The Human Wonder That Fought Back The Darkness
The staggeringly cheap invention which made us infinitely productive
I’m writing this story in the dark. Well, let me rephrase that. It’s dark outside, but far from dark within my house. LED lighting allows me to see the keyboard and reference material.
I’m also wasting the illumination. Like a billionaire lighting cigars with dollar bills, I have lights on all over I don’t need.
“So what?” you ask. But hold your eye rolls until this story is complete. The fact I can illuminate my house this way is astounding — particularly how I can just waste the resource without a thought. Namely, because it’s cheap.
Not too long ago, light and the material to make it was a precious resource. Not only did it require lots of time to gather the materials, but the cost could be prohibitive. A lamp or candle was expensive. It also wasn’t good.
The lumens a basic LED light puts out compared to a candle is mind blowing.
While many in our current age preach doom like it’s a religious revival, there’s an inconspicuous device around you which shows monumental human progress. We barely take note of it.
It’s simple, inexpensive, and fights back the encroaching darkness. It’s also an invaluable…
