In a large open office on the fourth floor of the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, lighting scientist Leora Radetsky lifts the blinds and lets in the sunlight. The overhead LED luminaires dim in response, fluidly, maintaining consistent light levels on the desk spaces. She lowers the blinds and the luminaires instantaneously increase light levels in response.

In 2012, the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute published a study that changed the way we think about using “self-luminous devices” such as tablets, laptops and e-readers at night. The study led by Professor Mariana Figueiro, Light & Health program director at the LRC, found that light from tablets can affect evening melatonin and, therefore, may delay sleep. The research results were widely covered by the news media, with stories appearing in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, New York Daily News, The Washington Post, Huffington Post, Scientific American, The Economist, and other major news organizations around the world.