Light
The blue LED just won the Nobel Prize, but we’ve been reaping its benefits for years
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.
Scientist makes breakthrough on effort to create non-explosive fertilizer
Fertilizer is perhaps the most common ingredient in IEDs in Afghanistan, Iraq and has also been used in bombs in the United States and around the world. Scientists have tried for years to make ammonium nitrate fertilizer less detonable without success. Until now.
NASA funds ‘warp speed’ research
NASA has invested $50,000 in equipment for “warp speed” research that would allow space travel faster than the speed of light. The research remains in the science phase and is unlikely to produce a practical application in the near future, but the team’s intention is to get the ball rolling.
Inventor works to save lives in the developing world
The Lemelson MIT Prize recognizes inventors whose designs improve lives. This year’s winner, Ashok Gadgil, helped bring light to 100 million people in the developing world, designed fuel-efficient cook stoves and created a simple way to purify water.
