I recently learned two tricks about LEDs
Trick 1 - Ifr you put current through an LED you get light. What happens if you put light into an LED? Yup, you get current so an LED is also a photodetector. It's pobably not very efficient but if you are looking for a cheap detector an LED might work. You really want to measure voltage since the current won't be very large. My limited experiments show that green LEDs deliver the most voltage (about twice what a red LED will do). the actual voltage depends on the light intensity as well as the specific LED so play around.
Trick 2 - I was working on a broken shaft encoder which used an infrared LED and photodiodes. We wondered if the IR LED was working or not but couldn't tell because our eyes don't see IR. Another guy at the lab wandered past and noted that our phone cameras COULD see IR and sure enough they do detect it and make it visible! Again, some cameras filter IR more than others.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
The Three (Interfaith) Amigos
I went to a talk by the Interfaith Amigos who are from the Seattle area. I heard them on KUOW talking about their book and thought seeing them in person would be interesting.
It was great to see representatives of the 3 Abrahamic traditions standing together talking cordially about their faiths and how understanding other's faith helped them deepen their own. They were comfortable enough to learn from other traditions and not be intimidated or defensive.
Their message resonated with me - that God reaches out to people in many ways and whatever works to bring you closer to God and to being a fulfilled human is the best faith for you. A mature faith realizes that what is best for you may not be best for the next person.
In America, our political culture seems so confrontational. It is easy to react with fear to people who are not like 'us' in the way they look or the way they worship. I hope this message that we are worshipping the same God but in different ways is spread.
The Amigos -Rabbi Ted Falcon, Sheikh Jamal Rahman, Pastor Don Mackenzie
Their book -
It was great to see representatives of the 3 Abrahamic traditions standing together talking cordially about their faiths and how understanding other's faith helped them deepen their own. They were comfortable enough to learn from other traditions and not be intimidated or defensive.
Their message resonated with me - that God reaches out to people in many ways and whatever works to bring you closer to God and to being a fulfilled human is the best faith for you. A mature faith realizes that what is best for you may not be best for the next person.
In America, our political culture seems so confrontational. It is easy to react with fear to people who are not like 'us' in the way they look or the way they worship. I hope this message that we are worshipping the same God but in different ways is spread.
The Amigos -Rabbi Ted Falcon, Sheikh Jamal Rahman, Pastor Don Mackenzie
Their book -
Getting to the Heart of Interfaith: The Eye-opening, Hope-filled Friendship of a Pastor, a Rabbi and a Sheikh, by the Interfaith Amigos
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