Did you know that all living things—plants, animals, and humans—emit a very faint, invisible glow? This glow is so weak that it cannot be seen with the naked eye. However, in 2025, scientists at the University of Calgary in Canada captured and photographed this phenomenon using special cameras for the first time. This discovery has caused a sensation worldwide. Some people are calling this glow the soul, the driving energy, or the vital breath, but the truth is different.
This glow is referred to as biophotons or ultra-weak photon emission (UPE). It's not magic nor the light of the soul—it’s a result of ordinary chemical reactions occurring in living cells. During energy creation in cells (metabolism), specific molecules (such as those in mitochondria) get excited.
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When these electrons return to their normal state, they release particles of very faint light (photons). This light is so weak that it emits only 10 to 1000 photons per square centimeter per second—millions of times less than normal light exposure.
Source: aajtak
Conducted under the leadership of physicist Daniel Oblak at the University of Calgary, the study included:
1. The use of hairless mice (to prevent hair from obstructing the light).
Four live mice were kept in a completely dark room.
Photographs were taken for 1-2 hours using special quantum cameras (EMCCD camera).
These cameras are capable of capturing as little as a single photon.
A slight glow was visible from the entire body of the mice.
The mice were later painlessly euthanized, and the glow swiftly disappeared.
Source: aajtak
2. Experiments on plants:
The leaves of the Dwarf Umbrella Tree (Heptapleurum arboricola) also emitted a glow. The glow intensified when the leaves were wounded or heated (stressed), demonstrating that stress or injury increases this luminescence.
This glow had previously been observed only in cells or small sections, but it was observed over the whole body for the first time.
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Linked to life: The glow persists while alive and ends when lifeless, proving its connection to metabolism (the energy-creating process in cells).
No mysticism: Although some consider it an aura or the light of the soul, scientists confirm it's a purely physical and biochemical process.
Source: aajtak
Agriculture: Observing seed glow might predict germination viability without physical contact.
Medicine: Assessing tissue health or injury without invasive procedures.
Monitoring the health of crops or forests.
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This discovery illustrates how extraordinary life is—we all emit a soft glow from within. But it is not a miracle, it's science. Further research might enable its application in health and agriculture. According to scientist Daniel Oblak, this may represent a new signal of life.
