Session 4: How the Night Changed

Friday 27 February

10:30 - 12:30

Paradiso, Main Hall

The night was once pitch dark. Nocturnal human activity was determined by darkness. The real darkness of the night informed our cultural conception of night and darkness. But the night changed during the nineteenth century with streetlights, better indoor lighting, and the electrification of the world. In the 21st century the night is so bright that the Milky Way can no longer be seen from many places on Earth. Instead, our illuminated cities are visible from outer space. In this panel we take a look at the idea of how darkness is perceived and represented in different cultural areas and art forms. What changes have occurred in our cultural conceptions of darkness and the night?

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