The history of glow sticks is over 40 years old when Edwin Chandross, a chemist at Bell Labs, invented the glow technology which used chemical energy to emit light. This was quite an achievement as at that point either battery or electrical power was used as an energy source for emission of light.

Many scientists took Chandross' work and refined the process further. Unfortunately for Chandross, the patent for Chemical Light Device was registered by Richard Taylor Van Zandt in the US Patents office.

Glow sticks can be used just once and come in different sizes in translucent plastic tubes. The chemicals contained within are glow stick are isolated in a brittle inner case, which when broken allows the chemicals to combine and produce light through a chemical reaction known as chemoluminescence.

40 years on glow sticks are used all over the globe as a source of light in a wide variety of applications and colors. Last year alone, it is believed the United States Department of Defense used 15 million chemlights (as they are known in the military).

There are many uses of glow sticks and some of them are listed below:

-Glowsticking is a dance form that has gained widespread popularity. Glow sticks are used for fun and entertainment in dance clubs, concerts and parties especially ravers. If there is a pop culture association with glowsticks, it's with the teen ravers crowd.

-They are commonly being associated with festivals and holidays. Glowsticks are used extensively during the Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong. For Westerners where Halloween is celebrated, you will find parents and kids alike using illuminesent lights when trick or treating. In addition to adding to the spooky atmosphere from the eerie light produced by glow sticks, it allows parents and drivers to see where children are wandering about much more effectively than reflective tape.

-Glowsticks have 4 properties that make them favorite tools of divers, campers and the military. They are disposable, inexpensive, waterproof and can withstand high pressures.

If there is an earthquake, these sticks come very handy and are a safe source of light. Even in places where there are explosives, the sticks can be used as they do not use batteries or electrical filaments and there is no worry about causing sparks.

These sticks were a rage in the 1980s. However, they are equally popular today among ordinary people. In order to get the best out of the stick, it is advisable to buy one that lasts. Cheap glow sticks fizzle out rather fast. Better quality stick will last for hours. A good quality glow stick will usually last for 12 to 24 hours.

Rene Sandan is an avid user of glowsticks and glowsticking. To hear more, check out his blog: Glowstick