The Lighting Revolution.

Japanese Nobel laureate Isamu Akasaki, who won the physics prize for pioneering energy-efficient LED lighting - a weapon against global warming and poverty - has died aged 92, his university said on Friday. Let's take a look at how LEDs have changed the world.

1990s

The trio of Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura developed the blue light-emitting diode, described as a "revolutionary" invention by the Nobel jury, in the 1990s, after three long decades of dogged work, when they managed to coax bright blue beams from semi-conductors.

Lifespan of Lamps

* Incandescent Bulbs  -    1,000 hours

* Fluorescent Lights   -   10,000 hours 

* LED Lamps             -   1,00,000 hours.

Bright Record

LED lamps last for tens of thousands of hours and use just a fraction of energy compared with the incandescent lightbulb pioneered by Thomas Edison in the 19th century.

Making a Difference

More than one-fourth of world's energy use is taken up by lighting, making the LED invention a game-changer for humanity. For the same amount of energy, LED bulbs give us four times the light of a fluorescent bulb and almost 20 times the light of an incandescent bulb.

All in the Colour

Red and green diodes had been around for a long time but devising a blue LED was the holy grail, as all three colours need to be mixed to recreate the white light of the Sun.

Smartphone Tech

As well as providing the missing piece of the puzzle for bright white lamps, their breakthrough also helped develop the colour LED screens used in smartphones and a plethora of modern tech.

No Recognition

In an interview published by Meijo University in 2010, Akasaki described the trio's struggle to earn recognition for their work.

"When we announced in 1981 results which were important at that time at an international conference, there was no reaction. I felt alone in the wilderness", he said.

"But I was determined not to quit this research, even if I was alone".

"Don't be fooled by fashionable subjects. Do whatever you like if it's really what you want to do. At first, it was said that this could not be invented during the 20th century. A lot of people left (the research project), but I never considered doing so" - Isamu Akasaki.

2014

Akasaki won the 2014 Nobel prize with Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura. "They succeeded where everyone else had failed", the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said.

Source. EX File, the NIE.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 6, the chores and was ready by 10. Video called Ammu, Mithun and Mini at Bangalore, spoke to Gavvy and Smita at Paris. It was nice interacting with them.

The electioneering came to an end by 1900 hrs this evening. Voting is on the 6th.