My wife sent me a picture this morning wearing her red light therapy mask, and my first thought was not "skin rejuvenation" or "collagen stimulation." It was the Master Control Program from the original Tron movie. Glowing red face, expressionless stare, faint sense that the computer has taken over.

Now, to be fair, my wife is into plenty of things I file under "probably harmless but scientifically questionable," like detox cleanses and liver shots that mostly just make expensive urine. But this one surprised me.

Red light therapy actually does have some real science behind it. Specific wavelengths of red and near-infrared light can penetrate the skin and interact with mitochondria, helping cells produce energy, reduce inflammation, and in some cases stimulate collagen production. The effects are modest and slow, not miracle-level anti-aging, but they are measurable.

So while I still reserve the right to joke about Tron villains in the living room, this is one case where the science backs up at least part of the hype.

LLAP
RR

P.S. I used to listen to the soundtrack for Tron: Legacy every morning. It has so many great songs including one called End of Line.

P.P.S. I've since changed my morning music to Anika Nilles, the new drummer that's going to be playing with Rush on their upcoming tour. Really good stuff.