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The Forum: After Dark: How we Respond to Darkness

Discussion & Talk

The Forum: Image for 'Dark'. Illustration by Shan Pillay (Please credit)

21/05/2016 GMT

After Dark: How we Respond to Darkness

BBC World Service - The Forum, After Dark: How we Respond to Darkness

Exploring how we operate at night and our attitude to the dark

How do we live at night and what's our attitude to darkness? From night vision technology to gothic literature, Dr Janina Ramirez explores the darkness from the human perspective.

Dr Janina Ramirez explores our relationship with, and attitudes to, darkness and the night. From the beginning of humanity when night was a time to sleep and hide from predators, over millennia the night and darkness has gathered a multitude of myths and cultural references all around the world and is something we can exploit, or something we might fear. Dr Janina Ramirez examines the human perspective of the dark, from night vision technology to Norwegian forest myths.

Dr Ravindra Athale, of the Office of Naval Research in Arlington USA, an expert on night vision technology, who examines how nocturnal animals help high tech, and how our ability to see at night has affected the way we use the dark to conceal and surprise.

Professor John Bowen from the University of York in the UK, an expert on Gothic literature and its roots.

Erland Loe, the celebrated Norwegian author, who explores his own and fellow Norwegian’s response to long dark winter nights.

Noam Elcott,  Professor of  Modern and Contemporary Art and Media at Columbia University in the USA who discusses the literal and metaphorical use of dark and night  in film art and the dark room.

(Photo: An artist's Illustration of a haunted forest. Credit: Shan Pillay)

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