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Brett McKay here and welcome to another edition of the Art of Manliness Podcast.

Throughout human history, the nighttime sky has been a source of inspiration for art,

literature, philosophy, and religion.

But if you're like most people living in cities or suburbs,

or even rural parts of the country, you've likely never encountered a truly dark night.

Thanks to electric lighting, the nighttime can be as bright as day,

and while it's allowed us to function well into the midnight hour,

electric lighting has deprived us of many of the spiritual and physical benefits

that only come out and in the dark.

My guest today has written a book where he explores the decline of darkness in our modern age.

His name is Paul Bogard, and his book is The End of Night,

searching for natural darkness in an age of artificial light.

And today on the show, Paul and I discuss what true darkness actually looks like,

and the type of undarkened night that most modern folks experience.

He then shares where the last few spots in America and Europe,

where you can still experience true darkness and what the night sky in those places looks like.

We then delve into what we miss out spiritually by not experiencing true darkness,

as well as the help determinants that come with being exposed to artificial light 24 hours a day.

Paul also shares some of the common myths about darkness,

such as the idea that darkness is more dangerous than light.

The show is going to inspire you to seek out a remote area of wilderness

...