abundant amounts of it.
00:58:39.300 --> 00:58:42.100
- The normal production
of melatonin
00:58:42.133 --> 00:58:44.767
is what\'s called
a circadian rhythm.
00:58:44.800 --> 00:58:47.767
Production of melatonin
is high during the nighttime,
00:58:47.800 --> 00:58:52.600
low during the daytime.
00:58:52.633 --> 00:58:57.933
But we\'ve altered
our light-dark environment.
00:58:57.967 --> 00:58:59.600
The eyes exposed
to light at night
00:58:59.633 --> 00:59:03.167
will cause a very rapid
and a very strong suppression
00:59:03.200 --> 00:59:05.033
of this hormone.
00:59:08.033 --> 00:59:10.167
- By exposing
human test subjects
00:59:10.200 --> 00:59:13.000
to light in the middle
of the night...
00:59:13.033 --> 00:59:14.167
Oh, my.
00:59:14.200 --> 00:59:16.500
Scientists can show
how light at night
00:59:16.533 --> 00:59:19.167
causes a suppression
of our melatonin levels,
00:59:19.200 --> 00:59:21.400
similar to what happens
during the day.
00:59:25.900 --> 00:59:28.200
Dr. Brainard\'s lab
began collecting
00:59:28.233 --> 00:59:30.533
three types of blood samples:
00:59:30.567 --> 00:59:32.533
blood collected
during the daytime
00:59:32.567 --> 00:59:34.700
when melatonin levels are low,
00:59:34.733 --> 00:59:37.533
blood collected during
the night in darkness
00:59:37.567 --> 00:59:39.533
when melatonin levels are high,
00:59:39.567 --> 00:59:41.367
and blood collected
during the night
00:59:41.400 --> 00:59:43.867
after patients
are exposed to light
00:59:43.900 --> 00:59:47.100
when their melatonin levels
are low.
00:59:47.133 --> 00:59:50.933
These samples, from healthy,
young graduate students,
00:59:50.967 --> 00:59:55.267
were then sent to another
scientist named Dr. David Blask.
00:59:55.300 --> 00:59:58.300
[door creaking]
01:00:00.300 --> 01:00:03.600
- The shift work data suggested
01:00:03.633 --> 01:00:06.267
that there\'s something
about shift work
01:00:06.300 --> 01:00:08.167
that may be associated
01:00:08.200 --> 01:00:10.933
with increased risk
of breast cancer certainly
01:00:10.967 --> 01:00:12.767
and maybe other cancers as well.
01:00:12.800 --> 01:00:14.433
And there\'s really no way...
Good way
01:00:14.467 --> 01:00:17.267
to test that in human beings,
01:00:17.300 --> 01:00:20.167
and so you go to animal models.
01:00:20.200 --> 01:00:24.033
So we\'re looking
at this surface of the rat.
01:00:27.833 --> 01:00:29.967
In this region of the rat,
01:00:30.000 --> 01:00:32.467
we implant human breast cancers
01:00:32.500 --> 01:00:34.800
that have been grown
in donor animals.
01:00:36.967 --> 01:00:40.567
So we have these three different
kinds of blood samples,
01:00:40.600 --> 01:00:44.400
and we take each
of these three blood samples
01:00:44.433 --> 01:00:48.400
and literally pump
these blood samples
01:00:48.433 --> 01:00:50.533
directly through this tumor.
01:00:50.567 --> 01:00:53.367
- In the presence
of nighttime blood
01:00:53.400 --> 01:00:55.533
rich in melatonin,
01:00:55.567 --> 01:00:58.200
tumor growth was suppressed.
01:00:58.233 --> 01:00:59.700
But in the presence of blood
01:00:59.733 --> 01:01:02.100
from patients
exposed to light at night,
01:01:02.133 --> 01:01:04.100
with lower melatonin levels,
01:01:04.133 --> 01:01:07.333
tumor growth was rapid
and fatal.
01:01:07.367 --> 01:01:14.333
- Tumors that may ordinarily
be dormant and not very active
01:01:14.367 --> 01:01:17.100
because melatonin is around,
01:01:17.133 --> 01:01:20.267
if the melatonin is suppressed,
01:01:20.300 --> 01:01:23.367
these tumors then become active
all the time.
01:01:34.533 --> 01:01:36.167
- \"For many months,
it was a pleasure
01:01:36.200 --> 01:01:38.500
\"to listen and watch your show
late at night.
01:01:38.533 --> 01:01:40.833
\"I think you\'re the classiest
host from VVTV.
01:01:40.867 --> 01:01:43.667
I wish you all the best luck
in your new job.\"
01:01:43.700 --> 01:01:45.200
\"I\'ve enjoyed you
and your honesty,
01:01:45.233 --> 01:01:48.867
your easygoing portrayals of
jewelry in a non-shrieking way.\"
01:01:48.900 --> 01:01:51.533
I mean, that was the amazing
part of this job.
01:01:51.567 --> 01:01:55.367
That\'s why it was so hard
to leave.
01:01:55.400 --> 01:01:58.567
I mean, shift work is definitely
part of broadcasting,
01:01:58.600 --> 01:02:00.800
and did it cause
my breast cancer?
01:02:00.833 --> 01:02:01.967
I don\'t know.
01:02:02.000 --> 01:02:03.133
I mean, there\'s other risks
01:02:03.167 --> 01:02:04.967
that certainly may have
played a factor.
01:02:05.000 --> 01:02:07.900
But what I do know
is that working overnights
01:02:07.933 --> 01:02:12.333
is extremely difficult
on your body.
01:02:12.367 --> 01:02:14.967
It was like moving
through molasses.
01:02:15.000 --> 01:02:16.700
It was like being a zombie.
01:02:16.733 --> 01:02:20.033
Sometimes I said it was like,
you know, my head\'s cut off,
01:02:20.067 --> 01:02:21.967
and it\'s being kept alive
in the TV set,
01:02:22.000 --> 01:02:24.833
you know, but my body is dying.
01:02:26.533 --> 01:02:28.000
Having your body supported
01:02:28.033 --> 01:02:30.500
is gonna make you feel
more comfortable.
01:02:30.533 --> 01:02:33.000
In the next 90 seconds,
01:02:33.033 --> 01:02:39.500
if the idea of a better
night\'s sleep appeals to you,
01:02:39.533 --> 01:02:41.833
the idea of sleeping better
at night,
01:02:41.867 --> 01:02:45.167
sleeping more comfortably
appeals to you,
01:02:45.200 --> 01:02:48.333
or maybe you want to give
somebody that gift of love,
01:02:48.367 --> 01:02:50.833
that gift of comfort
for Christmas,
01:02:50.867 --> 01:02:54.533
give us a call
if you have any questions...
01:02:57.800 --> 01:03:02.000
- If light... and we\'re still
at the hypothesis level...
01:03:02.033 --> 01:03:05.000
If light exposure at night
is a risk factor
01:03:05.033 --> 01:03:07.333
for a woman to develop
breast cancer
01:03:07.367 --> 01:03:10.500
or for a man to develop
prostate cancer,
01:03:10.533 --> 01:03:14.500
if that\'s true, then we really
need to know how much light
01:03:14.533 --> 01:03:17.667
and what quality of light
and how often
01:03:17.700 --> 01:03:20.867
and at what time of night
it is most problematic.
01:03:25.033 --> 01:03:26.667
- The World Health Organization
01:03:26.700 --> 01:03:31.000
has named overnight shift work
as a probable carcinogen,
01:03:31.033 --> 01:03:33.167
which was enough to make me wary
01:03:33.200 --> 01:03:36.700
of the light trespassing
into my bedroom at night.
01:03:40.467 --> 01:03:41.933
Across the world,
01:03:41.967 --> 01:03:45.633
light is used as a measure
of progress, of development.
01:03:48.733 --> 01:03:50.700
For the first time
in the history of the planet,
01:03:50.733 --> 01:03:54.233
more people live in cities now
than in the countryside.
01:04:00.333 --> 01:04:04.533
These photographs were taken
by an astronaut named Don Pettit
01:04:04.567 --> 01:04:06.867
aboard the International
Space Station,
01:04:06.900 --> 01:04:10.000
looking down on
the constellation of humanity,
01:04:10.033 --> 01:04:13.333
as I, with my homemade telescope
in Maine,
01:04:13.367 --> 01:04:15.200
tried to look the other way.
01:04:24.667 --> 01:04:26.800
[crickets chirping]
01:04:26.833 --> 01:04:29.533
One night a few years ago,
01:04:29.567 --> 01:04:32.633
someone broke
into my family\'s barn in Maine
01:04:32.667 --> 01:04:35.400
and stole a bunch
of my father\'s tools.
01:04:38.833 --> 01:04:41.800
My family responded
by installing an enormous light
01:04:41.833 --> 01:04:44.333
on the corner of the barn.
01:04:47.500 --> 01:04:50.133
We haven\'t had any break-ins
since then,
01:04:50.167 --> 01:04:53.500
but night has never been
quite the same.
01:05:18.033 --> 01:05:20.067
- The early impetus,
01:05:20.100 --> 01:05:23.900
as recently
as 300, 400 years ago,
01:05:23.933 --> 01:05:29.400
for public lighting was crime.
01:05:29.433 --> 01:05:35.433
[dramatic music]
01:05:37.967 --> 01:05:41.767
Virtually, every ancient
civilization
01:05:41.800 --> 01:05:45.133
that has left clues
of some sort...
01:05:45.167 --> 01:05:48.733
Stone tablets
or works of history...
01:05:48.767 --> 01:05:53.733
Every civilization
had a fear of the night.
01:05:57.467 --> 01:06:03.333
- This has been an area
plagued by narcotics and guns
01:06:03.367 --> 01:06:06.167
in a perennial fashion.
01:06:06.200 --> 01:06:10.667
Now, you can look
along the roadways here
01:06:10.700 --> 01:06:14.000
and see how dimly lit it is.
01:06:14.033 --> 01:06:16.833
Darker areas tend to be
backfilled by offenders,
01:06:16.867 --> 01:06:19.333
and they like that
because they can operate
01:06:19.367 --> 01:06:21.167
under the concealment
of darkness.
01:06:21.200 --> 01:06:22.200
They can hide guns.
01:06:22.233 --> 01:06:23.333
They can hide drugs.
01:06:23.367 --> 01:06:24.667
They can wear dark clothing
01:06:24.700 --> 01:06:28.000
and recede into the recesses
of the alleyways.
01:06:28.033 --> 01:06:29.833
That is dark right there.
01:06:29.867 --> 01:06:33.167
[police sirens wailing]
01:06:33.200 --> 01:06:37.833
If the area becomes
too well-lit, oftentimes,
01:06:37.867 --> 01:06:40.333
drug dealers will shoot
the lights out
01:06:40.367 --> 01:06:42.167
to provide their own darkness.
01:06:42.200 --> 01:06:44.833
[sirens wailing]
01:06:44.867 --> 01:06:48.167
When I was here in 1989
and the early 1990s,
01:06:48.200 --> 01:06:52.167
this park was nothing more
than a sandlot,
01:06:52.200 --> 01:06:54.167
and there were frequently fights
in here.
01:06:54.200 --> 01:06:56.000
There have been a number
of homicides
01:06:56.033 --> 01:06:58.000
and sexual assaults.
01:06:58.033 --> 01:07:03.233
History is replete with examples
of poorly lit nighttime areas
01:07:03.267 --> 01:07:06.733
that are transformed by light.
01:07:06.767 --> 01:07:08.567
Fencing that you see here
is all brand-new.
01:07:08.600 --> 01:07:11.233
The lighting stanchions
are brand-new.
01:07:11.267 --> 01:07:13.733
- The neighborhood is filled
with drugs and gangs
01:07:13.767 --> 01:07:16.233
and shootings
and things like that.
01:07:16.267 --> 01:07:17.900
The lighting is not good at all,
01:07:17.933 --> 01:07:19.533
but the lighting here
is wonderful.
01:07:19.567 --> 01:07:20.700
- Hmm.
- It\'s wonderful.
01:07:20.733 --> 01:07:21.867
You can see anything.
01:07:21.900 --> 01:07:23.700
You can see everything
that\'s going on,
01:07:23.733 --> 01:07:25.867
and it does have a lot to do
with lighting.
01:07:25.900 --> 01:07:27.467
- You could see
if somebody\'s behind you.
01:07:27.500 --> 01:07:29.233
Like, if I\'m walking,
and he comes behind me,
01:07:29.267 --> 01:07:31.233
I could just see his shadow
\'cause there\'s lights.
01:07:31.267 --> 01:07:32.433
But in a dark alley,
01:07:32.467 --> 01:07:34.107
somebody just gonna pop up
out of nowhere.
01:07:34.133 --> 01:07:35.267
- Yeah.
01:07:35.300 --> 01:07:37.467
- Changing the lighting
is a lot better.
01:07:37.500 --> 01:07:40.467
It\'s a lot safer
for the kids now, you know.
01:07:40.500 --> 01:07:42.467
Most of the people
in the neighborhood
01:07:42.500 --> 01:07:44.133
always keep it on now,
01:07:44.167 --> 01:07:46.733
so it\'s not like
it used to be before.
01:07:51.267 --> 01:07:54.067
- There is controversy
over whether more light
01:07:54.100 --> 01:07:56.733
leads to less crime,
01:07:56.767 --> 01:07:58.067
but there is agreement
01:07:58.100 --> 01:08:00.800
that light seems to make people
feel safer,
01:08:00.833 --> 01:08:02.967
almost like it\'s built
into our genes
01:08:03.000 --> 01:08:06.433
to move closer to the campfire
or to the brightest city.
01:08:11.033 --> 01:08:13.167
- For most of human history,
01:08:13.200 --> 01:08:16.067
it was basically a struggle
against the darkness.
01:08:16.100 --> 01:08:18.900
It was a struggle to make
the smallest of illuminations
01:08:18.933 --> 01:08:22.233
in this enormously dark night.
01:08:22.267 --> 01:08:26.567
Until the 19th century,
darkness did control the night,
01:08:26.600 --> 01:08:30.233
so the struggle to build cities
with more and more light
01:08:30.267 --> 01:08:32.567
was a struggle
to dominate the night
01:08:32.600 --> 01:08:35.067
rather than be dominated
by the night.
01:08:39.000 --> 01:08:42.133
- Light does facilitate
01:08:42.167 --> 01:08:46.233
social interaction
on a massive scale.
01:08:48.333 --> 01:08:53.133
In 1846, a Parisian proclaims,
01:08:53.167 --> 01:08:58.100
\"The reign of night
is finally going to end.\"
01:09:03.067 --> 01:09:04.700
- Look at this whole place.
01:09:04.733 --> 01:09:07.033
Look at the wonderful
Christmas decorations,
01:09:07.067 --> 01:09:09.267
the Christmas lights,
01:09:09.300 --> 01:09:12.267
the floodlights bathing this
in a white light.
01:09:12.300 --> 01:09:14.100
And look at all the people.
01:09:14.133 --> 01:09:16.267
They\'ve made it
an inviting place,
01:09:16.300 --> 01:09:17.933
and who wouldn\'t want
to be here?
01:09:17.967 --> 01:09:21.100
It\'s bright, sparkly, dynamic,
kinetic.
01:09:21.133 --> 01:09:23.267
And if you\'re not fascinated
by that,
01:09:23.300 --> 01:09:24.967
you should be put in a box.
01:09:28.200 --> 01:09:30.000
[car horn blares]
01:09:30.033 --> 01:09:31.700
- New York!
01:09:33.100 --> 01:09:34.567
- There\'s just so much going on.
01:09:34.600 --> 01:09:36.467
The lights.
01:09:36.500 --> 01:09:40.500
I mean, everywhere you turn,
there\'s something significant.
01:09:46.233 --> 01:09:50.133
- The twinkling of cities
at night always says to me,
01:09:50.167 --> 01:09:53.300
\"Look at us as a species,
you know.
01:09:53.333 --> 01:09:54.633
\"You\'ve seen anthills.
01:09:54.667 --> 01:09:57.967
\"You\'ve seen the nests
of bowerbirds.
01:09:58.000 --> 01:09:59.667
This is what we do.\"
01:10:01.800 --> 01:10:05.600
- In the 1930s,
the Swiss architect Le Corbusier
01:10:05.633 --> 01:10:08.033
visited New York,
and he was really struck by it.
01:10:08.067 --> 01:10:12.367
He says, \"It\'s a Milky Way
brought down to Earth.\"
01:10:12.400 --> 01:10:15.400
With electricity,
a whole new era opened up.
01:10:20.400 --> 01:10:22.533
- You could think of our era
as the one in which
01:10:22.567 --> 01:10:25.200
the stars disappeared
from the sky
01:10:25.233 --> 01:10:29.200
and reappeared
in our city skylines,
01:10:29.233 --> 01:10:30.933
which could help explain why
01:10:30.967 --> 01:10:33.433
I began to feel
a kind of affection
01:10:33.467 --> 01:10:36.433
for the way the city
used light as art,
01:10:36.467 --> 01:10:39.800
as celebration, as tribute.
01:10:53.167 --> 01:10:55.800
But at this point,
I also saw the birds
01:10:55.833 --> 01:10:58.367
flickering and lost
in the city lights
01:10:58.400 --> 01:11:01.967
and the streetlight
pouring in my bedroom window.
01:11:03.733 --> 01:11:08.067
Though we might love the light,
we might also need the dark.
01:11:13.700 --> 01:11:18.033
- An important part of our work
and my work
01:11:18.067 --> 01:11:22.300
is to explain
and convince my clients
01:11:22.333 --> 01:11:24.800
that they don\'t need
so much light.
01:11:24.833 --> 01:11:29.133
They need light
where it\'s required
01:11:29.167 --> 01:11:32.133
but not in a very uniform way,
01:11:32.167 --> 01:11:34.433
not diffused all over the place.
01:11:36.967 --> 01:11:40.267
When you have a very diffuse
light, you have great...
01:11:40.300 --> 01:11:41.767
You have a lot of glare.
01:11:41.800 --> 01:11:43.100
And you look here.
01:11:43.133 --> 01:11:44.933
You have no idea that
you have a sky behind you.
01:11:44.967 --> 01:11:46.100
You see the glare.
01:11:46.133 --> 01:11:47.433
You have no idea where you are.
01:11:47.467 --> 01:11:50.100
You could be anywhere.
01:11:50.133 --> 01:11:52.100
So it\'s still
under construction here.
01:11:52.133 --> 01:11:54.767
It\'s not finished yet.
01:11:54.800 --> 01:11:57.433
- When Hervé Descottes
designed the lights
01:11:57.467 --> 01:12:01.667
for New York\'s newest park,
the High Line in Manhattan,
01:12:01.700 --> 01:12:04.833
he designed them
with the night in mind.
01:12:04.867 --> 01:12:08.667
- You can see, the light
is completely hidden here.
01:12:08.700 --> 01:12:11.333
It\'s underneath here.
01:12:11.367 --> 01:12:14.000
So you don\'t see
the light source.
01:12:14.033 --> 01:12:16.700
And look at the effect.
01:12:23.400 --> 01:12:26.533
Try to imagine
a different type of city light.
01:12:26.567 --> 01:12:31.533
How could we light our city
in a more careful way,
01:12:31.567 --> 01:12:36.367
where you feel safe,
where you find your direction?
01:12:36.400 --> 01:12:38.200
It\'s where you can escape
01:12:38.233 --> 01:12:40.867
and be connected
to a darker sky.
01:12:46.433 --> 01:12:48.400
- A darker city sky is,
01:12:48.433 --> 01:12:51.933
when it comes down to it,
a matter of design.
01:12:54.867 --> 01:12:57.000
On many lights,
the light doesn\'t actually
01:12:57.033 --> 01:13:00.233
go down to the ground
or light what\'s below.
01:13:00.267 --> 01:13:03.733
It actually goes up.
01:13:03.767 --> 01:13:06.567
It\'s like having a sprinkler
in your yard,
01:13:06.600 --> 01:13:09.067
but only half of the water
goes on the yard,
01:13:09.100 --> 01:13:12.267
and the rest somehow
blasts up into outer space.
01:13:16.700 --> 01:13:20.333
- There was a time
when smokestacks showed
01:13:20.367 --> 01:13:24.000
how affluent your society was,
01:13:24.033 --> 01:13:28.433
but we look at these now
almost with disdain.
01:13:28.467 --> 01:13:32.767
Lights... our light pollution
will probably fall
01:13:32.800 --> 01:13:34.100
in the same category,
01:13:34.133 --> 01:13:38.100
where now we equate
the wealth of your society
01:13:38.133 --> 01:13:42.100
with how many lights
you can burn at nighttime.
01:13:42.133 --> 01:13:45.933
And in the future, I predict
affluent societies,
01:13:45.967 --> 01:13:47.600
they will still be producing
01:13:47.633 --> 01:13:50.900
all the necessary light
they need for nighttime use
01:13:50.933 --> 01:13:54.733
but not so much light
that it bleeds off into space
01:13:54.767 --> 01:13:57.600
and spoils our nighttime sky.
01:14:00.300 --> 01:14:02.267
- Partly because
wasted light represents
01:14:02.300 --> 01:14:04.767
a tremendous loss of money,
01:14:04.800 --> 01:14:07.267
engineers are designing
full cutoff lights
01:14:07.300 --> 01:14:10.267
that direct light only downward,
where it is needed.
01:14:12.667 --> 01:14:14.967
And many communities
across the country,
01:14:15.000 --> 01:14:17.967
including one just up the road
from my childhood home,
01:14:18.000 --> 01:14:21.933
are enacting new ordinances
that restrict wasteful light.
01:14:26.500 --> 01:14:28.700
[seagulls screeching]
01:14:32.367 --> 01:14:35.667
- We\'re now a week away
from the November 4th election,
01:14:35.700 --> 01:14:37.333
a big election for many,
many reasons.
01:14:37.367 --> 01:14:39.500
Here on Mount Desert Island,
01:14:39.533 --> 01:14:42.500
a lighting ordinance
is up for ratification
01:14:42.533 --> 01:14:44.667
by the town of Bar Harbor,
01:14:44.700 --> 01:14:47.367
and we\'re hopeful
that it will pass.
01:14:50.600 --> 01:14:53.833
- This is considered
one of the last remaining
01:14:53.867 --> 01:14:57.167
pristine dark night skies
on the East Coast.
01:14:57.200 --> 01:15:00.233
There definitely is a sense
of urgency in this area.
01:15:00.267 --> 01:15:03.067
Folks are seeing
the big-box stores arrive
01:15:03.100 --> 01:15:07.100
along with big lights
in the parking lots and so on.
01:15:16.767 --> 01:15:19.733
- I went out
to different neighborhoods.
01:15:19.767 --> 01:15:21.733
I\'d say, \"Okay,
why do you live here?
01:15:21.767 --> 01:15:25.233
And what\'s so great about living
in this part of Bar Harbor?\"
01:15:25.267 --> 01:15:28.567
And they all said,
\"We love our night sky.
01:15:28.600 --> 01:15:31.600
We love going out at night
and looking up.\"
01:15:33.633 --> 01:15:35.100
It really boils down to,
01:15:35.133 --> 01:15:38.233
you know, only put light
where you need it.
01:15:41.533 --> 01:15:44.000
- Bar Harbor passed
its lighting ordinance,
01:15:44.033 --> 01:15:46.567
and back at my family\'s house,
we followed suit.
01:15:46.600 --> 01:15:48.833
[wrench clicking]
01:15:54.967 --> 01:15:56.767
Though our new light
would save us money
01:15:56.800 --> 01:15:59.800
on the electricity bill
every month,
01:15:59.833 --> 01:16:01.933
it was harder to put my finger
on what we gained
01:16:01.967 --> 01:16:03.933
as the stars came back...
01:16:06.633 --> 01:16:09.133
Some unnamable feeling.
01:16:13.967 --> 01:16:15.267
Perhaps the night sky
01:16:15.300 --> 01:16:18.267
and whatever stars
we are lucky enough to see
01:16:18.300 --> 01:16:20.767
helps us reorient,
01:16:20.800 --> 01:16:22.833
helps restore something in us
01:16:22.867 --> 01:16:24.433
that we didn\'t know
we were missing.
01:16:30.400 --> 01:16:33.033
- We have lived under the stars
01:16:33.067 --> 01:16:37.700
for the vast majority
of our experience.
01:16:37.733 --> 01:16:39.867
Go back the last million years.
01:16:39.900 --> 01:16:43.967
How much of that time
have we been inside
01:16:44.000 --> 01:16:46.633
in air-conditioned,
heated,
01:16:46.667 --> 01:16:49.767
hermetically sealed
little boxes?
01:16:49.800 --> 01:16:51.600
It\'s very recent.
01:16:54.133 --> 01:16:57.767
So naturally,
there\'s a kind of dislocation.
01:16:57.800 --> 01:17:01.333
You know, it seems to be
that there\'s this desire
01:17:01.367 --> 01:17:04.833
to know what the universe
is like.
01:17:04.867 --> 01:17:08.167
You know, this is the mystery
that we were all born into.
01:17:10.067 --> 01:17:13.033
- I remember lying on my back
as a kid
01:17:13.067 --> 01:17:15.367
and trying to wrap my head
around the fact
01:17:15.400 --> 01:17:18.133
that the Earth
was twirling through space,
01:17:18.167 --> 01:17:22.800
a tiny sphere among billions
and billions of other spheres.
01:17:22.833 --> 01:17:26.300
- I remember seeing aurora
outside my bedroom window.
01:17:26.333 --> 01:17:28.633
- It was always a treat
to go out to the Sierra Nevada
01:17:28.667 --> 01:17:30.133
and to see,
you know, the Milky Way.
01:17:30.167 --> 01:17:31.633
- Of course,
I was in the Boy Scouts,
01:17:31.667 --> 01:17:32.967
so we were always camping out.
01:17:33.000 --> 01:17:34.800
- I remember
the first night there.
01:17:34.833 --> 01:17:36.967
- I went to school
up in Lancashire,
01:17:37.000 --> 01:17:39.133
and that was out in dark skies.
01:17:39.167 --> 01:17:41.300
- And I looked up,
and I saw a shooting star.
01:17:41.333 --> 01:17:44.800
- Seeing for the first time
the rings of Saturn.
01:17:44.833 --> 01:17:47.800
- I remember telling the kids
at school what I\'d seen.
01:17:47.833 --> 01:17:49.133
They wouldn\'t believe me.
01:17:49.167 --> 01:17:52.167
- It was a sensation
that I never had before.
01:17:56.200 --> 01:17:57.700
- If you come here
and you just look up,
01:17:57.733 --> 01:17:59.900
like, it feels like you\'re
in a whole different place.
01:18:02.833 --> 01:18:05.467
- What I think, like,
when I look up there,
01:18:05.500 --> 01:18:06.967
like, I want to go there
one day,
01:18:07.000 --> 01:18:08.733
like to experience that.
01:18:11.367 --> 01:18:12.667
- Like, when we look up
at the sky,
01:18:12.700 --> 01:18:14.767
like, you see, like,
this is so big,
01:18:14.800 --> 01:18:16.967
and then we, like, just try
to look deeper and deeper.
01:18:21.167 --> 01:18:25.467
- The reason to be able
to see the night sky is really...
01:18:25.500 --> 01:18:30.633
In the end, I think it\'s more
spiritual than practical.
01:18:30.667 --> 01:18:34.133
- Imagining how far away
the stars are
01:18:34.167 --> 01:18:36.133
and grasping that.
01:18:36.167 --> 01:18:38.300
And what is coming of age
01:18:38.333 --> 01:18:42.000
but realizing that you\'re not
the center of the universe?
01:18:53.033 --> 01:18:56.500
- You could live your life
at home, never looking up.
01:18:56.533 --> 01:19:00.567
I just submit to you
that you\'ll be missing.
01:19:00.600 --> 01:19:02.733
You\'ll be missing
a point of view.
01:19:02.767 --> 01:19:05.267
You\'ll be missing
a cosmic perspective.
01:19:06.700 --> 01:19:08.033
Because you know what\'ll happen?
01:19:08.067 --> 01:19:10.100
You\'ll start thinking
of your own environment
01:19:10.133 --> 01:19:11.633
as all there is.
01:19:11.667 --> 01:19:15.133
And if that\'s how you think
about where you are,
01:19:15.167 --> 01:19:21.467
then it rises to an artificial
level of importance to you.
01:19:21.500 --> 01:19:23.133
Whereas when you look
at the night sky,
01:19:23.167 --> 01:19:27.133
and you realize how small we are
within the cosmos,
01:19:27.167 --> 01:19:31.867
it\'s kind of
a resetting of your ego.
01:19:31.900 --> 01:19:35.533
To deny yourself
of that state of mind,
01:19:35.567 --> 01:19:39.133
either willingly or unwittingly,
in my judgment
01:19:39.167 --> 01:19:44.467
is to not live
to the full extent
01:19:44.500 --> 01:19:46.300
of what it is to be human.
01:19:57.700 --> 01:19:58.667
- Let\'s see.
01:19:58.700 --> 01:20:03.167
1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
01:20:03.200 --> 01:20:07.333
6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11...
01:20:07.367 --> 01:20:11.000
15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20...
01:20:11.033 --> 01:20:17.167
29, 30, 31, 32.
01:20:17.200 --> 01:20:19.200
32 stars.
01:21:27.300 --> 01:21:33.300
[vibrant acoustic music]
01:21:53.733 --> 01:21:56.367
- [singing]
Do-do, do-do
01:21:56.400 --> 01:21:58.400
Do-do, do-do,
do, do, do...
01:22:04.200 --> 01:22:07.000
Do-do, do-do, do
01:22:07.033 --> 01:22:10.200
Do-do, do-do
do, do, do...
01:22:36.767 --> 01:22:41.433
Ooh, ooh-ooh...
Distributor: Bullfrog Films
Length: 83 minutes
Date: 2012
Genre: Expository
Language: English
Grade: 7-12, College, Adult
Color/BW:
Closed Captioning: Available
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