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Shuji Nakamura Awarded the 2006 Millennium Prize

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the kudos-to-you-sir dept.

Mictian writes "University of California professor Shuji Nakamura, the japanese inventor of the bright green, white and blue GaN LEDs and a blue laser, has been awarded the 2006 Millennium Technology Prize. While blue LEDs are considered cool and thus needful things by most nerds, Nakamura adapted his blue LEDs to make a blue laser in the mid 90s. The next generation optical storage formats, HD-DVD and BluRay, are of course both based on blue laser. Also, his white LEDS need far less energy than normal incandescent lamps and can thus provide plenty of opportunity for energy-saving in the industrialized world. But probably the most significant future application for Shuji Nakamura's invention comes in the form of sterilizing drinking water, since the the water purification process can be made cheaper and more efficient with the use of ultraviolet LEDs. This can improve the lives and health of tens of millions people in developing countries."

3 of 141 comments (clear)

  1. This is the type of person... by Khyber · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ...for whom the patent system was created. All of his works are absolutely ubiquitous now in our world.

    --
    Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    1. Re:This is the type of person... by AstroDrabb · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I agree. However, I think we need to expand on your statement a little. This guy didn't just come up with an idea on paper and patent it. He did the _inventing_. Through his direct efforts, society has benefited. A _limited_ patent is the perfect way for society to say "hey, thanks dude!" to people like Shuji Nakamura.

      I don't know if he has any patents or not. I hope he does and I hope he makes a killing off of all the blue laser stuff coming out.

      --
      If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land,
      it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. -James Madison
  2. frickin blue lights! by kisrael · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I hate those blue LEDs that are on every damn bit of electronics these days. So many manufacturers don't bother to tone it down, so you have all these power indicators that can light up the damn room. Especially irritating if they're flashing, like when my laptop is suspended.

    Oh, and backlit cellphone keypads, blue? Worst idea ever. Blue is the about the hardest color to get your eyes to focus on.

    So many designers have no sense of aesthetics. They just go with the trend du jour.

    --
    SO YOU'RE GOING TO DIE: The Comic for Dealing with Death