Light, Life and Information

Seeing Clearly

Millions of living things in the animal and plant kingdoms have a working relationship with light.  Any with sentience "know" what that relationship is.  Or, at least, they make decisions based on perceptions of the benefits of that light.

Light is a form of energy as is evident in the growth of plants.  Without light, green plants die.  Even with plenty of nourishment and hydration, the healthiest of plants need light.  This energy is used to combine water, carbon dioxide and various other nutrients to build stems, limbs, leaves and fruit.  This energy is then released when that material is consumed by other organisms or by combustion.

But the most remarkable thing about light is that it allows sentient beings to gather information from the environment remotely.  Direct contact is not necessary when we animals can see things around us.  Some of us need help as our eyes, wonderful light receptors that they are, become weaker.

I know that light moves so fast that, comparatively speaking, things close by and far away are equally accessible.  However, there are ways to slow light down just a little.  When this happens, light is scattered, absorbed or reflected.  In this way, over time, scientists have figured out that light travels through a vacuum at about 186,282 miles per second.  That is fast enough to travel around the earth at the equator about 7.5 times!

Since light moves so fast, information from all over the universe is accessible on a clear night.  Certain stars, along with the moon, allow navigation along the surface of the earth because the information is predictable.  Based on the apparent movement of the sun on the horizon at sunrise and sunset, we are able to discern the passage of time.

So, what do I know?

• Light is basically energy.
• Light travels very fast.
• Light enables access to information.