If you're in the US and you've also been idly wondering why "I don't like to drive at night" has become such a common thing to say in the past few years, stand near to a modern LED streetlamp and block it with your hand. In about two thirds of a second, the whole road brightens up as your pupils open.

You're not just getting old; between over-bright streetlights, over-bright headlights of oncoming cars, over-bright instrument clusters, over-bright porch lighting, nobody can see in the dark anymore.

Just in the last decade we've made it much harder and more dangerous to drive at night. Oh, and we also gave up the stars.

@ifixcoinops Years ago I read that the LED lights in cars use blue spectrum light, while the old incandescent bulbs used a yellow spectrum. Interesting fact, the human eye sees more of the yellow spectrum than the blue and that’s why, with blue LED lights, the dark seems darker.

@samhainnight @ifixcoinops Where I live, sodium street lights have been used in the past they cast a very yellow light. I don't remember being able to see more though.

Img source: Wikimedia

@anne_twain @ifixcoinops Those aren’t very good either. I remember when I was little and cities started using them. The power’s out at my house right now, and the candles are making things look brighter than the blue LEDS.
@samhainnight @ifixcoinops it’s also horrible for people’s sleep rhythm