an office i worked with experimented with random dimming of the light. it very much simulated the occasional cloud passing overhead outside. People were more alert and aware in the area they did this.
On Sun, Sep 27, 2009 at 8:46 PM, Kyle Mcallister <kyle_mcallis...@yahoo.com> wrote: > --- On Wed, 9/23/09, Jed Rothwell <jedrothw...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Late reply... sorry. Had to repair a family member's car. Unbelievably simple > problem, a real bear to track down. > >> The only reason we stopped is because the Chinese do it so >> cheaply. This is also why the U.S. stopped manufacturing so >> many goods. That may not be a good reason, but it is the >> reason -- not because we ran out or because they do it more >> efficiently. > > Its interesting. The US economy is in a mess. It would be nice if something > came along to cause business to pick up. > Oh hell, China won't sell rare earths. We need rare earths... > Some US company picks up on this, and starts hiring Americans to produce the > stuff. Hmm. This could be a good thing in the long run. > >> These bulbs produce light with 1/8th as much electricity as >> incandescent bulbs [making them at least twice as efficient >> as CFL, and probably 3 or 4 times] and they now cost $30, >> versus about $5 for this kind of bulb [indicating a CFL]. >> And they last 40 times longer than a conventional bulb. But >> the question remains, can the average family afford them? >> >> What an idiotic comment that is! Japanese people are the >> second richest on earth. Family income averages $67,000. > > I make nowhere NEAR $67k per year. Combined, me and my wife come nowhere > close to this. And we CAN afford this. Not all at once, to be sure. But one > or two here and there, and not have to replace bulbs constantly?*** Reduce my > power bill? Fine by me. Why are people complaining about this? > > ***Volts at my wall socket can reach 125VAC. Normal bulbs do not seem to like > this. Long life bulbs can handle it, but in my experience, they look sickly > yellow. > > I do NOT like CFLs. But LED's are very welcome here. I also wonder at the > possibility of combining RGB LED's to control the color of the light > produced. Have a diffuser or something around the LED cluster, so the light > is relatively uniform, and have a dozen or so 'pixels' of LEDs in RGB trios. > One wonders if you could tune the light, so to speak, to help people with > seasonal affective disorder. > > OR: think of this. Make a programmed one to vary hue and intensity so as to > simulate a sunrise as you are waking up. What effect might this have on > people's ability to become alert in a refreshed manner upon waking? I know, > this would add cost. The basic 'cool white' LED light should be cheap, so > people can afford it. But the more 'luxurious' aspects of this should be > investigated, especially if it helps people feel better. With an incandescent > filament, variation on color is very limited. With 'pixel' LED combos, the > possibilities seem endless. > >> Can people who earn $67,000 per year afford to invest $30 >> in something that will return ~10% per annum for 20 years? >> >> - Jed > > I don't know what the cost of living is in Japan. I would guess you are more > qualified to say. But from where I am, living here in Buffalo, NY, and making > less than half that with both salaries combined, yeah, we can afford that. > Again, not all at once. But over time, sure. > > Damn it Jed, now I have to start combining LED's in RGB combinations and see > how they affect my mood. Winter is coming, after all. Look what you done > started! :) > > --Kyle > > > > > >
