Vision and Lighting

Much has been written over the last century on the impact of lighting on productivity. Indeed, it has been the central theme for the lighting industry for most of that time (Luckiesh and Moss 1937; Weston 1945; Blackwell 1972; Smith and Rea 1980; Rea 2013). The research conducted over this period has led to a solid understanding of how lighting affects visual performance (Rea and Ouellette 1991), but the impacts of lighting on nonvisual neural systems affecting circadian rhythms, alertness, and performance are just emerging. Moreover, the impact of these nonvisual effects of lighting on health is at its infancy.