Two years ago at Books in Browsers, Mary Lou Jepsen (of Qi Pixel and One Laptop Per Child) gave a talk about screens and eye strains and explained how the cones (center) of the eye are modulated by the rods (outside) and that the peripheral ambient light tells the pupils how wide to dilate. Basically. So if you have a bright thing on in the middle of your vision, but it’s darker around you, you will get retina burn.
But if you keep the ambient area the same as the screen, you don’t. You don’t strain. At least, not as much.
SO… having a desk lamp at computer desk is one of the best things you can do. Adjusting the screen to brightness of the room is second best. And, instead of carpeting the world, F.lux is like putting on slippers.
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