The commissary.
I once worked at an agricultural research station in the middle of India, called ICRISAT. Alongside the facility there was about a 100 or so "halls of residence" type flatlets that the local Indian PhD students rented. Being stationed on campus had many benefits - constant clean water, security and perhaps most importantly - electricity; as there was an onsite generator.
But the powers at be were careful not to waste natural resources and hired (DUN DUN DARRR-- )The "Commissary of Housing."

The Commisarry of Housing (praise his name) used to walk around campus every night at 7 o'clock on the dot. If he spotted a light inside a student's room it could mean dire consequences.

He used to insist that it was wasting electricity if the light was on and the curtains open because "The light can leak out". He carried a longstick with him and
would tap on any offending windows.

I tried (tactfully) on several occasions to dissuade him but he continued (continues) to stop those pesky photons from escaping.

The strange thing is.... I still think he might be right. {scratches head, draws meaningless equations on napkin, gives up}
(smells-like-victory-v's, Tue 28 Oct 2008, 11:25, 5 replies)

It only matters
if you're running it during the day (i.e. when there's light outside and no need for electric lights)

The photons will otherwise be reflected by a white-backed curtain or absorbed by a black-backed curtain.

If you were really, really anal about this sort of thing and were using dimmer switches to control the light level in the room and had white-backed curtains you could probably have it at a lower setting with the curtains closed. But you'd waste more energy in the dimmer switch than you'd save by having it turned down.

*is pretty sure this is correct*
( uberdeity Wondered why Owen Lars knew of the term "hell" on, Tue 28 Oct 2008, 11:31, closed)

That is a super sort of madness

( The magic of chutney Shakes it like an Instagram filter!, Tue 28 Oct 2008, 11:31, closed)

rogue photons
are the bane of my life.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Tue 28 Oct 2008, 12:30, closed)

and don't even get me started on those gluons
There they are, binding baryons togeher, and all of a sudden they've left with your girlfriend and all your tequila.

/might be a second year physics student running on little sleep and a tequila hangover/
(icassu, Tue 28 Oct 2008, 12:52, closed)

Thats truly, truly....
...moronic.

In the first order.

the light-source is pushing out photons at exactly the same rate, day or night....

...oh dear god....

*slump*
(EffinDoubt is breaking glass on, Wed 29 Oct 2008, 12:29, closed)