world year of physics ... should know better

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/leicestershire/3936799.stm

Brian

Hi All,
Obviously light polution is bad, but these lights will be on for a minute and will then be OFF.

And with any luck it'll be cloudy so what will it matter to us.
Lets be honest, this is small fry, what we need to do is solve the problem of badly designed permanent street lights.

Lets use this opportunity to bring light pollution to the publics attention by really showing it to them, I dont think condemning this event is going to help us at all.
We can't afford to come across as oddballs.., we need the public and scientific community on our side in the light pollution fight.
Let them have their 60 seconds of fun. Dont get me wrong, I dont like it either..


I await to be hung up, drawn and quartered.

Not at all Dave...

It does make for an interesting argument. That article "Brian O'Halloran" (hee-hee!) posted above seems to have started the ball rolling on awareness on light pollution. I don't think there is anything in Ireland to either promote the 'Light Relay', or enhance awareness of LightPoll. I think in this small isle of ours, we are on our own, and that its going to be down to individuals and their clubs to make their points on LightPoll to the public.

This World Physics Celebration will be short lived and quickly forgotten here, I reckon anyway.


Cheers,


Seanie.

Hi,

in terms of photons its not a big deal, but it makes us look like complete hyprocrites when on one hand we are trying to reduce light pollution and then an international body in the same field decides to have a light show. Thankfully they have changed their tune a little due to complaints, initially they were speaking of using bonfires, all lights so long as they were legal etc. etc.

I don't think there will be much in Ireland. Ive asked the main physics organisations to object, and while I dont think they have, I've not seen any in support of it either. The IDA and CfDS are thinking about having a counter demonstration on the night, basically turn lights off and do sidewalk astronomy, I'll keep you posted if that develops.

Cheers,
~Al

I assume you're making reference to Brad putting me in quotation marks, Seanie?

Brian

I assume you're making reference to Brad putting me in quotation marks, Seanie?

Brian

My God, what in the world made you think that "Brian"??