Click on a box to explore each topic.
Central Idea #1flow chart with central idea at the top and key details in two boxes pointing to central idea. The central idea reads: The LED lights will save energy (electricity).The left-hand key detail reads: 'Something like a fourth of our electricity consumption goes to illumination.' The right-hand key detail reads: 'Having much more light for much less electricity is really going to have a big impact.'
Central Idea #2flow chart with central idea at the top and key details in four boxes pointing to central idea. The central idea reads: The Nobel award winners kept trying for many years until they succeeded at creating blue LEDs. The first key detail reads: The section is subtitled, ‘They Never Gave Up.’ The second key detail reads: ‘The new Nobel award winners worked for years to achieve blue LEDs.’ The third key detail reads: ‘Creating blue LEDs took about another 30 years.’ The fourth key detail reads: But these guys persisted and they tried and tried again and eventually they actually succeeded.
Central Idea #3flow chart with central idea at the top and key details in five boxes pointing to central idea. The central idea reads: LEDs provide a greater benefit to mankind than other lightbulbs. The first key detail reads: LED bulbs are much brighter, last much longer and use much less energy than old-fashioned incandescent lightbulbs. The second key detail reads: LEDs change energy into light, without the heat. The third key detail reads: LEDs also avoid problems of fluorescent lights. The fourth key detail reads: And because ultraviolet light kills bacteria, blue LEDs could potentially be used to purify drinking water in the future, Delsing said. The fifth key detail reads: The prize is ‘to be given for inventions that benefited mankind.’