Artificial Light: Its Influence upon CivilizationLuckiesh, Matthew
History
Artificial Light: Its Influence upon Civilization
Luckiesh, Matthew
Electric lighting; Lighting -- History
There is another attractive method of producing light and it has not
escaped the writer of fiction. H. G. Wells, with his rare skill and with
the license so often envied by the writer of facts, has drawn upon the
characteristics of fluorescence and phosphorescence. In his story "The
First Men in the Moon," the inhabitants of the moon illuminate their
caverns by utilizing this phenomenon. A fluorescent liquid was prepared
in large quantities. It emitted a brilliant phosphorescent glow and when
it splashed on the feet of the earth-men it felt cold, but it glowed for
a long time. This is a possibility of the future and many have had
visions of such lighting. If the ceiling of a coal-mine was lined with
glowing fireflies or with phosphorescent material excited in some
manner, it would be possible to see fairly well with the dark-adapted
eyes.
This leads to the class of phenomena included under the general term
"luminescence." The definition of this term is not thoroughly agreed
upon, but light produced in this manner does not depend upon temperature
in the sense that a glowing tungsten filament emits light because it is
sufficiently hot. A phosphorus match rubbed in the moist palm of the
hand is seen to glow, although it is at an ordinary temperature. This
may be termed "chemi-luminescence." Sidot blende, Balmain's paint, and
many other compounds, when illuminated with ordinary light, and
especially with ultra-violet and violet rays, will continue to glow for
a long time. Despite their brightness they will be cold to the touch.
This phenomenon would be termed "photo-luminescence," although it is
better known as "phosphorescence." It should be noted that the latter
term was carelessly originated, for phosphorus has nothing to do with
it. The glow of the Geissler tube or electrically excited gas at low
pressure would be an example of "electro-luminescence." The luminosity
of various salts in the Bunsen-flame is due to so-called luminescence
and there are many other examples of light-production which are included
in the same general class. Inasmuch as light is emitted from
comparatively cold bodies in these cases, it is popularly known as
"cold" light.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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