Editor's comment: Light up your life

Light and optics have always been inextricably linked but recent technology changes and legislation have literally changed the way people see the world.

At one end of the scale energy-saving measures have removed from sale bulbs developed to glow with the same colour temperature as the setting sun. This has left many homes in a gloom of insufficient lighting.

At the other end of the scale, high intensity light sources have become ever cheaper turning cars into dazzling beacons of light. This creates a blinding headache for many older drivers. For those involved both issues create visual problems.

So do these changes present an opportunity for an expansion in the scope of optometry and optical practice? Last week Bill Harvey (page 20) gave an update on the phasing out of traditional light bulbs and a summary of the various modern types of lamps available for household use. He also made the point that selling task lighting could well be an additional business for ambitious practitioners.