Posted by Ethan
“Everyone must leave something behind when he dies… Something your hand touched some way so your soul has somewhere to go when you die… It doesn’t matter what you do, so long as you change something from the way it was before you touched it into something that’s like you after you take your hands away.” –Ray Bradbury
Well, the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics has been announced, and by now you’ve probably heard: it’s gone to three solid-state physicists for the development of the blue LED, or light-emitting diode.
Many of you are likely incredulous at all the amazing physics (and physicists) that were snubbed by this seemingly mundane choice, and you might expect that I — an astrophysicist and a theorist, after all — would join you in this. But you are sorely mistaken. The fact is, this really isan amazing breakthrough, and I think we all deserve to take a moment to appreciate how groundbreaking this development truly is.
Go and read the full story, and see if it doesn’t change your tune!
http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2014/10/07/why-blue-leds-are-worth-a-nobel-prize-synopsis/
