There are around five billion mobile phones in use around the world todayThis lamp is powered by the small solar panel connected to it. As well as providing light, power from this panel can be used to charge mobile phones. This object has been chosen to reflect our ingenuity, and the challenges we face, in the twenty-first century. The kit uses a range of new materials and technologies, including silicon-chip technology, which can also be found in computers and mobile phones. Here it is used in the solar photovoltaic cell, which converts sunlight into electricity. Exposing this cell to eight hours of bright sunshine provides up to 100 hours of lamp light.
How is this technology changing lives?
There are currently 1.6 billion people across the world without access to an electrical grid. In these areas, objects such as this allow people to study, work and socialise outside daylight hours, vastly improving the quality of many lives. Additionally, households using solar energy rather than kerosene lamps are able to avoid the risk of fire and the damage to health that kerosene can cause. Once purchased, this kit costs very little to run, making it a very efficient option for many people living in the world's poorest countries.
Solar-powered lamp and charger
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Shenzhen, Guandong, China
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AD 2010
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Comments
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53 comments
- 21. At 16:05 on 14 October 2010, Harry Adam wrote:
- 22. At 16:19 on 14 October 2010, wlane83 wrote:
- 23. At 20:20 on 14 October 2010, The Old Fox wrote:
- 24. At 20:36 on 14 October 2010, guy evans wrote:
- 25. At 21:31 on 14 October 2010, KobinaBo wrote:
- 26. At 16:39 on 16 October 2010
- 27. At 16:25 on 17 October 2010, StowfordDevon wrote:
- 28. At 10:49 on 19 October 2010, Techmatt wrote:
- 29. At 21:42 on 21 October 2010, alpha-omega wrote:
- 30. At 08:03 on 22 October 2010, McH wrote:
pages 1Ìý 2Ìý 3Ìý4Ìý 5Ìý 6ÌýA worthy object, but hardly historic. It's very existance is but one of a myriad of things only existing because of the discovery of the transistor. That is a truly worthy 100th object,just because history would look so different without, not least no solar powered lamp/charger or 'phone to charge.
I'm a bit disappointed with the choice in all honesty. It is far too optimistic and doesn't accurately reflect just how far the majority of humanity are from a sustainable future. It would be lovely if this was an everyday item and hopefully one day it will be, but in our current fossil fuel driven world this item stands very much on the periphery.
How very pc. Mobile phones may be the bane of one's life, but they are clearly a far greater influence on 21st century life; and they only get my vote over the computer because, more and more, the uses of both are becoming interchangeable and the phone is probably just more ubiquitous.
i think it's transparently obvious that the panel of judges, or whoever was tasked with choosing the 100th object, spent most of their time trying to think of an alternative object to the mobile phone.
In the end they've chosen a "winner" in the lame form of a solar powered lamp. Hmm. The key technology of the 21st century which has utterly transformed the world is, as usual, a communication technology: THE DIGITAL NETWORK. Some may say the silicon chi/microprocessor but that is a late 20th Century icon. Individual computers reached their individual usefulness long ago but the internet and the mobile phone has produced the true information age.
Without The Network the modern globalized world of international finance capitalism, globalized trade and industry (which affects the lives and life chances of people living in the remotest parts of the world), short-term planning production and staffing, loss of governmental control over populations, economic inter-dependance as never before (financial meltdowns included), twitter, facebook, blogging, participatory information sharing are all impossible.
For a true symbol of the early 21st century information network age the ONLY choice which symbolizes this time in history is the mobile phone. And what happens? True to a very British fudge they have still included the mobile phone as a second (?!) 100th object. Hahaha.
When the object was revealed on Today the mobile phone featured prominently.I think it is far more significant than the charger as it is revolutionaizing the lives of millions, including poor people in low income countries who use it for money transfers, checking crop prices etc.
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Sorry to disagree with the 100th objects after an excellent and enlightening series. This is an urban choice, along with the mobile phone which will remain out of the scope of the majority of the World's population. Solar voltaic power is the most expensive source of electricity and will remain unaffordable to the 80% of humans who earn $20 a day or less. A solar panel left out in the sun is likely soon to be stolen. Mobile phones are a status symbol in Africa and coverage is limited to small areas around masts and cost urban levels of money to use.
A much more ubiquitous material is plastic, symbolised by the plastic bag and sheet. I can remember when polythene bags became widely available in India in the 1950's in many useful forms, and polythene sheeting has become a universal building material from sophisticated damp proof membranes to makeshift roofs in shanty towns.
The universal poly bag also illustrates mankind's continued indifference to the environment, from uncontrollable land waste disposal to the choking masses of plastic suffocating our oceans and killing marine wildlife. If anything is to go down in future history as both a ubiquitous benefit and disastrous pollutant it is going to be plastic.
Shouldn't the 20th Century have its own 100 objects? But I suspect many of them lie in the Science Museum or in as-yet un-excavated rubbish tips, or even just in photographs; not in the British Museum. The British Museum seems to be collecting what Economists call final products (what we purchase or use) but the revolutions delivering our quality of life today are manifested mainly in supply chains, in intermediate goods - such as the silicon chip, for example. Because of this I think the British Museum is possibly quite weak in its treatment, and even appreciation, of the recent past. Their staff is perhaps a bit more educated in the humanities and perhaps not enough in science and engineering.
I agree with other comments that following an excellent series that I relisten to on the Podcasts - the 100th object was disappointing - from the description of the item as an object that has the power to change lives across the world I was expecting the Bible in one of it's many forms today. I can see the idea of a solar powered lamp where electricity is not available in remote places on the planet but isn't it a bit of an oxymoron like having dehydrated water - maybe the lamp can be seen as 21st Century 'enlightenment' ! The 100th object couldn't please everyone I suppose. I'm pleased to see a book accompanies the series but it won't have the title music or Neil's beautiful pronunciation of MUSEUM.
Actually, it's pretty obvious that, no matter what the judges/selectors/etc. would have chosen, there would be dissenting voices, as this is so close to home (so to speak). Compared to the other contenders, I personally think that the choice isn't bad, as it does combine numerous aspects of life in 2010.
However, on another program on R4 (it might have been "In our Time" or "Thinking allowed"), one of the contributors suggested that the humble washing machine did more to revolutionise life and society than computers/internet/mobiles could ever do. I think there's some truth in that... which just goes to show that the choice isn't easy...
Anyhow, well done to the BM and R4 for laying on such an interesting series. I will miss it.