# Black Light **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 22, 2001, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-light/88802 "2001-10-22T04:02:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fnord1966](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ad7895/32.png) [@fnord1966](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fnord1966)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-light/88802/1 "2001-10-22T04:02:16Z")
My parents are throwing a Halloween party, I want to find some kind of food, or food additive(NOT VISINE) that will glow under a black light. There has to be something out there that will. The party is in 6 days. Anywhoo, I’ve been away from the board for quite a while, did I miss any good goat feltching stories? Munging perhaps? Well Evil homework calls my name, gots ta go. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-light/88802/2 "2001-10-22T04:15:06Z")
I’m pretty sure tonic water glows under a blacklight, because of the quinine in it (which also helps prevent malaria, BTW.) I don’t know of any solid food that will glow, or stuff that could be added to regular food and drink without distorting taste and texture. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-light/88802/3 "2001-10-22T04:21:09Z")
tonic water is it as far as I know and it tastes like shit, easier to get plates and cups than the food itself. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-light/88802/4 "2001-10-22T04:24:27Z")
If you can find sufficiently old twinkies (they’re still good, of course) the filling glows. ((I’ve heard that they’ve changed the formula for whatever that stuff is so it doesn’t anymore.)) ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-light/88802/5 "2001-10-22T04:29:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Critical1 \* > \*\*tonic water is it as far as I know and it tastes like shit, easier to get plates and cups than the food itself. \*\* I like tonic water. Plus, I’ll be laughing my ass of when all of you are dying of malaria. So phhhht on you! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-light/88802/6 "2001-10-22T04:38:55Z")
What **bouv** and **Critical1** said. [This site](http://cocktails.about.com/library/weekly/aa102300a.htm) gives some drink mixes. ---
**Author:** ![fnord1966](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ad7895/32.png) [@fnord1966](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fnord1966)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-light/88802/7 "2001-10-22T04:43:06Z")
Bouv, Minor nitpick, Scurvey, not malaria. I will have to grab a bottle of tonic, to check it out. ---
**Author:** ![Theobroma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@Theobroma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theobroma)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-light/88802/8 "2001-10-22T04:58:10Z")
Scurvy? Only if the tonic has lime in it. 😉 Otherwise, malaria. (That is, if you drink enough quarts of tonic water to make a difference) …try marshmallows for the glow. Krispy treats work, IIRC. How about mixed drinks with cream, like Kahlua & Cream? Do those work? I’d say some experimentation is in order this week! ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-light/88802/9 "2001-10-22T11:47:19Z")
At our dorm parties, I swear that Coca Cola turned a nasty green under blacklight. Not what you’re looking for, I’m sure. You might try Kool-Aids and Jello under UV. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-light/88802/10 "2001-10-22T14:20:43Z")
Er… What’s blacklight? There was I thinking that black was the **absence** of light. How can stuff glow under it? ---
**Author:** ![Tomcat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Tomcat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tomcat)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-light/88802/11 "2001-10-22T15:28:56Z")
Fiendish- Blacklights are those purple lookin lights that give out a different spectrum of light. They make neon colors GLOW, makes your white shirt look all glowy, etc. Disco’s have them a lot. They’re just called blacklights. Fnord- If you want things to glow a lot- you need big-time blacklights. those little incandescant bulbs will only work if they are right above the table- blacklights don’t have a far range. I don’t know about food, but I do know about a cheap paint alternative to use on walls, chairs, etc. that washes right off- Woolite for clothes. Great stuff. You can put it on bodies too, but it starts to itch after awhile. Call a Halloween shop, they’ll know. -Tcat ---
**Author:** ![fnord1966](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ad7895/32.png) [@fnord1966](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fnord1966)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-light/88802/12 "2001-10-22T21:41:05Z")
Woolite is cool, kinda blue. Im going to get some tonic water to try out, but I did make a discovery when I shined the light into my cupboards, Thousands and thousands of scorpians!! Just kidding, but i did find that everyones favorite green condiment glows. No not ketchup, Wasabi! kind of a weak glow, and it wouldnt really be cool in a punch bowl(practical jokes aside) I will let you know how my experimenting goes. Oh as for the light itself, its one of those 24" flourescent fixtures, works great. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-light/88802/13 "2001-10-22T22:19:42Z")
Blacklights simply emit invisible ultraviolet radiation. The radiation then causes flourescent materials to emit visible light.