The end of night: searching for natural darkness in an age of artificial light

Abstract

"A brilliantly starry night is one of nature's most thrilling wonders. Yet in our world of nights as bright as day, most of us no longer experience true darkness. Eight out of ten Americans born today won't ever live where they can see the Milky Way. And exposure to artificial light at night has been cited as a factor in health concerns ranging from poor sleep to cancer. Paul Bogard travels the globe to find the night, blending personal narrative, natural history, health, science, and folklore to shed light on darkness. Showing exactly what we've lost, what we have left, and what we might hope to regain, he attempts nothing less than a restoration of how we see the spectacularly primal, wildly dark night sky."-- Back cover.

Contents

From a starry night to a streetlight -- Tales from two cities -- Light that blinds, fear that enlightens -- Body, sleep, and dreams -- The ecology of darkness -- Know darkness -- Come together -- The maps of possibility -- The darkest places.