Lullaby for Grown-Ups - Christina Lux

We're visited again by German singer/songwriter Christina Lux, who performs her song, To the World.

This song is my wish to you, as this will be the final lullaby here at Night the Beloved. Other projects are requiring attention and I'm afraid I can no longer devote time to this blog. A new day beckons and it's time to greet the dawn.

Thank you for taking this journey through the night with me. Godspeed, sweet dreams and good night.

Luminous Life - Light Generation

© Eandephotography | Dreamstime.com

The luminous creatures and life forms we've surveyed so far all make use of a specific chemical reaction to produce light. If they don't create the reaction themselves, they have a symbiotic relationship with light-generating bacteria that are housed in a special light organ within the host animal.

But it turns out that there is another biological mechanism that generates photons, or the basic unit of light. Ultraweak photon emission is the term for the process that creates biophotons - photons created by biological systems. Scientists think that all living cells, plant and animal, do create light in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum. But the light is so weak, special detectors are needed to pick it up.

So while we may envy those amazing sea creatures and fireflies that flash beautiful light, we ourselves are emitting a very low level of light. You're doing it, right now, even as you read this. In humans, the fingertips, forehead and soles of the feet seem to give off the most light.

Biophoton image of a hand.

The light is thought to be created by a chemical reaction, like bioluminescence, but the reaction is tied to the DNA molecules that reside in the nuclei of our cells. The hypothesis is that DNA both stores and releases the photons to form a network of light that is used for communication and to regulate various processes within the body. Some potential applications for the science of biophotonics include non-invasive medical diagnostics, food and water quality testing and cancer research.

Our journey to explore the luminous life around us has ended with ourselves, with tiny packets of light pulsing through the very stuff of life within us. We're so much more interesting than we realize.

Lullaby for Grown-Ups - Ane Brun

I couldn't resist another Ane Brun video. The Norwegian singer/songwriter performs her version of the song True Colors. She sings it so simply and with such an open heart, it's just wonderful.

Luminous Life - The Glittering Sea

A bioluminescent hydromedusa.

So far, our examination of bioluminescence has focused on land dwellers - fungi, worms, various insects. As rare as the ability is here on dry ground, up to 90 percent of ocean life is capable of producing light. Against the backdrop of a black sea, life forms use self-generated light to hunt, find mates and defend themselves.

Red tide bioluminescence taken at midnight at a
Carlsbad, California beach. Image by Flickr user msauder.

And it starts at the bottom of the food chain. Some forms of plankton can create light, as in the image above. The sea appears to glow, especially when disturbed, and if conditions are right, the phenomenon can cover such a large area that it can be seen from space.

A ctenophores light display is actually diffraction
of ambient light, not bioluminescence.

Even when sea creatures are not producing their own light, they are able to make use of what dim light reaches them. Some organisms can put on quite a display by reflecting any existing light.

Blackdevil angler fish with bioluminescent lure.
Image by Edith Widder/HBOI.

As beautiful as a bioluminescent display can be, it can mask a hungry predator. The angler fish lights its lure to draw in prey. This little fishy looks like it swam straight out of a bad dream.

We can thank Edith Widder for bringing us this scary guy. For more of her images and the challenges she faces trying to capture shimmering sea creatures and photograph them, check out this link.

To go with the still images, here are 2 short videos of bioluminescence in action. The first one features a magnificent jellyfish shown in both direct light and in darkness.



This second video is of a dazzling comb jelly that almost appears to be an alien life form.



As I was thinking about how, even in the darkest depths of the ocean, the sea inhabitants were using their own light, it made me wonder why they would develop the ability in the first place. Why not develop some other sensory method to accomplish all the tasks they need to accomplish? Electrical signals, pressure changes, scent, hearing - something that didn't depend on light, which is so noticeably absent in that environment.

Not being a biologist, I can only speculate that the rhythm of the Earth's day/night cycle was a powerful influence on evolution, even when life was found only in the sea. The dichotomy was so strong that life forms internalized it so that even in the darkness, light can exist.

Lullaby for Grown-Ups - Missy Higgins

This week's lullaby features Australian singer/songwriter Missy Higgins in a live performance of her song Nightminds. I love this song for its depth of emotion and honesty. I hope you enjoy it.

Lullaby for Grown-Ups - Pino Forastiere

Another gifted acoustic guitarist comes to us via YouTube. Pino Forastiere performs Cammino with great skill and feeling. A penetrating piece, almost brooding, it transports the listener to another time and place where many possibilities exist beyond what might have been previously experienced.

Galactic Update

Credit: NASA/ESA/Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration. Acknowledgment: B. Whitmore
(Space Telescope Science Institute)

Several months ago I blogged about Galaxy Zoo, a project that engages citizen scientists to help classify galaxies by shape. More than 150,000 people have taken part in Galaxy Zoo so far in an effort to classify almost a quarter of a million images. At the time of the blog post, Phase 1 was completed and Phase 2 was in the works.

Well, Phase 2 launched this week, so it's a good time to get on board if you'd like to help categorize the night sky. The human brain is better at this task than a computer, and it basically involves answering a series of questions about a galaxy's shape. It's a chance to view some lovely images while advancing astronomy research. Think of it as a way to stargaze without the freezing temperatures (at least for a while).

Lullaby for Grown-Ups - Alice Friend

Gifted artist Alice Friend provides this week's lullaby with her video Kokopelli's Magical Tour of Paintings, featuring her artwork and music. I find her music and imagery to be uplifting and delightful. I hope you enjoy it.

Luminous Life - Into the Woods

© Luxgene 2000

Softly glowing mushrooms rising from the forest floor - no wonder people in bygone times concluded that they had suddenly been transported to the realm of the faeries.

The strange bioluminescence of mushrooms and other fungi defies understanding. The usual reasons given for bioluminescence - mating, predation, defense, communication - don't seem to apply to luminous mushrooms, and no one seems to understand why they developed this ability.

© D. Hibbett

Mushrooms aren't the only light-generating organisms in the woods. Slime molds, which are no longer considered fungi but classified as protista, are capable of bioluminescence, but that's mostly the tropical varieties. It can get confusing. One of my favorite stories about a cold-light encounter comes from the magazine The Smithsonian, which ran a photo essay some years ago featuring slime molds (images similar to these). In the next issue, there was a letter from a couple who told a story about how they went to their local parks department to get free wood chip mulch, which they spread in their yard. One night not long after, they noticed that a region of the wood chips was glowing. Not sure what to do and apparently alarmed, they turned the hose on it.

They wondered whether they had sprayed away a slime mold. But those intrepid suburbanites were most likely dealing with foxfire, another type of fungi that emits light.

Bruce McAdam/Creative Commons License

Foxfire can be found on rotting wood in damp forests. The fungi will glow at temperatures as low as 34 degrees F, but the optimal temperature is 77. If you want to hunt foxfire, there are some great tips in this extension bulletin from the University of Georgia's School of Forest Resources. The tips include going out on overcast or moonless nights to spot the low-intensity green glow, and staying away from artificial lights to give your eyes time to adjust to the dark.

In the depths of the nighttime forest, mysterious lights beckon, inviting us to explore their domain. No need to grab the hose - just marvel at how the mundane by day becomes the wondrous by night.

Lullaby for Grown-Ups - Carly Simon

We're having a midwinter thaw right now in my area, which is lovely, but I can't help wondering when the cold will return. This week's lullaby is a reminder of summer evenings to come. Carly Simon performs that Beatles classic, Blackbird. I love the look of this video, and her wonderful performance.

Lullaby for Grown-Ups - Therese Honey

This week's lullaby is a wonderful, lilting song, Hewlett, arranged and performed by harpist Therese Honey. The harp has such a soothing sound. Relax and enjoy this lovely tune.

Lullaby for Grown-Ups - Ane Brun, Syd Matters

You might remember Ane Brun's previous appearance here at Night the Beloved with her song, Lullaby for Grown Ups. Here, she performs Little Lights as a duet with French singer Syd Matters. Set to lovely nature images, this song has some of the most extraordinary lyrics. I hope you enjoy it.

Lullaby for Grown-Ups - Morcheeba

We had subzero temperatures here last week, so I hope that explains the escapist tendencies found in this week's lullaby. The song is The Sea by Morcheeba and the images are colorful electronic renderings. It may not be a substitute for a warm-weather vacation, but this time of year, every little bit helps.

Luminous Life - Light-Up Slime

As I've been researching bioluminescence, the ability of some organisms to produce light with virtually no heat (there's a powerful metaphor right there), I learned that there are different types of bioluminescence: intrinstic or internal, where the organism has specialized cell structures to produce its own light; bacterial, where the organism needs to partner with bacteria to generate light; and extracellular, where the organism creates luminous slime.

Yes, glowing slime. It sounds like the next big thing in toys. But a surprising number of creatures secrete bioluminescent slime, and it's not always clear why.

The image above shows bamboo coral that, if touched, will produce "astonishing" amounts of slime, but scientists don't understand its purpose. Another sea creature, the Venus fly trap anemone, was also found to be bioluminescent not that long ago, again by way of slime and again for unknown reasons.

Certain centipedes, squids, shrimp, earthworms and tube worms can produce luminous secretions. Possible uses include defense against predators, communication and mating, which is the case with the Bermuda glow worm. In the summer months, these sea-dwellers swim to the surface to mate, with the females exuding a glowing slime to attract the males. The males respond with their own flashes of blue light, seen below.

That makes sense, and it's also interesting that their mating ritual occurs 2 to 3 days after the full moon and exactly 56 minutes after sunset. There are boat tours to view the phenomenon, it's that regular.

Still, that leaves a lot of radiant slime whose purpose remains clouded. Why would worms, like the ones above, ooze light? There is no satisfactory answer; I can only accept that these supposed lowly creatures have, by their unusual capacity, caused me to rethink the sources of light that exist in the world, as I consider beautiful light transported via mucus, protecting and otherwise serving its creator.

Lullaby for Grown-Ups - Elliott Smith

From the heart of winter comes this extraordinary video. Shot in and around Jordan, Minnesota, it captures the restlessness of youth, small town life and nature at its harshest yet most beautiful. The song is Pitseleh by Elliott Smith, one of my favorites because of its poignancy and honesty.

Lullaby for Grown-Ups - Kings of Convenience

Time for something a little more up-tempo from the Kings of Convenience to usher in the new year. You'll notice that even their more upbeat stuff is pretty mellow, so no worries there. The song is Misread, recorded at a concert in Germany in 2007. I hope you enjoy their wonderful music as we ease our way into 2009.

2009: International Year of Astronomy

Credit: NASA/The Hubble Heritage Team/A. Riess (STScI)

If there was ever a time to take an interest in the night sky and all its mysteries, this is the time - 2009 has been designated the International Year of Astronomy. This year-long celebration of the science of the stars includes many local and global events designed to educate and interest people in astronomy. The centerpiece is 100 Hours of Astronomy, a worldwide event in early April that will include live webcasts, observing events and more.

But for some immediate gratification, take a look at The World At Night, another project that is collecting beautiful night sky images from around the world. These photographers know what they're doing, and it shows. Their images are stunning.

And finally, on this first day of the new year, a video for you of the Milky Way moving slowly across the sky over Futago Lake in Japan. The videographer, known only as mockmoon2000, doesn't appear to be connected with the International Year of Astronomy, but certainly embodies its goals and ideals. May your New Year be full of celestial beauty and wonder!