Start Date
4-30-2026 10:35 AM
End Date
4-30-2026 11:45 AM
Disciplines
History
Abstract
This paper takes a sharp look at three innovations in artificial light, examining their impact on human productivity through history, and on our global society today. It posits that light technology has played a pivotal role in human productivity. From conversation around campfires, to handheld lighting technologies (such as candles, oil lamps, and other such crude— yet compact— lighting devices), to fiber-optic cables that carry information across oceans through the power of light— humanity’s productivity has been massively impacted by innovations in light technology.
Rights
Copyright 2026 Elias M. Henkle
Creative Commons License or Rights Statement
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Included in
Artificial Light: A Conduit of Human Productivity Through the Ages
This paper takes a sharp look at three innovations in artificial light, examining their impact on human productivity through history, and on our global society today. It posits that light technology has played a pivotal role in human productivity. From conversation around campfires, to handheld lighting technologies (such as candles, oil lamps, and other such crude— yet compact— lighting devices), to fiber-optic cables that carry information across oceans through the power of light— humanity’s productivity has been massively impacted by innovations in light technology.