2ndoLUGAR,CATEGORÍAMAYORINGLÉS
XVIICertamenNacionaldeEnsayoCientífico,2015
TheEvolutionofLuminousTechnologies
GeovannyJoséAcostaCascante,ColegioCientíficodePérezZeledón
Evolutionisagiftofwonder.Eventhoughsomedonotbelieveinit,evolution
reallyhappens.Inthisworld,humansarenottheonlyonesthatevolve;animalsand
otherthingsdoittoo.Inthepast,wehavelivedinthisplanetsurvivinginmany
ways;atdaywefoughtbravely,huntinganimalsandharvest,andatnightitwasall
darkwithoutprotectionorsomethingtokeepuswarm.Atthebeginning,humans
didnotknowanythingabouttheexistenceofsourcesoflightthatcouldalsokeep
themwarmuntilamiraclecameandtheydiscoveredfire.
Findingfirewaslimitedtoitsnaturalwaylikeobtainingitfromabranchthat
startedtoburnbecauseofalightningbolt,butthenasifitwasdestinywhodecided
it,humanslearnedtouseandcreatefire.Fromthatmomenton,firehas
indispensableforourlives.Ithadsuchimportancebecauseithelpeduswithalmost
everythingweneededlikemakingourlaborseasier.Firewasirreplaceableinalotof
tasks,likewhenwecookedfoodtoavoiddangerousdiseasesoratnightto
illuminateinthedarkandwarmourselves.Untilthen,wekeptusingfire,butthen
werealizedthatburningeverypieceofwoodwefoundwasnottheonlywayto
producefire,sowedecidedtocreatefirewithoillamps.Theselampsweremade
withsomethingthatwouldcontainoilmadeofvegetablefiberandtheyusedawick
thatdrewupfueltotheflame,butuntilthefifthcenturyB.C.theselampswereof
commonuseindomestichouses.
Mankindisverycurious,sowediscoveredotherwaystoproducefireagain.In
theMiddleAge,candleswithtallowofanimaloriginweremadeinordertohave
anotheroptionalwaytobrightaplace.Later,thetallowwasreplacedwithbeewax,
andastheyearspassedtheoillampwasremasteredmanytimeswithdifferent
optionsoffuelorimprovements.Aroundtheeighteenhundreds,anotherfuelfor
lampsthatbecamefamouswasgas.Itwasverycommontowalkthroughastreetat
nightandfindthemilluminatedbygaslamps.Eventhoughmanhadprogresseda
lot,theywerenotsatisfied;theywantedsomethingnewthatcouldinnovatethe
wholeworld´sillumination.
ThomasEdisonwasoneofthosewhowasnotsatisfied.Hewastheonewho
hadthelittlesparkleinhisheadtostartwiththeinventionofapracticallonglasting
light,theelectriclightbulb.Thisisanincandescentlightbulbthatworksbyheating
upawirefilamenttohightemperatures.Itisarevolutionaryinventionthatwould
changeourlivesforeverbecauseuntiltodayitisoneofthebestinventionsinthe
world.
Asyearspassed,mostmenweresatisfied,butthereweresomefewwhowere
stillcuriousaboutwhatcouldhappenifwedosomemodificationstotheactual
invention.Thisledtodiscoverthatwecouldmakeafluorescentlampthatwas
energeticallymoreefficientthantheincandescentlightbulb,andalsothe
fluorescentlampproducesmorelightbecausetheyworkwithmercuryvaporthat
startstobrightwhentheyreceiveagasdischarge.Thereisanothertypeoflight
sourcecalledLED.Thissourceoflightwasdiscoveredin1907,butthissourceoflight
hasalotofcolortonesanduntiltwothousandtheyproducedablueandwhiteLED
lightandstartedusingitasalightbulbbecauseithasmoreadvantagesthan
incandescentandfluorescentlightsources,suchaslowerenergyconsumption,
longerlifetimeandsmallersize.Finally,whatiswonderfulaboutmankindisthatwe
arealwayscurious.Itwillneverstopandthiscuriosityiswhatmakesuskeep
improvingandinnovating;sowhoknowswhatkindoflightsourceswillbrightour
pathtogreatnessinthefuture?Thatisthemagicoflife,ofmankind,ofevolution
andoftechnology.