Blacklights could be built into luxury cars just behind or next to passengers' heads. These could be used for reading while on trips - white paper will glow under blacklights without effecting the driver's night vision.
-- Worldgineer, Nov 23 2004

Luminous Books http://www.halfbake...ea/Luminous_20Books
Inspired by [DrBob] et al. [Worldgineer, Nov 23 2004]

it'd (off topic) http://dictionary.r...earch?q=it%27d&r=67
For [DF], [FJ] [Worldgineer, Nov 24 2004]

I want blacklight headlights....and tail lights. Or at least turn signals......
-- normzone, Nov 23 2004


Books often have slightly off-white pages. This indicates to me that they may have less chemicals added to make them look whiter, so they may not glow as well. Has anyone here ever tried reading a book with a black light?

I'll go with a + for now since if it worked it would be nice.
-- scad mientist, Nov 23 2004


This would also show any semen or rat pee lying about. +!
-- bungston, Nov 23 2004


[+] good one. works + is cool.
-- sophocles, Nov 24 2004


Red lights are used onboard ships to allow one to see while maintaining night vision.
-- phoenix, Nov 24 2004


I don't know about the cornea but the eye damage from UV-B, C or shorter wavelengths usually happens to the lens (opacities or cataracts) and retina (intensity damage). UV-A, the type of UV that is considered "safe" can cause damage if there's a lot of exposure. A problem is that a person can't tell if the UV source is "too bright" or an unsafe wavelength.

Of course, if this were to be fitted to a car I expect the engineers to design it in the safer wavelength and maybe make it so that the light is directed so that the eye isn't directly exposed to the source but only to the bounce from the reading material. I don't know if that is safer but it seems like it is.
-- bristolz, Nov 24 2004


UV-A is the wavelength for entertainment use but if you are buying one it's probably best not to buy one from a surplus outlet because it may have been designed for other uses and emit shorter unsafe wavelengths. I imagine that the cornea damage is akin to a sunburn with swelling or even blisters. Ick.
-- bristolz, Nov 24 2004


"Arc eye". Welders sometimes get UV damage from the arc. It's like having sand in your eyes, at best.
-- Ling, Nov 24 2004


Make the pages black and the letters white. It'd stand out more.

Is "it'd" the contraction of "it would"?
-- DesertFox, Nov 24 2004


DF aren't you supposed to be elsewhere?
-- po, Nov 24 2004


DF Welcome back. And it's the contraction for it had.
-- FarmerJohn, Nov 24 2004


(It'd be fine for either, really, if it'd been an issue. See link.)
-- Worldgineer, Nov 24 2004


You can also use green light to protect night vision.

Red light for port side, green light for starboard side, and in the center, fore and stern, it's all a beautiful yellow.
-- shapu, Nov 24 2004


Transitional spaces just inside a ship use the red lights. Many were also issued flashlights with red lenses for reading clipboards.

Anyway, regardless of the wavelength, brightness should be the primary concern, no? Surely even a blacklight can cause glare on the inside of a windshield.
-- phoenix, Nov 24 2004


//Surely// I doubt it. First of all, not much visible light comes out of black lights. Second, windshields aren't horizontal. Perhaps a bit in the rearview mirror, but the black lights for the rear passengers can be facing down or be sheilded.
-- Worldgineer, Nov 24 2004


You would just see a gentle glow emanating from their laps.
-- subflower, Aug 09 2005



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