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There are significant health concerns associated with exposure to bright light at night, especially the bluish-white (high colour temperature) light that most leds emit.
Current opinion is that a orangey light (low colour temperature under 2000K) would be safer. Perfectly feasible technically.
The World Health Organisation WHO lists light at night as a significant cancer risk (not a feed a rat with a barrelful of stuff cancer risk, a real risk).
Steve

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An interesting object because it highlights what may be the fulcrum of our modern society in both developed and many parts of the developing world, namely electricity.

If we consider, even briefly, what almost every part of our lives ultimately relies on then it quickly becomes this source of power. Even creating new energy sources now requires electricity at some stage, and without it all of our infrastructure would fail.

(The only sources of power that are independent of electricity, at some level, that I can think of are combustion of wood or, perhaps, coal to heat water in a boiler. Oil requires electrically powered pumps, for example.)

I suppose, however, that the solar lamp and its charger represent the benign power that can be extracted from electrical energy rather than its industrial uses that are mighty but often hidden away from most people's lifestyle.

This object then does two things beyond what is written above: it highlights electricity in itself, by explicitly showing how its produced, and it demonstrates the reliance of the lamp on the source of power which is often taken for granted.

So I feel this object is deserving on some rather fundamental levels to represent our present time in history as the 100th item.

@SteveH - I think you make a valid point, but the alternative to a solar lantern is either (1) darkness or (2) kerosene lamps. Kerosene fumes from lamps are far worse, health-wise, than the rays from LED lamps. They cause indoor air pollution, a top 3 killer of children under the age of 5. They tip over, causing fires and debilitating burns.

So yes, there are health issues - I will take your word on it because I haven't looked into it - but a solar lantern is a far sight better than the current alternative.

Interesting choice! Good luck with the final selections.

I agree that the health and economic benefits to this type of technology far outweigh LED concerns. The world’s poorest spend a large proportion of their money on fuel. A number of companies are also providing tremendous employment opportunities for people in developing countries too, such as British owned ToughStuff who have similar technology (with non-glass based panel) but run an entrepreneur development programme which employs hundreds of people in East Africa

Interestingly I set of on a journey across Africa from London to Cape Town a year ago today to promote Solar Technology in Africa. It's a technology that seems to be dramatically changing everyones world. From rural farmers in Tanzania who's children can now study at night and increased telecommunications in the Sahara with mobile phone masts powered by solar. In the UK it even is changing peoples lives creating jobs and giving people an alternative source of power.
Gwyn
Overlandinthesun London to Cape Town

@Rob @hattamr
My point about the hazards was (another) attempt to get it done right, the charity behind this initiative haven't shown any interest. It's technically feasible and not expensive to eliminate the hazard (substantially reduce at any rate) whilst achieving the fantastic benefit.

@ nab26, Rob, SteveH, hattamr - thanks for your thoughtful comments. This really is an object with much to say about now and I hope you agree that it's an interesting choice for the 100th object.
@ Gwyn - good to hear how this kind of technology is actively contributing right now.
I’ve had some other messages about this object and thought I'd use this chance to clarify a couple of points – photovoltaic cells in fact use silicon semi-conductor technology rather than silicon cells (so now you know!). And, although given eight hours of charging in sunshine, this lamp will give 100 hours of light, for bright light it will give four hours.
David Prudames, British Museum

Great choice.
Please tell me the name and address of the manufacturer.
I'd like to get a couple of these lamps.