What is the history of the origin of light?
Since the beginning of mankind, sunlight has played an important role in human life. It gives us warmth, light and energy that we can use.
But it was only with the invention of the electricity new ways of using light were created.
Since then, technology has continued to develop and today we have LED lights that are superior in many respects.
The history of sunlight
The sunlight is the source of all light on earth. It is a mixture of different wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum emitted by the sun. Sunlight has always been important to us humans.
It gave us warmth, which we need to survive, and light, which shows us the way and enables us to see things. The first attempts to harness sunlight date back to the 7th century B.C. The Babylonians and Assyrians used glass lenses to focus sunlight and make fire.
In ancient Greece, the scientists Archimedes and Pythagoras used mirrors to reflect sunlight and make fire. For a long time, the sun was the only source of light.
Over the course of time, humans have also adapted to the changing times of day - this has also led to the calming or activating effect of light with the help of color temperature and brightness.
What does HCL mean?
Under the term Human Centric Lighting, such findings are primarily used to constantly improve the technology of light. Light changes its temperature and intensity in parallel with daylight.
It is said that people are most active between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., as the light is bluish during this period. Blue light activates the mind and therefore promotes motivation and concentration.
Orange light, which occurs between 7 p.m. and midnight and is very low in intensity, tends to make people tired and encourages the brain to go into deep sleep.
Misuse of fire
For a long time, fire was only used for cooking, as a source of heat, as an incendiary or to protect against dangerous animals in caves and rooms. Over time, however, fire was used with torches, gravel chips or candles to illuminate special processes, such as the development of agriculture or the invention of the steam engine and the reflecting telescope.
In the Middle Ages, stained glass windows were developed to capture sunlight in churches and buildings and direct it into the interior. In the 19th century, gas lighting was invented, turning night into day and improving the quality of life.
The discovery of electricity was a milestone in the history of lighting.
In 1800, Alessandro Volta discovered electricity by constructing a battery from a copper and zinc plate. A few years later, Michael Faraday invented the generator, which was able to produce electricity in large quantities.
The first light bulb
The first light bulb was invented around 1879 from Thomas Edison invented it. It consisted of a light bulb with a carbon filament that was heated when electricity flowed through it and thus emitted light. However, these light bulbs were inefficient and now had a limited lifespan.
As an entrepreneur, Edison not only sold lamps, but also electricity: one of his greatest achievements was the electrification of the city of New York to light up the streets - this also meant that more use could be found for the glass lanterns.
The development of the fluorescent lamp
In the 1930s, the fluorescent lamp was invented. It is much more efficient than the incandescent lamp and have a longer service life. Fluorescent lamps work by discharging electrons in a gas, which produces ultraviolet radiation that is converted into visible light.
In summary, it can be said that the US American inventor made the inventions and discoveries competitive. Even today, the E in the threads and sockets (E27 and E14) stands for "Edison thread".
The LED revolution
In addition to thermal radiators and discharge lamps, LED lights also emerged over time. The LED-technology (Light Emitting Diode) was developed in the 1960s.
The first LED lights were only available in red, green and yellow and had a low luminosity. It was not until the 1990s that LED lights were developed in white, which had high luminosity and efficiency.
Today, LED lights have become indispensable in many areas of lighting technology. One of the most important advantages of LED lights is their energy efficiency. Compared to incandescent lamps, LED lights consume only a fraction of the energy and have a much longer service life. Another important advantage of LED lights is their durability.
In contrast to incandescent lamps, which can easily break due to the hot filaments, LED lights are very robust and can be used without any problems even in the event of shocks or vibrations.
This makes them ideal for use in the automotive and aviation industries as well as in many other areas where durability and reliability are crucial.
The LED lights are also very versatile. They can be produced in a variety of colors and brightness levels, making them suitable for a wide range of applications. From lighting streets, buildings and parks to signal and warning lights in vehicles or machinery, LED lights can be found everywhere.
Another advantage of LED lights is their environmental friendliness. Compared to conventional lights, LED lights contain no toxic or harmful substances such as mercury or lead and have a much lower carbon footprint.
This makes them an environmentally friendly alternative that can help to reduce CO2 emissions and protect the environment. Another advantage of LED luminaires is that the LEDs are particularly flat so that they can be perfectly integrated into LED stripsceiling lights, wall lights or many other types of lights.
LED lighting is now and will certainly be indispensable in the future.
OLED technology has so far only been used in electrical appliances such as TVs.
The future of lighting
The development of LED lights has fundamentally changed the way we use light. However, technology is not standing still and there are already new developments that will further change the future of lighting. One promising technology is OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) luminaires.
These luminaires consist of organic materials (carbon) that emit light when electricity is applied. Compared to LED lights, OLEDs are even more efficient and flexible to use as they can be cut to different shapes and sizes.
Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) lights are another interesting development. These use light as a transmission medium for data and thus enable faster and more secure data transmission than conventional WLAN networks.
Conclusion on the creation process of light
The history of sunlight and lighting has undergone a long development, ranging from the discovery of electricity to the revolution of LED technology.
LED luminaires have proven to be one of the most important and versatile forms of lighting technology, offering a wide range of benefits including energy efficiency, durability, environmental friendliness and versatility.
However, technology is not standing still and new developments are already underway that will continue to change the future of lighting.