Why does my son always stare off at lights?

Why does my son always stare off at the light, Lamps, ceiling fixtures, any kind of light fixtures?

I am assuming that your son is an infant. This is more of a question about child psychology than optical phenomena and I am afraid I don't know much about child behavior. Scanning a few websites, though, I see many parents commenting on how their babies love to stare at lights (see this link). I would guess that your son stares at lights because they are fascinating. Bright shiny sources of light are a new experience for him.

Light Bulbs in your Field of View

I've read your response about incandescent lights being generally eye safe to look at but I still have some questions. Is a clear bulb safe even if its within your field of view? If you were watching TV would it be damaging to the eyes to have the image of the filament sit on your periphery? I understand the eye moves while watching TV so it wouldn't stay on the same location on the retina. Also what if it was right next to your central vision, say a clear bulb next to your television, would it cause damage then? if you were watching the TV for hours upon hours?. I've tried to find the answer to these questions about how dangerous the clear incandescent light bulbs are but there doesn't seem to be much information regarding it, especially light damage on the peripheral of your eye.

An incandescent lightbulb in your field of view over an extended period of time is generally safe to view, whether it is in the center of your view or in the peripheral. Your eyes will provide you with some feedback if it is not good. If your eyes squint, or you feel discomfort, then that is your body telling you that maybe it isn't a good idea.

Can staring at an L.E.D. flashight be dangerous?

If you have time will you please settle a family dispute. will staring at an l.e.d. flashlight or shining it directly into someone's eyes be damaging?

My first thought is that it's always the best policy simply to not stare into any light sources.

It is unlikely that you are going to cause damage to someone's eyes by accidentally, or momentarily, shining it into their eyes. L.E.D. flashlights are more powerful than incadescent ones, but they are still generally safer than laser pointers. The reason for this is that the beam from a laser pointer will focus to a smaller spot on your retina than the beam from a flashlight. (Technically speaking, the laser pointer is a point source, the flashlight is an extended source.)

I hope that answer restores peace to your family.

Is Wireless Radiation Dangerous?

I wonder about the electro-radiation in my home from our wireless transmitter for our computer-internet connection. I increasingly get the feeling that I can "feel" it at the computer, sometimes get headaches or my hands get "hot" (resting near the keyboard). I've been strongly considering going back to CAT-5e hardline connections and getting rid of the wireless. Are there risks? I have young children as well. This is an issue that has been lingering for years

One thing you have to be careful of, when dealing with issues like this, is pseudoscience. You often find conflicting information regarding the harmful effects of wireless radiation, especially from cell phones. You should seek advice from a TRUSTED source in such matters. Thus, I won't be giving you an answer.

Pay attention to the results of the Interphone study on cell phone usage. If they don't find a risk, then it is doubtful that your wireless connection poses a risk.

Also, I seriously doubt your hands are getting "hot" from your router. Router's typically put out 10's of mW of power, which is a really small amount.

Interphone Study Links
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
International Herald Tribune

Candle Meditation

I would like to practice a kind of meditation where you stare at a candle light as the meditation object (Trataka). Although this practice involves alternating between looking at the flame with open eyes and than looking at the after image with your eyes closed, I find it much comfortable for me to simply stare at the candle flame for an hour a day (which pretty much provides the same desired effects for me). I am only concerned about the health of my eyes which I read somewhere that performing this kind of meditation can damage my retinas if performed for more than 2 months at a stretch. I plan to meditate for life as it is a great pursuit, however I would like to know if this meditation object is safe for a lifelong meditation pursuer as myself.

I'm afraid that I can't give you much help with this question. All I can say is that candles give off visible and infrared light. The eye is especially sensitive to visible and near-infrared light, which falls into what is called the Retinal Hazard Region of the optical spectrum. Given the low brightness of a candle, I would guess that there isn't a high risk of retinal damage, though there could be other physiological issues. You'd need to seek advice from an eye doctor to know for sure. However, there are several things you can do to reduce the potential risks of injury,

• Don't stare at a candle. Can you stare at something else and get the same effect?
• Use a dim candle and sit as far away as you can.
  
• Keep the lights on in the room
  

Where Can I Find Candle that Changes Color as it Burns?

Some where in the past I saw a very pretty candle that changes colors as it supposedly burns and I believe it was powered by a battery or something.

I think you are referring to the fake candles that use LED's to mimic a real candle. Here are some links for you to try:

http://www.bluegoosecandlesandmolds.com/index.cfm/fa/items.main/parentcat/12150/subcatid/0/id/325044

http://www.lighting-china-supplier.com/d-p13153498-Candle_with_Multi_Color_Changing_Light/

http://www.epromos.com/product/8825707.html

I couldn't find any references to a multi-color wax candle. It would be a challenge to make because you would have to put additional chemicals in the wax to make the flame different colors. This would be a neat thing for somebody to try and make.

Can staring at a light bulb for periods of one to two minutes at a time cause permanent eye damage?

Incandescent light bulbs are generally safe to look at. I am wondering why would you stare at an incandescent light bulb for such a long time?

One might think that a 50W incandescent light bulb is more dangerous than a 50 mW laser pen (1000 times less power) but power is only one factor to consider. (Also 50W represents the power consumed by the incandescent light bulb, the emitted power is significantly less than that).

The main factor that makes the laser pen MUCH more dangerous is that the light pen emits a collimated beam, all of which could potentially enter the eye, whereas the light bulb emits in all directions. The amount of power that gets into your eye from the light bulb drops off significantly with the square of the distance from the bulb (if you move twice as far away, the power drops by a factor of 4).

Another factor to consider is the size the the image on your retina. A lightbulb is an "extended source" whereas the laser pen is a "point source". This means that the size of the image spot on the retina will be larger for a lightbulb, and the energy density will be less, reducing the risk of injury.

Also, don't stare at the sun! Staring at the sun is dangerous.