I learned some more wonderful things about LEDs (light emitting diodes) today and their promise in treating cancerous brain tumors and some other wonderful medical benefits.

I have been interested in them, particularly white LEDs for a few years, after reading about an engineer from Alberta who was struck by the lack of light in the villages of Tibet and how it limited reading for Tibetan school children. These wee beasties require hardly any power at all to produce light and have an incredibly long life.

He devised and produced white LED lamps that could be run on cheap, easily generated DC power and has been lighting up the pages of books for them ever since. I got so excited about white LEDs I even modified a few flashlights and started some other personal projects with them.

Today there was a news report that they are now being used to treat cases of SADs in place of other light sources, because, as yet not fully understood, they require half the treatment time to produce the desired affect that was found in ordinary full spectrum light.

White LEDs are actually in the blue light spectrum and it is thought that blue light may be the secret to the salutory effect on human depression. Photosynthesis in plants is stimulated by light from the blue end of the spectrum too and they are being used in that area also.

When I was seeking more information, I came across a few articles about LED therapy which is now being used in conjunction with light activated chemotherapy drugs. The drug adheres to the cancer tissue and the tiny LED light turns it on to destroy the cells. The LED light can penetrate through healthy tissue and unlike laser light, does not damage surrounding areas because the light is relatively cool.

They have also found that LED light from the red end of the spectrum greatly speeds the healing process and the lights are being used to speed recovery of radiation burns resulting from cancer treatment, particularly in the mouth and throat, and it ihas been found to speed the healing of other wounds as well and perhaps has antiseptic properties also.

All this from the little red light that first beamed out of the off/on button your stereo.

Wow! let there be Light.