the liberation of light
How understanding light has led to a hundred years of bright ideas
The revolutionary theory of the nature of light which won Albert Einstein the 1921 Nobel prize for physics went on to remake the world. Oliver Morton surveys a century of innovation
- A hundred years of bright ideas: How understanding light has led to a hundred years of bright ideas
- Solar power: How governments spurred the rise of solar power
- Information technology: From the universe to the dataverse
- Lasers: Why lasers are so brilliantly useful
- Advancing science: Illumination at the limits of knowledge
- Sources & Acknowledgments
A hundred years of bright ideas
How understanding light has led to a hundred years of bright ideas
The revolutionary theory of the nature of light which won Albert Einstein the 1921 Nobel prize for physics went on to remake the world. Oliver Morton surveys a century of innovation
Solar power
How governments spurred the rise of solar power
In many places solar panels are now by far the cheapest way to produce electricity
Information technology
From the universe to the dataverse
How light becomes information, and information becomes light
Lasers
Why lasers are so brilliantly useful
It has failed to live up to its perceived military potential, but the laser’s peaceable applications have been spectacular
Advancing science
Illumination at the limits of knowledge
From making living lasers to detecting black holes, the needs of science drive the technologies of light to extremes
Previous report
Reaching into other worlds
Virtual realities
Computer-generated worlds are becoming ubiquitous, no headset required, says Alok Jha
- Virtual realities: Computer-generated realities are becoming ubiquitous
- Simulation: Virtual environments are being used everywhere
- Hardware: Headset technology is cheaper and better than ever
- Health care: Health care is already benefiting from VR
- Brain scan: A novelist’s vision of the virtual world has inspired an industry
- The future: The Metaverse is coming