Of course not, because until nature helps us to evolve some kind of night vision we need these to light our way and stop us from forever running into things.

But let’s be fair, nature’s not the fastest or brightest modernizer. So by process of elimination it falls to us to look out for ourselves. Enter Daan Roosegaarde and Dr. Alexander Krichevsky of Bioglow, who have been modifying plants to glow in the dark. Entirely drug free, obviously.

This specimen is a cucumber plant which, when in the dark, emitted a faint green glow. The tiny plant’s molecular structure, re-engineered by Dr. Krichevsky, now contains luciferin - a chemical used by jellyfish that allow them to emit light. So what Mr Roosegaarde and Dr Krichevsky have effectively done is create a growing, glowing sea-cucumber-jellyfish.

As with all his other boundary breaking work, such as forming diamonds by vacuuming and compressing smog and designing a kinetically powered dance studio to name just two, Mr Roosegaarde isn't stopping there; his long term goal is to line the roads with these plants as a naturally illuminating alternative to electricity guzzling streetlamps.

The first obvious problem is an eerie green glow rising up alongside the road may cause certain people to believe they’re being abducted by aliens. Again.

Of course there are practical flaws to be ironed out, such as the fact that the plant’s growth is determined by the weather. Places with little sun may have to keep streetlamps as a failsafe for instance. But to even consider planting these, let alone replacing street lamps, the plants will have to up their wattage beyond a faint dim.

Image source: Bioglow website