Investigations into the healing properties of red light therapy originated in the 1980s, when NASA researchers noticed photosynthesis-aiding LEDs seemed to heal their hands faster.

After a University of Michigan engineering student suffered retinal burns from an ultrashort pulse laser, researchers realized it could be used to reshape the cornea and improve a person's vision with greater precision than a scalpel and earlier laser technologies. Agencies, including the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Energy, provided funding to develop and commercialize the procedure.

Near-infrared luciferase systems allow researchers to image and analyze cellular activity in living animals because they penetrate tissue more deeply than visible light. This provides a means of studying gene expression and protein interactions without harming the animals.

Skin cells responsible for healing wounds work more quickly during the daytime, underscoring that the timing of an injury greatly influences recovery time, according to 2017 research. Nighttime burns took an average of 11 days longer to heal than burns incurred during the day.

Although extensively used in remote controls for electronics, where LED lights send signals wirelessly, infrared cameras allow for night vision and thermography—imaging of heat patterns in the body to non-invasively reveal blood flow for supplementary diagnostics. Infrared radiation also provides heat in toasters, saunas, and other technologies.

Scientists have created lenses that use nanoparticles to convert infrared light into visible light, allowing human eyes to observe previously invisible parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. This technology may help colorblind individuals by converting colors they cannot see into wavelengths they can.

Watch a board-certified sports medicine therapist detail his thinking about this synthetic peptide; he says it's "promising but unproven." He notes that this product is designed to mimic the natural protein thymosin beta-4, found in human and animal tissues, which promotes wound healing. TB-500 is classified as a research peptide for recovery, meaning it's not approved for human use and has not yet undergone rigorous human trials on its safety and efficacy.

Stem cells' special attributes interest researchers developing new therapeutic tools for a variety of health problems. Much of this research is done with support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This page offers a snapshot of research programs funded by the NIH and the health problems those programs focus on.

Rather than creating a narrow beam of light via amplification in an optical cavity, the random laser produces a red glow by scattering photons created in the natural pores of a peanut kernel after it has been injected with a solution of light-generating carbon dots derived from birch leaves.

Archaeological teams now have another item to pack with their trowels: Lasers. Researchers' approach to unsurveyed land has been transformed by light detection and ranging technology. LiDAR has helped archaeologists break new ground and uncover...

Skin resurfacing vaporizes the top layer of skin to reveal healthier, new skin, while collagen can give the skin structure and elasticity. Such procedures treat scars and burns, but may leave light spots on the skin.

During World War I, the British Navy sank a German U-boat after spotting the blue light forming at the sides and in the wake of the boat. Jellyfish slime was applied to a Roman walking stick for nighttime guidance, while bioluminescent fungi in Indonesia fulfilled the same purpose.

A NASA study found that lasers from ground- and space-based systems could utilize the momentum of light to safely push smaller debris out of their orbits. These systems would need to be accompanied by amendments to international space law, which prevents any nation from touching debris from another country, among other strategies.

The red light originates from a long-lasting excited electron state in the element's atomic structure. The brittle gray metal has historically been used in pigment production, the manufacturing of rust-resistant stainless steel, and the creation of durable coatings with long-lasting shine for metals, wood, and leather.

Its ability to bend around obstacles and reflect off the ionosphere—an electrified layer of Earth's upper atmosphere—allows this type of light to travel long distances without damaging living things due to its low energy. MRI scanners, WiFi, and Bluetooth technologies are also applications of this form of light.

One University of Colorado professor has developed an ink that can be "turned on" with exposure to UV light, and "turned off" with sunlight. While the ink could help those who want to hide their body art from family members or coworkers, there are potential uses for medical procedures.

For scientists pursuing the cure for arthritis, the holy grail of discoveries lies in how to regrow healthy cartilage inside human joints. While this feat has so far resisted our best scientific attempts, there are plenty of other human tissues—such as the liver and fingertips—that will successfully regenerate.

These devices use diodes and mirrors to create pulses of light that vaporize metal in billionths of a second, though at wavelengths that cannot react with organic material. Pulse width, power, and speed adjustments can produce white, black, and even colored patterns through controlled heat reactions.

A proof of concept for a laser protection system, which could be used to protect launchpads and airports in the future, was conducted on the Säntis mountain in northeastern Switzerland. Rapid laser pulses heated air molecules, creating a more conductive, 50-meter (164-foot) path for the electrical discharge to travel through.

Through anti-Stokes cooling, incoming energy is combined with vibrations in a material's crystal lattice to produce a net reduction in its temperature. Using this effect, lasers can be directed at microchip hot spots to help keep data centers cool.

Unlike radio waves, microwave, infrared, and visible light, UV light can produce chemical changes, such as curing adhesives and resins, causing substances to fluoresce, and destroying the genetic material of microorganisms. This makes UV light useful for sterilization, forensics, and quickly drying nail polish.

French start-up Glowee is experimenting with lights made from bioluminescent microorganisms in public spaces to reduce energy use. While the technology shows promise, challenges remain with brightness, maintenance, and scaling it for widespread use.

University of Southern California researchers have launched a phase 2b clinical trial of a stem cell implant designed to restore vision in people with advanced dry macular degeneration. Patients will be randomized to receive the stem cell implant or a simulated procedure and placebo implant. This type of larger, second-stage clinical trial is designed to confirm efficacy and dosing and to look for side effects. It's one of the stages that precedes the US Food & Drug Administration approval of a device.

A 2006 study into the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelics sparked a renewed interest in the field of psychedelic research, a development that has cascaded into commercialized ventures and experiences. This article details how growing research into the psychological benefits of psychedelics is matched by the rise of anecdotal reports, book deals, businesses, and corporate claims seeking to capitalize on psychedelic potential.

Surface hardening and embedding specific elements or coatings can improve the biocompatibility and bone tissue integration of these implants. Particle accelerators are significant sources of the radioisotopes needed in medical diagnostics, and microwave linear accelerators are used in the majority of cancer irradiation treatments.

Since CRISPR was revealed as a gene editing tool in 2012, it has been on an accelerated track to real-world applications. Among other clinical demonstrations, doctors have now injected a CRISPR treatment directly into eye cells, helping vision-impaired patients see shapes and colors again.

In 2022, scientists used lasers to create a powerful implosion that bound hydrogen isotopes together, releasing more energy than was input into the system. Research is ongoing to achieve this self-sustaining reaction with larger yields and energy gains.

German researchers at four Fraunhofer institutes have developed a method to seal paper packaging using a carbon monoxide laser. Without the need for glue or plastic adhesives, the Papure project is expected to improve the recyclability of paper.

Researchers have determined that LSD, taken in a medical setting, decreases anxiety related to "life-threatening disease," reduces brain reactivity to fearful faces, increases the meaning and emotional response derived from music, and more. No complications of LSD administration have been observed in medical settings, though acute adverse effects, including exhaustion, nausea, and difficulty concentrating.

Creative Machines Lab at Columbia Engineering have developed a system of software-controlled lasers to cook food with precision, retain moisture with the final-cooked product, brown food within its original packaging, and create an entirely new meal creation process for a consumer. Watch this three-minute video to see for yourself.