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It was almost impossible to make the blue LED [video]

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Re: It was almost impossible to make the blue LED [video]

#81

Post by bseidensticker »

BoppreH wrote: post #44

Which is why I was always baffled by the decorative lights in my old office. It was a wall with small scattered lights in different colors, so they used recessed LEDs. Fine. But instead of color LEDs with a neutral diffuser, it had red+green+blue triple LEDs to make white light, with a red/green/blue plastic in front to recolor it! I understand how this could be cheaper to assemble or maintain, but I'll never not bal…

The blue is nicer if you do that. Technology Connections has made 3 videos over the last 5 years mostly centering around how he hates the blue led lights used in holiday lights. I think I've only seen the 2 yr old one, but now that I have I can't unsee it. The blue is just too blue. If you see a set that is all blue instead of multi-color it's unbearable. It's just too blue. White light in blue plastic is where it's at.

https://youtu.be/PBFPJ3_6ZWs?si=sTeRrqQ5umHsNCgz https://youtu.be/cQgcTkXacAc?si=CDj0G9Sh7S-wbLjN https://youtu.be/va1rzP2xIx4?si=cAp65hnmwtkrXgDc

Re: It was almost impossible to make the blue LED [video]

#82

Post by Exoristos »

rpnx wrote: post #63
vardump wrote: post #2

Assuming everything is reported fairly, I really can't imagine being Nichia's customer. Ever. Sacking and not compensating the employee that single-handedly made Nichia successful by inventing a working blue LED and saving Nichia from bankruptcy is just not acceptable.

They didn't sack him, he quit for better pay. In Japan companies rarely sack employees and employees rarely quit. People are expected to stay with the same company basically their whole life. That's why he didn't get fired for disobeying orders. Firing someone in Japan is somewhat socially taboo (just like quitting) and therefore rare. In Japan, companies are considered to be like "family". It would be kind of a joke…

That's how many U.S. corps still were back in the late Eighties, early Nineties when I started working. I remember the first layoffs in my division and how shocked everyone was.

Re: It was almost impossible to make the blue LED [video]

#83

Post by bawolff »

hugryhoop wrote: post #26
vardump wrote: post #2

Assuming everything is reported fairly, I really can't imagine being Nichia's customer. Ever. Sacking and not compensating the employee that single-handedly made Nichia successful by inventing a working blue LED and saving Nichia from bankruptcy is just not acceptable.

It's complicated. For 1 employee which disobeyed orders and saved the company you'll have 99 which disobeyed orders and don't produce anything useful or even made harm. This is called the Halo effect.

I think it would have been reasonable to fire him before he made the breakthrough. Sometimes you have to cut your losses. Its his treatment after success that seemed egregious.

Re: It was almost impossible to make the blue LED [video]

#84

Post by ace2358 »

quenix wrote: post #67
cypherpunks01 wrote: post #48

I thought this was a really well-produced video! It's difficult to communicate science to the public in an accessible way at the right level, and I think Derek does a commendable job. I really liked the LED explanation at the 4:00 mark. Can anyone who is familiar with semiconductor physics opine on how well this explanation models the reality?

Yeah, all I can say is that is tracked my undergraduate semiconductor theory classes pretty well. More confirmation needed.

I would agree. Having said that I still think it was a bit wishy washy. The whole treatment of band gap energies I think is quite complicated beyond the simple diagram shown.

Re: It was almost impossible to make the blue LED [video]

#85

Post by Exoristos »

tekla wrote: post #42
k_roy wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

and tape falls off, can impede functionality depending on the device, etc

> tape falls off So re-apply it when it falls off after 5 years > can impede functionality Give me an example where covering up a blue LED impedes functionality.

When it's under a grill shared by a vent?

Re: It was almost impossible to make the blue LED [video]

#86

Post by BoppreH »

tobr wrote: post #80
BoppreH wrote: post #44

Which is why I was always baffled by the decorative lights in my old office. It was a wall with small scattered lights in different colors, so they used recessed LEDs. Fine. But instead of color LEDs with a neutral diffuser, it had red+green+blue triple LEDs to make white light, with a red/green/blue plastic in front to recolor it! I understand how this could be cheaper to assemble or maintain, but I'll never not bal…

Are you sure they were RGB triplets and not white LEDs? Either way, is fun to imagine continuing this - grouping three of these filtered LED lights to make a new white light source, which you can then again filter with translucent plastic, etc!

The plastic covers are slightly raised from the wall, and if you're willing to look silly you can peek behind them. They're three colors.

Re: It was almost impossible to make the blue LED [video]

#87

Post by empath-nirvana »

cypherpunks01 wrote: post #48

I thought this was a really well-produced video! It's difficult to communicate science to the public in an accessible way at the right level, and I think Derek does a commendable job. I really liked the LED explanation at the 4:00 mark. Can anyone who is familiar with semiconductor physics opine on how well this explanation models the reality?

My 5 and 7 year old watched the whole thing with me and had lots of follow up questions for me.

Re: It was almost impossible to make the blue LED [video]

#88

Post by ranger207 »

Schattenbaer wrote: post #72
vardump wrote: post #2

Assuming everything is reported fairly, I really can't imagine being Nichia's customer. Ever. Sacking and not compensating the employee that single-handedly made Nichia successful by inventing a working blue LED and saving Nichia from bankruptcy is just not acceptable.

The Nichia 519A is a one of the favourite LEDs in the enthusiast flashlight world. It's a high CRI quite bright LED, and I have to shamefully admit that I specifically specced a light in the past with this LED. Before I knew about this, that is. Example write-up to see what flashlight nerds talk about: https://budgetlightforum.com/t/nichia-519a/64360/43

I always knew there was a reason I preferred the LH351D

Re: It was almost impossible to make the blue LED [video]

#89

Post by gbraad »

lijok wrote: post #62
creativeSlumber wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

a good leader need to be humble enough to spot when they are wrong and correct course. This guy sounds like he had control issues, and kept a grudge. very childish behavior.

There's little of that to go around in Japan. They strongly subscribe to power structures (see Senpai-Kohai) - seniors are unimpeachable and highly respected.

Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory isa interesting read about this.
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