The light bulb hasn't changed very much since it was patented by Briton Joseph Swan in 1878, one year before the somewhat better-known Thomas Edison laid claim to it. Flip a switch, it will give you light. It is fragile and - fzzzt - it doesn't last very long.
But electronic LEDs - light-emitting diodes - are set to change that, with a low-power, long-life alternative just a few years away. Previously only available in red, yellow or green, the first white LED was developed in the early 1990s, and, since then, its use has spread in flashlights and miners-style headbands. White LEDs light up almost instantly and, given their solid construction, can take much more of a knock than traditional bulbs.
As with other electronic devices, the cost of LEDs is falling. Their use in homes is sparse so far, but a US Department of Energy report found that converting to LED lighting would reduce the country's energy consumption by 29 per cent by 2025, cutting energy bills by $125bn and reduce carbon emissions.
The real problem so far has been their unnerving blue-white colour, a side-effect of the chemical used in their manufacture. That has now been solved to give a warm, yellow light from a device that will last for decades, never break and slash your power bill. Mark White
Source:http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/50-great-ideas-for-the-21st-century-410543.html
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