“Re the marklight review: you committed a post hoc ergo propter hoc (“after this therefore because of this”) logical fallacy type error. Just because you read in poor light and your eyes got worse, doesn’t prove that was the cause regardless of what your mother and other old wives nagged you about. After all, you were also a. reading (maybe it was your guilt about the material—hysterical myopia) b. drinking milk, probably from Texas—maybe you should campaign against young developing ladies drinking the vile stuff [Ed. note: Mack says he was joking about Texas milk folks; dairy farmers - no reason to send angry letters!] c. eating burgers or pasta. You get the point.

The data on this are clear—as you might expect from reflection on evolution and when our eyes evolved (at times when peering intently for long periods of time into dark bushes probably was essential to staying alive). Dim reading light may annoy older persons who find it harder to read therein but it does not damage eyes. What was actually happening was that as your skull grew, the distance from the lens in your cornea to your retina increased disproportionately to the ability of your lens muscles to compensate. Hence, myopia, near sightedness. Later, the opposite will happen which is why most persons as they age end up with additional presbyopia, farsightedness, i.e., needing reading glasses. I ordered three of the lights—one for me, one for my daughter so she can cheat on her lights out time, and one as a present for someone when I need one.”

So there you have it – another wives’ tale bites the dust! Thanks Mack!!

I agree that’s very cool!