The History of Chemistry
Chemistry is everywhere, and involves everything. But how did chemistry get to be what it is? I'm Steve Cohen, a chemist and writer, bringing you The History of Chemistry. This podcast explores the development of chemistry from prehistoric times to the present, including the people and societies who made chemistry what it is today. The History of Chemistry is for you, whether you hated chemistry in high school, or got a PhD in inorganic chemistry. We'll explore how chemistry affected art, music, language, politics and vice-versa. Whether it's ancient Greek philosophers, medieval alchemists, or modern laboratory apparatus, it's all here. Don't forget to support my series at https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofchemistry !
The History of Chemistry
78: Guiding Light
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Steve Cohen
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Episode 78
We learn about the development of the LED, the rival display technology to the LCD. We start with Henry Round's 1907 observations, "Losev light" as per Oleg Losev in the 1920s and the patent he obtained, Rubin Braunstein of RCA in the 1950s, Kurt Lehovec's model of LEDs in the 1950s, then Robert Biard and Gary Pittman at Texas Instruments in 1961. The first inarguable LED was built by Nick Holonyak and friends at General Electric in 1962. We hear of improvements in technology through the 1960s and early 1970s, leading to LED watches and calculators--but not full-color displays or tail-lamps for cars.
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