2006 Millennium Tech. Prize.

[mfgoode]

"University of California professor [1]Shuji
Nakamura,
the japanese inventor of the bright green, white and blue [2]GaN
[3]LEDs
and a blue laser, [4]has been awarded the 2006 Millennium Technology
Prize. While blue LEDs are considered cool and thus needful things by
most nerds, [5]Nakamura adapted his blue LEDs to make a blue laser in
the
mid 90s. The next generation optical storage formats, HD-DVD and
BluRay,
are of course both based on blue laser. Also, [6]his white LEDS need
far
less energy than normal incandescent lamps and can thus provide plenty
of
opportunity for energy-saving in the industrialized world. But probably
the most significant [7]future application for Shuji Nakamura's
invention
comes in the form of sterilizing drinking water, since the the water
purification process can be made cheaper and more efficient with the
use
of ultraviolet LEDs. This can improve the lives and health of tens of
millions people in developing countries."

http://www.forbes.com/work/feeds/ap/2006/06/15/ap281805

Mally