R2OK!

gfloyd · Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 9:25 pm Post subject: Welecom to the 25 Hour Day

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6654017.stm

Our natural daily 24-hour cycle could be stretched by an extra hour safely and simply by exposure to pulses of bright light, research suggests.
Experts say it could prove useful for astronauts adapting for long-term missions to Mars - where a day lasts an extra 40 minutes.

Humans do not have precise 24-hour cycles to begin with, and all of the 12 volunteers had cycles ranging from 23.5 to 24.5 hours.

After allowing them to sleep and wake normally for a few days, a new regime was imposed, with artificial "days" produced by a combination of low light and very bright pulses of light near the end of the intended "wakeful" hours.

After 30 days, scientists found that a combination of light brightness and pulses was able to manipulate the circadian rhythm, over time adding approximately one hour to each subject's day.
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