Highlights International Year of Light 2015. There were several highlights from the closing ceremony held in Mexico on the 4-6th February of this year, including:
- Optics and Photonics – Optics and Photonics have a great impact on quality of life on a global scale. The International year of light was a global celebration of how optics and photonics impacted every country around the globe. This is particularly advancing in the medical sector where new optical equipment is being developed in biomedical industries which can help treat diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.
- Light pollution– This is the increasing illumination in the night sky, and it affects astronomers, the internal clock in humans and the impact on plant growth in particular species. More sustainable lighting technologies are being looked at, for example ‘motion censored’ street lighting to help address the issue. People want to track the changes in the night sky. A ‘Globe at Night’ initiative with astronomers in Arizona from the National Optical Astronomy Observatory in Tuscon is taking place with a measurement campaign which started in April 2015.
- Quantum Technology– The development of technology such as mobile phones, fiber optic communications and geo localization has made our world more interconnected. Light based quantum-abled technology has been a fundamental part of this change. The international Year of Light highlighted new developments in quantum technology such as quantum sensors for medical applications. This topic was also covered by speaker Sir Peter Knight in the International Year of Light 2015 closing ceremony.
- Opportunities in solar energy– There has been a significant growth in renewable energy resources, such as solar power to generate electricity. With a world which is becoming increasingly more aware of reducing its carbon footprint, the use of solar energy is likely to increase and costs/watt are likely to decrease. However there are still many challenges to be addressed in the future to access inexpensive electricity storage and to offset the carbon footprint from fuel-dependent industries such as air transport.
The international year of light is supported by a number of international organizations and unions. All the founding partners and sponsors can be found on the main IYL2015 website: www.light2015.org but includes major international players such as the American Institute of Physics (AIP) and the International Society for Photonics and Optics (SPIE). Events were held worldwide in more than 100 countries. The closing ceremony included key lectures and discussions on basic science, technology, development, the history of science, science policy and lighting solutions in society, art and culture.
To conclude the highlights International Year of Light 2015 the event was a great success- and a fantastic way to create an awareness of the impact of photonics and optics in our world. With the events being held internationally the IYL2015 allowed countries to connect together and collaborate with one common interest- light!
The IYL2015 not only created awareness of the impact of photonics and optics in our world, but also a lot of the current issues, such as light pollution, and sustainable solutions for the future.
This year long collection of events has helped create exposure for many industries and organizations involved in photonics. Here at Photon Transfer we are helping bridge the gap between science and market in the world of photonics. To find out more about what we do, or to see our technology for transfer listings here, or visit our website: http://photontransfer.com/