​Afgelopen weekend vond de halfjaarlijkse klokwisseling plaats, waarbij we overschakelden naar de zomertijd. Naar aanleiding hiervan was prof. Joke Meijer, hoofd van het BioClock-consortium en hoogleraar hersenonderzoek aan de Universiteit Leiden, te gast bij het radioprogramma ‘NOS Met het Oog op Morgen’ op NPO Radio 1. In het interview pleitte zij voor het afschaffen van de zomertijd en een permanente invoering van de wintertijd, die volgens haar beter...

The BioClock Consortium has released an official position statement advocating for the abolition of the biannual clock changes and the adoption of a fixed, healthy time zone: natural time. Our position: Choose natural time On the night of Saturday, March 29 to Sunday, March 30, 2025, the clocks will move forward by one hour once again. This recurring change disrupts our biological clock and can negatively impact our health. The BioClock Consortium joins other scientific...

Over the past two weeks, a part of the NEMO Science Museum in Amsterdam was transformed into a research center for the BioClock Consortium. The goal? To understand whether the biological clock of evening people is more sensitive to light than that of morning people. What did we study? More than 500 enthusiastic visitors completed a questionnaire to determine whether they are morning or evening types. Subsequently, we measured their pupil response to red and blue light...

On Friday, December 13, Hannah Broeckx won the poster prize during the annual Entomology Day organized by the Netherlands Entomological Society (NEV). Entomology Day is an event dedicated to the study of insects, known as entomology. It provides a platform for sharing knowledge and insights about insects and their role in nature and society. This annual gathering attracts a diverse audience of entomologists, scientists, students, and industry representatives. The Award The...

Luc Schlangen received a prestigious four-yearly prize of the International Commission on Illumination (CIE), the Wyszecki Gold Pin Award for exceptional outstanding contribution in fundamental research. The award is given for his significant contributions to the development and advancement of the CIE System for Metrology of Optical Radiation for ipRGC-influenced Responses to Light in humans. This system for quantifying light provides the foundation for replicable research...

Flexibility in activity timing may enable organisms to quickly adapt to environmental changes. Under global warming, diurnally adapted endotherms may achieve a better energy balance by shifting their activity towards cooler nocturnal hours. However, this shift may expose animals to new or increased environmental challenges (e.g. increased predation risk, reduced foraging efficiency). Read the whole article

Two young filmmakers,Tim Visser and Sander van Iersel have made a beautiful documentary about light and light pollution, which was first shown at the Rotterdam Film Festival, 2023, featuring BioClock researcher Kamiel Spoelstra. THE DARK SIDE OF BRIGHT NIGHTS – How Artificial light threatens nature