This may be the most important blog article I write to date. It took two back-to-back snow storms for it to come together in between all the shoveling. It is a little longer so I recommend that you bookmark it if you do not have time right now and come back to it when the time is right. I care deeply about this message as I believe it brings hope to our younger generation. I hope it resonates with you too.
Pain Wakes you Up
As an Electrical Engineering student, Tristan Scott played college soccer and suffered one too many concussions. Kelly Bento (Podcast Episodes 12 & 26) says “you come into this either by crisis or curiosity”. Tristan was no exception and through a health crisis, found regenerative agriculture and quantum biology and even Bitcoin, during his recovery journey to optimal health. Indeed he wrote a book about the first two (Beef and Bitcoin – more on that later) and is now a quantum “savage”. He has educated widely on the impact of nnEMFs on our biology. He even shared that he was fresh out of a Wyoming river after a winter cold dip before our interview. Walking his talk has paid off as he also shared with us that he feels healthier now than before his concussions. His story is compelling and you will have to hear this episode to fully understand how “pain wakes you up”. Credit to that gem of a quote goes to Dr Alexis Cowan who said it on her Undoctrinate Yourself Podcast with neurosurgeon Dr Jack Kruse, also during that snowstorm. My own 2024 crisis woke me up further.
In Tristan’s wakefulness, he began cohosting the popular Decentralized Radio podcast of which I have been a longtime fan. As fate would have it, he interviewed Anjan Katta, the Canadian founder/inventor of Daylight Computer. That conversation was transformative as he followed up the next day with Anjan and has been the Daylight Computer head of operations and marketing ever since. He had found the best place where he could best use his gifts to better humanity.
Please keep reading for the Episode Timestamps…
Why do we need a Blue-Light Free Computer?
Tristan explained many of the reasons why today’s computers are stealing our attention, health and freedom. In my research for this article, I found two other insightful resources – a January 2025 Patreon blog article by Roman & Bohdanna Shapoval (aka The Power Couple) and the December 30, 2024 Danny Jones Podcast Episode with Anjan Katta. The ideas I gleaned from Tristan, Roman, Bohdanna and Anjan combined with my own, inspired the rest of this blog. It is safe to say that all five of us have come to see that humanity has lost its way with the original point of computer technology – to lessen our workload, automate calculations, and process information helping us become a smarter, more efficient, healthier version of ourselves by freeing us up for more rest and playtime. Instead, computers now beam junk blue light, radiate non-native Electromagnetic Frequencies (nnEMFs) and steal our attention and ultimately our time if we let them. Its hard not to argue that humans are now less attentive, less healthy and less free than in the 1980s.
6 More Obvious Impacts of Blue-Lit Computer Screens
- Screen Apnea
- Addiction
- Stress
- Myopia
- Poor Sleep
- Flicker-induced Eye Strain & Headaches
1. Screen Apnea. This is a phenomenon where normal emissive flicker from the display slows your breathing rate down because of a sympathetic nervous response to us interacting with this stressful light. We are so numb to it now that we normalize how we feel – that is until you go camping and once again feel like the best version of your self, breathing in normally in both natural light and natural Electromagnetic Frequencies (EMFs).
2. Addiction. Tristan highlighted that blue light is addictive by design. Many of us were enlightened by the 2020 documentary The Social Dilemma. It showed us that there are algorithms cleverly designed to incentivize us to keep us engaged longer on apps or programs. Who knew there would be trillion-dollar industries interested in stealing our attention to profit from us and studying our “Likes”? But its not just the algorithms; the blue light shining from our screens compounds their effect to addict us further and keep us on screens longer through dopamine desensitization.
Dopamine desensitization occurs when the brain’s dopamine receptors become less responsive to dopamine. This can make it harder to experience pleasure and can lead to unhealthy habits like scrolling on social media for hours on end. It is caused by too much stimulation for too long or prolonged exposure to moderate concentrations of dopamine. The symptoms of dopamine desensitization include:
- Fatigue
- Lack of motivation
- Sleep disorders
- Apathy
- Procrastination
- Compulsive behaviors
- Reduced capacity to appreciate simple rewards
A dopamine detox or dopamine fasting can help reverse dopamine desensitization. Without such a detox, we become slaves to our next dopamine “fix”. Neurosurgeon/Quantum Biology Pioneer Dr. Jack Kruse goes even further and provocatively calls us “low dopamine idiots”. I think you get the point.
3. Stress. We are so busy indulging in this technology designed to addict us that we now have less freedom. The hardware in it sprays unpaired blue light. This means blue light without the other colours of visible light in the rainbow to balance it. This effect on our dopamine as mentioned above can keep us in a rapture-like state; its like we go into a black hole of time. Have you ever been tricked into watching another Netflix show past your bedtime when the cliffhanger always occurs at the end? I am guilty of this effect – which can also happen scrolling on social media, watching You Tube, gambling in blue lit casinos or dancing in blue lit bars into the wee hours of the night when our bodies should be regenerating. With the dopamine desensitization mentioned above, you have less initiative to make the better decision and prioritize your sleep (and circadian rhythm). Consequently you also lose time from the tasks you should be accomplishing as you become a slave to your screen/blue lit lifestyle. Modern screens and lighting make this a continual struggle leading to stressed out nervous systems that struggle with anxiety, depression and more. Where is the freedom in that?
4. Myopia. Roman & Bohdanna’s blog focused (pun intended) on the impact of blue lit screens on our eyes and specifically on myopia. I cannot improve upon their synopsis so have asked their permission to repeat it here. “Myopia occurs when we can see objects up close clearly, but objects that are far away look blurry. Our eye focuses light in the wrong spot—just in front of the retina instead of directly on it. The retina is the light sensitive layer at the back of the eye. It acts like a film that captures light and is therefore responsible for what we see. Myopia causes us to have a longer eyeball than average. As a result, the retina can become thin and prone to damage. The blood vessels of some people in this area can leak blood or fluid. Notably, 62% of myopia patients develop a more severe form, called myopic choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) before the age of 50.¹³”
“Ever since the release of the iPod, we had form meet function, yet health was never part of the equation. Today those of us on the forefront of tech wellness are embracing the ultimate algorithm – the natural intelligence of the human body. When our minds are clear, we can direct our lives with mission and vision. Visionaries like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates knew about blue light’s addictive nature all to well, and it’s why they never gave their children wireless devices.¹⁰ As children are constantly pummeled with never-ending jabs of blue light, they’re not only primed for addiction later in life, but are also more at risk of becoming nearsighted (myopia). Children under 10 years of age absorb 60% more blue light into their retina as the lens of their eyes is not yet fully developed.¹¹
When the retina is damaged, this can lead to various diseases of the eye, including myopia (nearsightedness). It’s been estimated that cases of myopia will increase from 2.6 billion in the year 2020 to 4.8 billion by the year 2050 (half of the world’s population).¹² Projections indicate that by 2050, myopia will affect nearly 40% of children and adolescents globally. The high and rising prevalence of myopia has become a major global health concern because of the potential long-term complications, including cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and retinal detachments.3
Myopia, in particular high myopia, can lead to blindness, and can radically alter one’s life on all levels of their career, education, and relationships.4″
5. Flicker-Induced Eye Strain & Headaches
Roman & Bohdanna also wrote: “If you want to enable nightmode (amber, red tones) on most other devices, like your iPhone, unless you have installed an app like Iris, chances are you’ll also be increasing the flicker (fluctuating light) effect as well. While most of us can’t perceive flicker, it’s still sensed by our nervous system.” This can contribute to eye-strain and headaches because the dimming technology most screens use is called pulse-width modulation (PWM), which rapidly turns the brightness of our screens on and off. Our eyes aren’t meant to tolerate this type of rigid, square electrical impulse.”
NB Roman & Bohdanna mention a link between flicker and epilepsy too. Photosensitive epilepsy (PSE) is a form of epilepsy in which seizures are triggered by visual stimuli that form patterns in time or space, such as flashing lights, strobe lights, bold, regular patterns, or regular moving patterns. PSE affects approximately one in 4,000 people (5% of those with epilepsy). I don’t believe the flicker from computer screens can cause PSE, though faulty fluorescent bulbs, action movies and TV screens have been found to. Please do you research as I am no expert on this subject and its possible they found a link I have not yet seen. In any case, I agree with their infererence that flicker-free screens should be a wise idea for anyone with PSE.
Disrupted Circadian Rhythm
I created a workshop called the Blue Light Protocol a couple years ago where I explain all the effects of unpaired artificial blue light (including the 25 Effects below) and what to do about them (now including a new section on the Daylight Computer). I review that our body is full of clocks. Each cell has a clock gene that syncs up to the master clock in our brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). It has a direct connection to our eyes via the retino-hypothalamic tract. Basically, our eyes monitor the amount of blue light in our environment. They do this via the melanopsin receptors which are sensors for blue light in the backs of our eyes (retinas), skin and subcutaneous fat.
The amount of blue light entering the eye is how we determine the time of day; it turns on hormone centers in the brain including the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. This helps us know when to produce hormones and neurotransmitters including cortisol, melatonin, thyroid and sex hormones. The light entering the eye is most important to get right because it sets our masterclock and determines our circadian rhythm. Simply put, disrupted Circadian Rhythm from the wrong light at the wrong time contributes to dis-ease in the body. For anyone that did the Circadian Rhythm Disruption Challenge, you will understand this.
Disrupted Sleep
Blue light is only found during daytime hours in nature. Sources of intense artificial blue light tell the brain it is the middle of the day and not bedtime. ALAN – Artificial Light at Night will cause your brain to make energizing chemicals instead like cortisol and tanks your melatonin and your sleep takes a hit.
Here are just two studies demonstrating blue lit screens impact on our sleep:
- BMJ Open2015;5:e006748 & Huffington Post February 4, 2015
-
- Details: “Research shows that using an electronic device within one hour of bedtime can delay falling asleep for more than an hour”
- J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011 March; 96(3): E463–E472
-
- Details: “study that compared melatonin profiles in individuals exposed to standard room light (<200 lux) vs. dim light (<3 lux) found that exposure to room light before bedtime shortened the time of elevated melatonin levels by about 90 minutes. That means it may take you an extra hour and a half before you’re sleepy enough to fall asleep once you’re in bed. Combine room light and electronic displays right before bed, and it’s easy to see how sleep may remain elusive for hours on end.”
Bottom Line: We are optimized for solar EMF in the form of sunlight. We are not optimized for manmade EMFs like artificial blue light in our environment, especially after sunset.
Classic “Uncle Jack” Kruse (Neurosurgeon) Blue Light Quotes
To really hit home the impact of unpaired blue light on our health, I captured these impactful/provocative quotes over the past 10 years of reading his blogs and listening to his podcast interviews:
“Blue light destroys DHA levels in your retina and it inactivates mitochondrial electron tunneling at cytochrome c. This causes massive flows in cell water and swelling.”
“If, as many say, sugar is like an addictive drug, then I will say artificial light is akin to shooting heroin. “
“The excessive blue light is a signal to your mitochondria like you are eating ice cream and cookies all day, on top of a standard American diet.”
25 Effects of Blue Light Toxicity (BLT)
These are the effects of ultra-processed manmade junk blue light that I have amassed so far in no particular order:
- Stretches out your mitochondria (increasing heteroplasmy = mutations of mitochondria)
- Increases heteroplasmy rate – lowering mitochondrial efficiency
- Subcellular Dehydration
- Stress Response Activation
- Wrecks DHA function
- Gives you brain fog and dumbs you down by overspending your dopamine supply
- Disturbs Melatonin and Sleep
- Impairs Thyroid Function
- Upsets Testosterone production and ovulatory cycles
- Increases Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) production in mitochondria
- Impairs night vision
- Causes near sightedness (myopia)
- Destroys photoreceptors – e.g. melanopsin, neuropsin, rods, cones. BLT disintegrates the Vitamin A (retinol) bond to them. Vitamin A then becomes its toxic form (retinal) which destroys any photoreceptors it meets
- Dissociates Vitamin A (see # 13 above) from photoreceptors which attacks melatonin, melanopsin, respiratory proteins in the Electron Transport Chain and your metabolism
- Contributes to macular degeneration and cataracts (in combination with low melatonin)
- Inhibits regeneration of melanopsin (see #13)
- Thins the retina
- Crashes the melanopsin system (see #13) ==>cripples the Central Retinal Pathway (CRP) function ==> wipes out mitochondrial populations and productivity ==> people live on old mitochondria
- Contributes to Leptin Resistance
- Causes inflammation
- Increases cortisol – at inappropriate times
- Increases blood sugar, hunger and contributes to Insulin Resistance
- Affects mental health – especially anxiety and depression
- Disrupts Circadian Rhythm
- Causes dopamine resistance
HOPE – A Healthier More Human-Friendly Computer
Meet DC-1 – “the computer de-invented, a new kind of computer designed for deep focus and wellbeing. It is the world’s first full speed paper-like display in the form of a computer tablet. You can read, draw or note take on it with a Bluetooth-free stylus. Its like an E-reader, Remarkable and a Tablet all in one.
The Vision of Daylight Computer Company
The Daylight Computer company “refuses to accept a future where our devices are exhausting, addictive and distracting”. The vision for Daylight is to be this generation’s Apple and bring the concept of accountable computing back into the tech space using hardware and software that will stop spraying us with blue light and flicker, desensitizing our dopamine, detaching us from reality. While this wont protect you from addictive content and algorithms it will lessen our indoor screen time and Daylight Computer provides the option of bringing it outside.
They hope to build a whole ecosystem of healthier, more humane computers that respect our health, attention, and freedom. Tristan hinted that this is likely just the first product and like me, hopes they can eventually produce a version of DC-1 that has lower nnEMFs and a similar blue light-free, flicker-free, low nnEMF cellphone. I could not be more excited that these visionaries and scientists/engineers have bonded and are giving us all hope, especially for the younger generations.
The First Non-Addictive Computer that does not cause Eye-Strain
DC-1 is completely free of blue light. It has a pure amber display. It uses DC (direct current) dimming, which reduces the stress upon our nervous system tremendously. Its not yet free of nnEMFs but you can hardwire the Daylight computer using its USB-C connection, shut off Wi-Fi completely with airplane mode and use the Bluetooth-free stylus.
What is an Accountable Computer?
Anjan and Tristan consider the original sin of modern computing to be no accountability. For example, the Silicon Valley greats are aware of the dangers of all this tech, yet have not warned the rest of us. Apparently, Steve Jobs did not allow his own kids use tech till age 16 but happily sold it to everyone. Regretfully, he passed away of a retroperitoneal cancer (think pelvic area). This in itself is ironic as he invented Apple’s laptop and was notorious for carrying his cell phone in his back pocket – both devices that would have radiated his pelvic region. Mark Zuckerberg apparently does not allow his kids to use social media and uses an ePaper notepad himself. Bill Gates apparently would not allow his kids to use cell phones until age 14 and had restrictions on having them at meals or before bed. It is beyond time for accountability in this industry as it has harmed not only our kids but all of us with keeping the detrimental effects of this addictive, blue lit, radiating, life-sucking (granted useful) technology in the dark. We all grant that they are useful; just asking that Silicon Valley be more transparent and produce healthier tech like Daylight Computer has pioneered.
What all can Daylight Computer (DC-1) do now?
- It performs as a healthier version of an iPad/Tablet “computer”
- Provides flicker-free black and white display which is easy on the eyes
- Allows you to work/read/draw outside without glare and no backlight needed (but is available)
- Allows for a distraction-free operating system (Sol:OS)
- Includes a drawing app and glare-free notepad with a matte finish and textured surface that provides a natural tactile writing experience using Live Paper
- Provides days of use on a single charge with its extended battery
- Allows for reading and annotating pdfs
- Smooth video playback
- Access to all favourite 3rd party apps
Some Key DC-1 Specifications
Display
• 10.5 in Live PaperTM Display
• 1600×1200 – 190dpi
• Pure Amber Backlight: Optional – DC Dimming (No PWM)
Performance: RAM: 8GB, Storage: 128GB
Software – Android 13
How to Purchase a Daylight Computer
This is still a small grassroots company with low volume as they face the challenge of breaking into the electronic space. They only began selling them in 2023 and keep exhausting their stock due to the high demand. It is possible you may be put on a waiting list until the next batch is available. They have had to rely on angel investors as Silicon Valley is not yet behind this disruptive technology.
Coupon Code
If you choose to purchase one day, please use my Affiliate Code or copy https://bit.ly/daylight-lkwellness into your browser for a 10% discount. Also my Website Resource page will have a Daylight Computer on it soon too.
The Grey Alien Timeline vs The Solarpunk Timeline
I refer you back to the Danny Jones podcast mentioned above. Danny and Anjan speculate on different timelines for humans that I found fascinating. I get that this crosses the boundary into conspiracy theory territory but I could not help but at least look up what the heck is a grey alien and the Solarpunk movement that they mentioned. Essentially from my current limited understanding, the Grey Alien Timeline involves evolved humans that due to their disassociation from nature, evolved into to these big headed, big black-eyed hairless grey aliens. I know – crazy. I can at least see a symbolic connection here to the Zombie-like behaviour humans adopt when we are in front of screens too much. I also see the damage that excessive screen time does to our eyes. What would that do over generations of usage of our current technologies?
Anjan gives hope to the alternative Solarpunk timeline over this dystopian Grey Alien timeline. Solarplunk refers to “a literary and artistic movement, close to the hopepunk movement, that envisions and works toward actualizing a sustainable future interconnected with nature and community.”(Wikipedia)
Honestly, you really have to listen to the podcast (or research it yourself) as I cannot do it proper justice here. Then you may fully grasp the significance that simply changing the light source now of our computers could contribute to keeping us associated with nature.
Amusing Ourselves to Death
A part of the Danny Jones podcast that resonated for me was when Anjan reads the introduction of Neil Postman’s book titled Amusing Ourselves to Death where it summarizes how we are hastening the death of our culture by entertainment. “The book’s origins are rooted in a talk Postman gave to the Frankfurt Book Fair in 1984, in which he was a participant in a panel on George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four and the contemporary world. In the introduction to Amusing Ourselves to Death, Postman said that the contemporary world was better reflected by Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, whose public was oppressed by their addiction to amusement, rather than by Orwell’s work, where they were oppressed by state violence.” (Amazon)
I found this part profound with all the parts Anjan read that are playing out now sadly. I graduated high school in 1984 and we read our grad year book and it had quite an impact. Ironically my son read Brave New World in his grad year. I fear both books may have some truth as social credit video cameras watch us increasingly and we have become inseparable from our addictive cell phones/tablets/PCs/TVs. This dialogue with Anjan Katta only made me respect the founder of the Daylight Computer more to realize how much he feels a moral responsibility to humanity to change the course of history (and save us from that Grey Alien timeline). Takeaway: we should read all three of these books, learn more about the effects of blue light and nnEMFs and reflect/reassess to figure out ASAP if we are indeed “the frogs in the boiling water” of Nineteen eighty-four and/or Brave New World and decide whether or not to jump out now!
Epilogue – Beef and Bitcoin
If you listened to our interview, I jokingly asked Tristan “should I buy his book Bitcoin and Beef for my husband at Christmas?”. I did. He is currently reading it and I am next. Here is an excerpt of the description in case you want to understand Tristan’s passions to change the world further: “Today, society is faced with the highest rates of chronic disease in human history and an ever-increasing wealth gap. Open your mind to discover the truth behind the real issues plaguing our financial and food systems – overly centralized corporations and government entities that care only about their bottom line.
Bitcoin and Beef addresses how we have arrived at this unfortunate point, and how the result is a much lower quality of life for billions worldwide. Increased decentralization is the solution, with Bitcoin and beef (through regenerative farming) having the ability to spearhead the respective revolutions in the financial and food industries for the better of mankind, despite the many criticisms laid upon them.
Who wouldn’t want a financial and food system that is more accessible, more redundant, more sustainable, better for the environment, and better for the people; offering a means to live your most optimal life. It is time to take back control of our money and our food, of our wealth and our health.”
Source: Amazon – yes the irony is not lost on me that I sourced this from this centralized business ; )
Episode 31 – Quantum Healthy Podcast with Tristan Scott
Tristan Scott has a masters in electrical engineering and is deeply passionate about health, nutrition, regenerative agriculture, decentralization, and bitcoin. After a severe bout of post concussive syndrome (PCS), he was forced down the self healing rabbit which led him to a deep learning of health and nutrition. That led to a deep understanding of the issues with the current food and farming systems and a motivation to educate society on how it can be improved.
He believes that the mindset behind individual sovereignty and taking control of one’s life is the foundation behind the movement of Bitcoin, regenerative agriculture, natural foods diets, homesteading and more. He is the author of the book Bitcoin and Beef, founder of the outdoor apparel company Wyoming Based, head of operations and marketing at Daylight Computer and co-hosts a podcast called Decentralized Radio.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro
01:33 – Electrical Engineer to Health Advocate Journey
10:08 – Healing Brain Injury: Tristan’s Health Transformation
15:56 – Invention of the Daylight Computer
26:25 – Impact of Technology on Health
27:40 – Blue Light Addiction Explained
28:55 – Environmental Design and Screen Time
37:38 – Daylight Computer vs Remarkable Comparison
49:13 – Nighttime Routines for Better Health
52:10 – Daylight’s Effect on Non-Native EMFs
57:50 – Future of Daylight: Cell Phone Plans
1:00:50 – Current Products Offered by Daylight
1:03:45 – Understanding Quantum Health
1:06:05 – Tristan’s Offerings
1:08:03 – Outro
Music Credit: Devon Kissmann
Sources
- The Healthy Computer Silicon Valley doesn’t want you to know about – Substack Article by Roman & Bohdanna Shapoval 13 Jan 2025
- Dr Jack Kruse Patreon Blogs
- Prog Retin Eye Res. 2011 Jul;30(4):239-57. doi: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2011.04.002. Epub 2011 May 14. PMID: 21600300.
- Wikipedia (Definitions, Book Images and Grey Alien image)
- Amazon.ca
- Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
- Daylight Computer
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