Light stories on film

As a science journalist, one of the crucial questions I regularly ask myself is: “why should my audience care about this story?” Of course there are many factors that determine whether or not something is news-worthy. But one of the fundamental requirements is that stories must connect with people on some form of emotional level. That may be intrigue, excitement, awe, shock, anger, or any other of the remarkable array of human responses. The one thing you must avoid is indifference. With science being abstract at times, it is the job of the science journalist to show their audience how and why the thing you are communicating matters to people.

Fortunately, the International Year of Light and Light=based Technologies (IYL 2015) is a veritable treasure trove of great stories. At its core, this year is about people doing fascinating things with light that can have profound effects on other…