Becnhmarks of Innovation

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About 1975, a Lockheed Jumbo L-1011 circled Miami with no 'front landing wheel locked' indication. So busy were the cockpit crew that a slow decent crashed into the Everglades. The landing gear was OK; just a burned out 327(?) light bulb. 300+ lives lost for the want of a light bulb.

However, by the mid 1960s, Red LEDs had already been developed. At about $100+ per bulb, all cockpit indicator lamps were replaced with plug-in LED equivalents. Of course America had enterd a 'we fear to innovate' period. By 1984, in another job of fixing failed designs, I replaced all indicator lamps with LED equivalants at about $6 per bulb. But even in the 1990s, people still replaced incandescent indictor bulbs. Why?

Semiconductors operate on 'holes' and 'charges'. Holes are atoms missing an electron. Charges are atoms with an extra electron in their shell. When a hole combines with a charge, then light is emitted. This is how advanced digital semiconductor manufacturers can debug complex digital circuits. Infared light is emitted when the transistor turns on. It is also how LEDs and their cousins, semicondutor lasers, operate.

One problem is that if holes and charges combine inside the semiconductor, then the light does not escape. Only 10% would escape. Hewlett Packard recently demonstrated a phenomenal 55% efficiency. IOW there is plenty of room for innovation and the west coast attitude of advancing mankind appears to be alive and healthy.

Red LEDs achieved incandescent efficiency (18 lumens per watt) in 1990. Yellow and Green did same before 1995. White LEDs, which did not even exist in 1995, have already exceeded incandescent lamps.

Halogen lamps, at about 25 lumens per watt, were surpassed by red, yellow, and green LEDs by late 1990. So why do so many traffic lights still require human service? Eventually even MBA spread sheets will realize these advantages in innovation.

Today, CA is doing anything to reduce electric waste and useless human labor. LED equivalents to incandescent bulbs only consume about 1/10th the power and don't require replacement service. Innovation marches on, especially in regions that chose to be innovative rather than cost control.

Long before Edision created his light bulb, experimenter were creating light from electricity in mid 1800s, using low pressure inert gases. Of course other innovations, such as electric generators, were necessary to make these flourescent lamps commercially feasible which is why Edison got so much credit. Edison's incandescent lamp has now been obsoleted by everything except cost controls. However the flourescent lamp still remains superior for interior lighting - 80 lumens per watt. Other superior technologies are Mercury Vapor and low pressure Sodium lighting (100 lumens per watt).

For those not experienced in concepts of innovation, the continuing existance of incadescent lamps will be a perfect example of anti-innovation forces in today's society.

In Time Square are large outdoor displays such as the Nasdaq display that uses 18,677,760 LEDs. In 1960, the moving message TickerTape on the Allied Chemical building represented advance technology. Then America went into a 'we fear all innovation' mentality created mostly by concepts taught in business schools. Technology in Time Square was a big Sony TV. Today's innovation revival has stopped recessions, increased wealth, reduced poverty, created full employment, and rebuilt Time Square. Watch the LED and its future replacement. It may be the benchmark to measure innovation in America.

Long before they were major news stories, many in The Cellar had read of the Human Genone project, prions of Mad Cow Disease, a man name Milosevik, the hybrid electric car, etc. In this tradition, watch the LED.