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Shuji Nakamura

A life-size cardboard cutout photo of Japanese scientist Hiroshi Amano, a professor at Nagoya University, is surrounded by his laboratory staff members as they raise hands and shout "Banzai", or "Cheers."

The blue LED just won the Nobel Prize, but we’ve been reaping its benefits for years

Science

The Nobel Prize for Physics went to three scientists who developed blue LEDs, or light emitting diodes. That may sound a little down-to-earth, but blue LEDs basically make energy-efficient LED lights possible, and they’ve already delivered huge savings and environmental benefits.