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Article: Down the tubes. (cathode-ray tube)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- February 25, 1989
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1989 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Computer screens Down the tubes
THE trusty cathode-ray tube has picked up a few tricks since it was invented at the end of the nineteenth century. Yet the tube, which works by shooting electrons from a gun on to a light-emitting phosphor screen, is still bulky and heavy. Japan is the furthest ahead in developing its successor: liquid crystal, previously reserved for cheap calculators.
Liquid-crystal displays (LCDS) work on a different principle. There is no need to shoot a stream of particles at the long, thin liquid crystal molecules. Instead, just apply an electric field. That changes the orientation of the molecule, making it act as a polarising light ...