Unexplainable I glow, therefore I am
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Apr 27, 2026 They explore faint biophotons that make plants and animals glow while alive and fade at death. They discuss striking mouse and leaf images that reveal metabolic light signals. They also investigate microbial life aboard the International Space Station, from sampling methods to how the station’s unusually human-centered, low-diversity microbiome affects health and hardware.
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All Living Things Emit a Faint Visible Glow
- Living organisms emit ultraweak visible light called biophotons that drops dramatically at death.
- Daniel Oblak photographed a mouse pre- and post-euthanasia showing a distinct glowing pattern that largely vanishes after death.
Mouse Photo Shows Glow Disappearing At Death
- Daniel Oblak placed a mouse in a temperature-controlled dark box and photographed it with an ultrasensitive camera before and after euthanasia.
- The live mouse image showed a filled, colorful glow while the dead mouse image appeared to dissolve into faint dots.
Injury Triggers Localized Biophoton Bursts
- Biophoton intensity increases locally after injury, reflecting metabolic responses during healing.
- Oblak scraped leaves and saw bright streaks where cells ramped metabolic activity to repair the damage.
