Ford and Edison in a modern regulatory environment: the first-in-human trial of night-work and artificial light

Thomas C. Erren; David M. Shaw; Ursula Wild; J. Valerie Gross

doi:10.1186/s12995-017-0154-9

Ford and Edison in a modern regulatory environment: the first-in-human trial of night-work and artificial light

Thomas C. Erren, David M. Shaw^*, Ursula Wild, J. Valerie Gross

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/Letter to the editor › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

A thought experiment places Henry Ford and Thomas Alva Edison in a modern regulatory environment. In a utopian occupational world devoid of night-shifts or artificial light, Ford wants to experiment with "working through the night". To support Ford's project, Edison offers his patented electric lamps to "turn nights into days". An ethics committee [EC] does not approve the night-work experiment and Utopia's Food and Drug Administration [FDA] does not approve the potential medical device as safe for use by humans. According to the EC and FDA, complex effects on circadian biology and thus safety of work and light at night are not understood. The thought experiment conveys that we should pay more attention to possible risks of work and light at chronobiologically unusual times.

Original language	English
Article number	8
Number of pages	3
Journal	Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology
Volume	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-017-0154-9
Publication status	Published - 16 Mar 2017

Keywords

Shift work
Night work
Light
Chronobiology
Chronodisruption
Public health
Thought experiment
Ford
Edison
CHRONODISRUPTION
TIME
MICE

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10.1186/s12995-017-0154-9Licence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Ford and Edison in a modern regulatory environment: the first-in-human trial of night-work and artificial light",

abstract = "A thought experiment places Henry Ford and Thomas Alva Edison in a modern regulatory environment. In a utopian occupational world devoid of night-shifts or artificial light, Ford wants to experiment with {"}working through the night{"}. To support Ford's project, Edison offers his patented electric lamps to {"}turn nights into days{"}. An ethics committee [EC] does not approve the night-work experiment and Utopia's Food and Drug Administration [FDA] does not approve the potential medical device as safe for use by humans. According to the EC and FDA, complex effects on circadian biology and thus safety of work and light at night are not understood. The thought experiment conveys that we should pay more attention to possible risks of work and light at chronobiologically unusual times.",

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N2 - A thought experiment places Henry Ford and Thomas Alva Edison in a modern regulatory environment. In a utopian occupational world devoid of night-shifts or artificial light, Ford wants to experiment with "working through the night". To support Ford's project, Edison offers his patented electric lamps to "turn nights into days". An ethics committee [EC] does not approve the night-work experiment and Utopia's Food and Drug Administration [FDA] does not approve the potential medical device as safe for use by humans. According to the EC and FDA, complex effects on circadian biology and thus safety of work and light at night are not understood. The thought experiment conveys that we should pay more attention to possible risks of work and light at chronobiologically unusual times.

AB - A thought experiment places Henry Ford and Thomas Alva Edison in a modern regulatory environment. In a utopian occupational world devoid of night-shifts or artificial light, Ford wants to experiment with "working through the night". To support Ford's project, Edison offers his patented electric lamps to "turn nights into days". An ethics committee [EC] does not approve the night-work experiment and Utopia's Food and Drug Administration [FDA] does not approve the potential medical device as safe for use by humans. According to the EC and FDA, complex effects on circadian biology and thus safety of work and light at night are not understood. The thought experiment conveys that we should pay more attention to possible risks of work and light at chronobiologically unusual times.

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KW - Night work

KW - Light

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KW - Chronodisruption

KW - Public health

KW - Thought experiment

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KW - Edison

KW - CHRONODISRUPTION

KW - TIME

KW - MICE

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