Xref: utzoo misc.consumers:4724 sci.electronics:2870
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!tektronix!tekcae!kurtk
From: kurtk@tekcae.TEK.COM (Kurt Krueger)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,sci.electronics
Subject: Re: fluorescent lights, brain & flicker fusion
Message-ID: <1657@tekcae.TEK.COM>
Date: 27 Apr 88 15:56:51 GMT
References: <530@scourge> <1182@ssc.UUCP> <27927@yale-celray.yale.UUCP>
Reply-To: kurtk@tekcae.UUCP (Kurt Krueger)
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, OR.
Lines: 22
Keywords: eyes head ache electricity

>>> I just started a new job and now must work under
>>> fluorescent lights.  My brain seems to be adversely
>>> effected my the lights.  I have been going home with
>>> a lot of eye- and brain-strain.
>>> 
>... stuff deleted
>
>This is interesting because the other evening, I was looking at my
>workstation (a sun 3/60 with a 1600x1280 BW display), and I was
>getting a headache. Then, I noticed that the edge of the screen looked
>like it was wavering,...

What you have probably experienced is the fact that your peripheral vision
is mainly rods (black & white) which are more responsive to flicker than
your center (cones) vision.  Also, your eye is less sensitive to flicker
if the intensity is lower (I don't know why).  So one trick to help a screen
that flickers too much is to turn down the brightness.  You usually have to
adjust the room lighting so you can still see the display.  Note that this
effect is independant of most everything except absoute brightness of the
display, not perceived brightness, contrast, etc.  I put a cardboard hood
on my display so I could turn it down, otherwise I could NOT work with a
white background.