I don't see any real science behind this "bias lighting" vs any kind of lighting. What problem is it supposed to solve? The eyestrain is caused by our eyes focusing and fixating for too long on the same distances. Look outside the window if you want to relax your ciliary muscle. You also want your center of vision to receive ample light and contrast so you can read easier. Ambient light should just be enough so you don't see glare around the screen.
It has nothing todo with accommodation strain, it's an "exposure" problem. If you are looking at a bright screen in an otherwise dark room, your pupils will adapt to the average flux hitting your retina. But if most of your field of view is dark, with a bright screen in the middle, this will cause an uncomfortably high flux from that part of your field. With a more even lighting so that the brightness of the screen is close to the average illumination, this doesn't happen.
Eyestrain is also caused by staring at a bright light (your computer screen) and then at a dark area (anywhere else, if you're in a cave) repeatedly. This causes your pupils to do an expand/contract dance and results in your retinas getting blasted with unexpected light repeatedly.
Seriously, though, who actually wants to work in a cave? I sometimes feel like Atwood just plays up stereotypes to have something to write about.
