LEDs

The switch from incandescent to LED lightbulbs is already world-changing - and it’s about to get even better. An average LED uses around 6 watts of electricity per hour and lasts 50,000 hours, compared with incandescent bulbs that use 50 watts and only last 1,200 hours. That’s a 6-ton carbon saving per bulb. Now scientists have come up with a new biomimicry design inspired by the microscopic jagged surface of firefly abdomens, which look like a series of lopsided pyramids or factory roofs when magnified. Creating the same uneven surface on LEDs could increase the light they emit by 50%.

— Wayne Visser

From Purpose Inspired: Reflections on Conscious Living, Volume 3. Buy on Lulu ↗