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!

Lullaby for Grown-Ups - Mavis Staples

We're on the verge of saying goodbye to 2008, and based on some of the Christmas letters I received this year, it's not a moment too soon. Ready for 2009? Mavis Staples sends us on our way with this week's lullaby. Ready or not, here we go...

Lullaby for Grown-Ups - Cornell Kinderknecht

This week's lullaby comes from a winter solstice celebration two years ago. Cornell Kinderknecht performs Night Path on the bansuri flute. Beautiful and haunting, it is a lovely, meditative work. I hope you enjoy it.

The Cold, Deep Night

© Ivan Kmit | Dreamstime.com

As we approach the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, I find that my conception of winter nights - still, hushed, all of nature covered in a deep blanket of snow - may not be quite right.

Last week I was driving home after my night shift job when I saw a crow on the wing, passing through the illumination of a street light. Crows will roost in large numbers during the fall and winter, gathering at sunset, raucous, even foreboding to some observers, until they settle down to sleep. But it was hours past sun down, and I wondered where this single crow was heading.

Then, completely by chance, I read an account on a local forum (scroll down toward the end) about "mysterious noctural conventions" of crows, where, on certain snowy nights, they fly in circles around some invisible, designated point, great numbers of them, but completely silent. Maybe the crow I saw was on its way to such a meeting, since it was, in fact, snowing. I looked for more information on the phenomenon, but found nothing to explain the mystery.

The enigma of these long, cold nights remains, and certainly explains the rituals of light so many cultures have developed to mark the solstice. Below is a video you might remember - a clip from Northern Exposure, where local artist Chris, after confiscating almost every light bulb in town, creates a light sculpture to challenge the long Alaskan night.



I wish you a wonderful holiday season and safe travels. I'll be posting lullabies this Sunday and next, and will pick up the Luminous Life series following the holiday week. Best wishes and peace.

Lullaby for Grown-Ups - Debussy

Time is getting away from me these days, for reasons I don't entirely understand. Time to slow down and relax to a gorgeous rendition of Debussy's Reverie, performed by pianist David Delucia. The videographer known as Spadecaller provides lovely images to complete this week's lullaby offering.

Lullaby for Grown-Ups - Odetta and Friends

Folk legend Odetta died this past week. An ardent civil rights supporter and musical master, she will be missed by so many. This week's lullaby is Hymn, by Janis Ian, sung by Ian, Odetta and Phoebe Snow, possibly the only collaboration of these three gifted singers. Easily one of the best lullabies you will find on this blog.

Luminous Life - An Intro to Bioluminescence

To me, bioluminescence, the ability of some microbes, plants and animals to emit visible light, is one of the most interesting phenomena in the natural world. It's time to explore how some life forms have developed this talent, which evolved first in the blackness of the deep sea, and then among land plants and animals that glow against the backdrop of the night.

Most people are familiar with the fireflies that grace summer evenings. But the greenish glow doesn't end there. The image above shows eerie fungi found in a state park in Brazil - as if the woods in the nighttime weren't mysterious enough.

To get started, here's a video that showcases some deep sea bioluminescent creatures, as well as some octopi camoflaging themselves in amazing ways. There's more to come as we survey the luminous life around us.