Highlights from International Year of Light 2015

Scientists may not have a reputation for partying, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know how to celebrate. In 2015 the United Nations raised the roof with the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies 2015 (IYL) observance. The event was established to increase awareness for the achievements of light science, recognise its applications and celebrate its huge importance to humankind.

The global initiative was a resplendent success, helping to achieve the UN’s goal of showing the world how “optical technologies promote sustainable development and provide solutions to worldwide challenges in energy, education, agriculture, communications and health.”

Here are some of the standout highlights from throughout the year:

The opening ceremony

Held in Paris on January 19-20, the IYL 2015 opening ceremony was an event to remember. The night kicked off at the UNESCO headquarters, with a myriad of VIP guests attending the celebrations.

Securing Prince Andrew as a patron

Every high profile event needs a prominent patron, and IYL delivered by securing none other than Prince Andrew, the Duke of York as its official royal supporter.

The Ibn al-Haytham campaign

The IYL launched with a bang, with organisers unveiling a global campaign titled 1001 Inventions and the World of Ibn Al-Haytham. The project included a series of live shows, hands-on workshops and interactive exhibits celebrating the optical, mathematical and astronomic achievements of the Persian legend. The campaign was launched by 1001 Inventions, a founding partner of the IYL initiative.

The Golden Age of Islam

UNESCO made its contribution on September 14 by hosting ‘The Islamic Golden Age of Science for the Knowledge-Based Society.’ The exhibition and conference paid tribute to the scientific accomplishments of the Islamic civilization in its Golden Age.

Celebrating scientific anniversaries

In 2015 the IYL paid tribute to a host of milestone anniversaries. These include Ibn Al-Haytham’s 1015 Book of Optics, Fresnel’s ‘light as a wave’ proposal put forward in1815, Maxwell’s 1865 ‘The electromagnetic theory of light propagation’ proposal, Einstein’s theory of the photoelectric effect that made waves in 1905 and the 1965 discovery of the cosmic microwave background by Penzias and Wilson.

Shining the spotlight on Colombia

Colombia played a special role in the IYL, with a trio of universities hosting a global conference titled, ‘Colombia in the International Year of Light 2015.’ the conference sparked discussions about state-of-the-art science in the optical technologies field.

Want to know more about the world’s intrinsic reliance on light? ‘Bright Lights, Big Science The physical phenomenon that has helped to shape human history and open up our world’ is a luminous read.

Image via Flickr Creative Commons. Photo credits: Jason Hickey