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Comment by dylan604 | Hacker News Reader

Blue LEDs that are on to let you know something has power is abominable, but that isn't the fault of the blue LED. What is abominable is the use of the "cooler" blueish white light being used at night indoors. That should be considered a crime against humanity.

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> What is abominable is the use of the > "cooler" blueish white light being > used at night indoors.

We only associate warm orangey-white light with nocturnal lighting because of centuries of sitting around fires and candles.

And because (a) blue light causes your eyes to become bright-adapted, ruining your night vision, (b) blue light is incredibly distracting in your peripheral vision causing massively more glare than "warmer" light sources, (c) blue light screws up circadian rhythms for people and wildlife.

Don’t forget the sun. The sun gets to a warmer color at sunset, hence why warm white conveys a "go to bed" meaning.

Many millennia, actually. A million years at least, quite likely more.

Co-evolving to be comfortable with a certain quality of light, is a good argument for maintaining that quality of light, and for not using light with a quality which triggers subconscious (or conscious) discomfort.

When did blue become the indicator for "has power"? That has traditionally been red or maybe orange/amber even going back to miniature incandescent bulbs or neon bulbs.

It became that when it became available.???

exec: I'm sick of that red indicator light?

minion: They just came out with a blue LED we can try.

exec: Perfect. Use it on everything. Our products will look different, and people will like it

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