The Discovery of Black Light

|This article is the beginning of a reexpresson, and partial revision, of my book Black Light. The questions that I discuss in this article are listed in the below list of sections. In Sections 7, 8, 27, and 28, I discuss my discovery of black light. |The theoretical discovery of black light (that is, the thought experimental discovery of black light): The black spatial field in, for example, a “dark” room is actually, I argue, black light; and it is emitted from everything in the spatial field of the room (that is, the relatively empty space, and all objects). If, hypothetically, the black light in the above room was removed, we, when we would look into the spatial field of the room, would be blind, despite that we have the capacity to see. |The observational discovery of black light: There is no such thing as a “colorless” visual field for observers: A “colorless” visual field would be a visual field of blindness for observers, despite that they have vision, and that their eyes would be open. The black visual field is not, as is commonly stated, “the absence of photons”, “the absence of visible light”, and the, as such, absence of color: If it were, then it would be “colorless” (that is, not black), and, as such, a visual field of blindness for observers. |The experimental confirmation of black light via neurophysics: In Section 28, I demonstrate that particular EEG experimentation that was done on test-subjects in various conditions provides evidence or proof that the black of the black visual field that strikes our retinas is black light.

A Novel Method for the Assessment of Facial Palsy in a Rat Model: the Black Light-Assisted Scoring System

Background: Facial palsyin humans is assessed using facial nerve grading systems. However, there is no standardized tool for the objective assessment of facial palsy in rat models. Here, we propose a novel black light-assisted scoring system (BASS)to assess facial palsy in rats.Methods: BASS has three key components: blacklight, high frame rate videography (iPhone), and motion analysis software (Kinovea). The system can detect movement of a specific whisker and whisker base and automatically assesstheir angular velocity. Our study included 12 male Wistar rats: 6 with normal facial nerve function and 6 witha unilateral facial nervecrush injury. Four angular velocities were investigated using BASS to confirm the accuracy of the system and determine the best parameter to be used for BASS.Results:The total velocity value (sum of maximum protraction velocity and maximum retraction velocity)had the least variation and highest reliability of all tested velocities.Conclusions: BASS allows for repeated quantification of the whisker movements and weekly measurements of the whisker base. Our findings suggest that BASS is reliable, reproducible, and useful for the assessment of facial palsy.

Using Ultraviolet A to Check Inanimate Objects for Thorough Cleanliness during COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: Clean surroundings present lesser chances of catching Novel Coronavirus. Ultraviolet A (UVA, black light) flashlights can reveal things which the eye may miss but hardly anything is documented on the internet about UV and Covid-19 Pandemic when it comes to hygiene of inanimate objects. This report explores how one can detect uncleanliness using a UV flashlight. The formulated hypothesis questions several scenarios when this gadget could prove useful. Examples include: schools, workplace, childcare centres, bars, restaurants, hotels, public restrooms, hospitals, elderly homes, public transport and items like gloves and stretchers. Materials and methods: A clean ceramic bathroom tile was selected and photographed. UVA was emitted on the same tile using a UV flashlight and at the same time a small part was cleaned with a single stroke of a wet wipe and photographed again. External light was undimmed. Results: On comparison, the tile revealed that it was not clean enough because fluorescent green streaks were visible. A cleaner stripe was made after just one stroke with a wet wipe. Another observation showed that tile spacing can be problematic when cleaning. Conclusion: Despite some limitations, a UV flashlight may be useful for the visual monitoring of cleaning completion on high touch surfaces.

Enhancement of astaxanthin accumulation using black light in Coelastrum and Monoraphidium isolated from Malaysia

Microalgae are important microorganisms which produce potentially valuable compounds. Astaxanthin, a group of xanthophyll carotenoids, is one of the most powerful antioxidants mainly found in microalgae, yeasts, and crustaceans. Environmental stresses such as intense light, drought, high salinity, nutrient depletion, and high temperature can induce the accumulation of astaxanthin. Thus, this research aims to investigate the effect of black light, also known as long-wave ultraviolet radiation or UV-A, as a stressor on the accumulation of astaxanthin as well as to screen the antioxidant property in two tropical green algal strains isolated from Malaysia, Coelastrum sp. and Monoraphidium sp. SP03. Monoraphidium sp. SP03 showed a higher growth rate (0.66 day−1) compared to that of Coelastrum sp. (0.22 day−1). Coelastrum sp. showed significantly higher accumulation of astaxanthin in black light (0.999 g mL culture−1) compared to that in control condition (0.185 g mL−1). Similarly, Monoraphidium sp. SP03 showed higher astaxanthin content in black light (0.476 g mL culture−1) compared to that in control condition (0.363 g mL culture−1). Coelastrum sp. showed higher scavenging activity (30.19%) when cultured in black light condition, indicating a correlation between the antioxidant activity and accumulation of astaxanthin. In this study, black light was shown to possess great potential to enhance the production of astaxanthin in microalgae.

Fe2+ and UV Catalytically Enhanced Ozonation of Selected Environmentally Persistent Antibiotics

The aim of the study was to determine oxidation potential of selected persistent, environmentally relevant antibiotics (Amoxicillin, Levofloxacin, and their mixture with Vancomycin) to reduce their environmental emissions. Ozonation (O3) and indirect ozonation at pH 9.5 (O3/pH9.5) were catalytically enhanced by addition of Fe2+ (O3/Fe2+) and photocatalytic ozonation in combination with Fe2+ and UV-A black light (O3/Fe2+/UV) at two temperatures using total organic carbon (TOC) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) to identify formation of by-products. Oxidative degradation followed pseudo-first order consecutive reactions. Initial phase of oxidation was more intensive than mineralisation at 21 and 40 °C: up to 57.3% and 69.2%, respectively. After 120 min mineralization at 21 °C was up to 64.9% while at 40 °C it was up to 84.6%. Oxidation reached up to 86.6% and 93.4% at 21 °C and 40 °C, respectively. The most efficient processes were indirect ozonation at pH 9.5 (O3/pH9.5) (up to 93.4%) and photocatalytic enhanced ozonation with Fe2+ and UV-A black light (O3/Fe2+/UV) (up to 89.8%). The lowest efficiency was determined in experiments with direct ozonation (up to 75.5%). Amoxicillin was the only one completely mineralised. Study confirmed that ozonation with addition of Fe2+ and UV radiation has the potential to improve efficiency of the antibiotic-removal processes. Further experiments varying amounts of Fe2+ and other experimental conditions should be accomplished to set up more general methodological approach for reduction of antibiotics emissions.

Who Invented the Black Light?

If you ask a search engine, “Who invented the black light?,” odds are very good that the answer you will receive is “Dr. William H. Byler in 1935.” But, in fact, Dr. Byler never claimed to have invented the long-wave ultraviolet light, no such invention is recorded in any of his papers or patents, and what is certainly what we today call the “blacklight” was invented over fifteen years earlier. So who really did invent it, and how did Byler’s name and date get on it? We look into the history and development of the ultraviolet lamp and at the work of Dr. Byler.