Opinion
Imagine a night where you look up at the sky and mistake an airplane for a star, or where the glow of city lights makes the Milky Way almost impossible to see. Modern infrastructure has made our lives safer, easier, and more connected, but what happens when that infrastructure begins
2026-27 Capstone
I attended seven different events across Ohio, including visits to Caesar Creek, Deer Creek, A.W. Marion, and Buck Creek State Parks to gather my sampling strategy. My sampling strategy was intended to specifically gather surveys from park visitors who attend ODNR events. Unfortunately, not one park visitor ended up
2026-27 Capstone
The article “BioLumCity: 3D-Printed Bioluminescent Urban Tiles” explores a new way to create light using living bacteria instead of traditional electric lights. The researchers used a type of marine bacteria called Aliivibrio fischeri which naturally produces light. They placed the bacteria inside specially designed 3D-printed tiles that act
2026-27 Capstone
The article “A Driving Source of Light Pollution: How Car Headlights Are Reshaping the Nighttime Environment” by Drew Reagen explains how car headlights are becoming an important but often overlooked source of light pollution. During our ODNR kickback Heather and Tracey stated that one environmental impact that has been on
2026-27 Capstone
The article “Kinetic Floor Tiles Harvest Energy from Footsteps” by Dezeen explores renewable energy that uses the act of walking to make it. The technology, developed by Pavegen and founded by Laurence Kemball-Cook, uses specially designed floor tiles to capture the mechanical energy created when people step on them
2026-27 Capstone
Traditional Japanese housing provides an example of how locally available materials can be used to create structures that are connected to their surrounding environment. For hundreds of years, timber and clay were important materials in Japanese house construction. The timber was used to create the structural framework, while clay was
2026-27 Capstone
The article “Lamp Spectrum and Light Pollution” by Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition explains that the color of outdoor lighting can change how much light pollution is created. Some colors of light are worse for the night sky than others. The article explains that “The spectrum of outdoor lighting influences many
2026-27 Capstone
The article “Research note: Red light to mitigate light pollution: Is it possible to balance functionality and ecological impact?” by D Durmus, AK Jägerbrand and MN Tengelin, examen whether using red light outdoors is actually a good way to reduce light pollution while still providing enough light for people. The
2026-27 Capstone
The article “Light-Emitting Cement” by David O’Neill explores an alternative approach to outdoor lighting by using construction materials that can produce light without relying on electricity. Light-emitting cement presents a different way to think about how outdoor spaces can be made visible at night. Instead of depending
2026-27 Capstone
My conversation with Summer, a naturalist at Deer Creek State Park, gave me a different perspective on the Dark Skies initiative because she was able to explain what the issue looks like from inside a state park. Our conversation was originally supposed to happen as part of an event we
2026-27 Capstone
I found a artist that goes by the name luzinterruptus who focused on the growing problem of artificial light within Madrid and how it has changed the city’s nighttime environment. Madrid produces so much artificial light that residents have very limited opportunities to see stars or the Milky Way.
2026-27 Capstone
Two articles discuss different projects that use photoluminescent materials to create unique nighttime pathways. The first article highlights the Starling Glow Project in Calgary, Alberta, which received an honorable mention in the 2025 AGT Glow Commercial Project awards. The project uses blue photoluminescent stones embedded into an rail, creating a