Wow! What a fascinating video from NASA examining individual cities at night. You will already be familiar with many of these famous cities from around the world. If you have been involved in any academic studies examining life under a microscope you will agree that these cities at night look quite similar to microorganisms.
I am certain many astronomers will raise hell over this video that glories in the light pollution that is an unnoticed problem plaguing the Earth and their profession.They have had a hard enough fight to convince cities to convert their sodium lamps to mercury and to place hoods that direct all the light down to the ground. How can you persuade people to turn their lights out completely after sunset? Wouldn’t there be a fear that wild nocturnal animals might gain courage again to begin invading the unlit towns? These are thoughts that come with such suggestions.
Biologists and Environmentalists should be even more concerned, since the increasing light pollution is destroying the natural habitats of nocturnal creatures. These animals require darkness to survive. Many of them cannot see well enough in the daylight to be able to compete for food or space. When we take their darkness away, we threaten their lives. What if someone took away what was necessary to our life, such as oxygen. Oh wait! We are already doing that to ourselves, aren’t we?
All protests aside, cities at night is a mesmerizing video that needs no narration. Just cit back and observe. Compare and contrast each city with another. Notice the subtleties of clarity and blurriness, of strings of pearl and lace, of blocks hemmed in by darkness, and many other patterns. Cities at night will get your wheels churning as it did with me. It is artistic, puzzling, hypnotic, relaxing, and a mental exercise all in one.