Trends in Lighting asks 20 Questions to inspirational lighting industry minds to mark the end of the decade
Name: Marijke C.M. Gordijn
Job Title: Member and co-founder of the Good Light Group, director of Chrono@Work
Where will you spend the holidays?
Quietly at home with my family at some time and visiting family members and friends to celebrate together at other times
What is your favourite Christmas food?
A delicious surprise dinner at my sister’s home, looking forward to this year again!
What are you most excited about for 2020?
To see the message of Good Light really reach people all over the world. And to see Europe taking the wise decision that each country should adopt permanent standard time in accordance with their time zone to support our health.
What do you most want to see from lighting manufacturers in 2020?
Lighting manufacturers should really learn about the right light at the right time: Good Light. They need to understand that for non-visual effects, color temperature is not the correct measure, it does not tell you anything about the spectral composition of the light source and in that sense is irrelevant for the non-visual effects. Based on correct principles they need to develop lighting systems of high quality for homes and offices that are easy to use to really improve the life of people: make them sleep better at night and live better and healthier during the day.
Have you already booked your summer vacation?
Oh no! During working days and working weeks your days are often completely organized: meetings, tasks, travel, timetables, sport, social agenda. Summer vacation is a time to relax without schedules and without hurry. I like to go with the flow during days off, no time schedule, no alarm clock, no obligations. We will see what summer 2020 will bring us and where we go.
Who is your industry inspiration?
All those companies that try to implement Good Light into their systems, based on scientific evidence. They are not with so many at the moment, but they are early adopters, trying to really change things. It is a difficult job.
Which product has inspired you in 2019?
A light cafe opened in the Netherlands where depressed people are treated with light; it lowers the threshold to get a proper treatment.
Which project are you most proud of?
We are currently working on a concept to improve the live and hopefully health of shift workers. Not only with respect to light, but also to other lifestyle aspects we think we can make a difference. Working at night is against our biological clock and is unhealthy. We need to work on healthy concepts now that we know more about the mechanisms behind the health risks.
Can you name another reindeer besides Rudolph?
No, but I think of the paper published in 2005 just before Christmas. In that paper our colleagues show the arrhythmic behavior of reindeer during the long winter-months without light. It clearly shows the important role of a regular natural light-dark cycle to keep our rhythms in synch.
Do you own a Christmas jumper?
In the Netherlands, I don’t think many people have a Christmas jumper, but some are wearing a ‘foute trui’, you can search for ‘foute kersttrui’, to see what I mean. I don’t have one!
How is sustainability changing your job?
Good Light means higher intensities of indoor light needed during daytime. I am nota technician, but I do understand that if you add more electrical light this is not really sustainable. But I do think we can come up with other alternatives as well: develop ways to bring more outdoor light into homes and offices, and…we need less light in the evenings and at night, so reduce light there which is both better for our ecological footprint and for our health.
What is your most listened to track this year?
Father and friend from Alain Clark.
What was the last good film you watched?
It is a long time ago that I watched a good film, cannot come up with a name right now. But I am currently watching the third season of The Crown, a nice insight in the life of the royal family of the United Kingdom led by queen Elizabeth for already 67 years.
Have you already booked your flights to Trends in Lighting 22-24 September 2020?
No need to fly, Bregenz is not that far. And yes, I will be there again! We are discussing to organize an interesting program with several practical talks and experiences with Good Light!
Where was the most interesting place your job took you this year?
Bregenz of course…. 😉, but the meeting of the SLTBR in Chicago was great too.
Will Brexit happen?
I don’t know and I stopped following this soap.
What is your favourite Christmas song?
White Christmas from Bill Cosby. It is so sweet, but it reminds me of old days with my parents. We do not have so many white Christmases in the Netherlands anymore, but I had a very nice one in Bavaria, a long time ago
How do you say Merry Christmas in another language?
Gelukkig Kerstfeest in Dutch
Do you prefer LED Christmas lights or the traditional incandescent bulbs?
Very tiny, small, warm white LED Christmas lights in a green tree. I got used to it. Originally real candles were of course the best.
Can you remember the job/course you were you doing 20 years ago?
Oh yes, that was a beautiful and power-woman year for me, 1999. I gave birth to my twins, less than 3 months after defending my thesis on the role of the biological clock and sleep in depression at the Medical Faculty of the University of Groningen and I just started to head the human chronobiological facility at the Biology department. Chrono@Work is still collaborating with the scientists from the Chronobiology department of the University of Groningen. I am really looking forward to translate all the scientific knowledge we collect about what Good Light is and how we should implement it in the upcoming years.