BioClock researchers have been making their voices heard, contributing to podcasts, newspapers, and national television. Recent media appearances covered topics ranging from student exam timing to ambitious plans to illuminate the night sky using mirrors in space.
Podcast: Stress Navigation
In the podcast Stress Navigation, an initiative of the Stress in Action consortium, BioClock researcher Joëlle Oosterman explains the role of the biological clock in health, stress, sleep, and metabolism.
What does a disruption of this internal clock do to your mental health? And what is the science behind early birds and night owls. Joëlle guides listeners from the basic principles of the biological clock to its influence on many bodily processes and daily life.
Listen to the full podcast here.
NRC: Students suffer under exam timing
Dutch newspaper NRC recently reported on a new study (preprint) from the University of Groningen examining the effect of exam timing on student performance. The study analyzed over 400,000 exam results from more than 24,000 Dutch students and found a clear pattern: students who took exams before 9:30 a.m. consistently performed worse than those tested around midday.
BioClock professor Roelof Hut was not surprised by the findings. Speaking to NRC, he pointed out that adolescents are generally more evening‑oriented. To limit these negative effects he suggests limiting morning exams, but also emphasizes students ability to adjust their own biological clock “by getting light exposure in the morning and dimming lights in your room in the evening.”
Read the full article here.
Nieuwsuur: Night‑time sunlight using space mirrors
The idea sounds futuristic: with thousands of mirrors in orbit around the Earth, the American start‑up Reflect Orbital aims to illuminate parts of the planet at night by reflecting sunlight. According to BioClock researcher Kamiel Spoelstra, however, this concept carries significant risks.
In a recent broadcast of Nieuwsuur, he warned that large‑scale disruption of natural darkness could have far‑reaching consequences. Humans, animals, and plants are closely adapted to the natural cycle of day and night, and artificial light can severely disrupt these biological rhythms. Kamile points out that nocturnal animals in particular, such as birds and insects, depend on darkness for navigation, behaviour, and reproduction. Additional light at night would also exacerbate existing problems related to light pollution.
Over the coming weeks, the U.S. government is set to decide whether the project will be allowed to move forward. As far as Kamiel is concerned, the project should stop here.
Watch the full Nieuwsuur broadcast here, or read the article.
