As much as this appeals to me on a sci-fi level, I think that most of the potential applications being floated for it are pretty bad ideas. For instance, no pl

As much as this appeals to me on a sci-fi level, I think that most of the potential applications being floated for it are pretty bad ideas. For instance, no plant is ever going to replace my desk lamp when the only color it can produce is 530 nm, it is too dim to read with, and I have to worry about killing it. But the real problem there is that I don't even have a desk lamp any more. Or even a desk. My home computer station is a recliner, and my monitor is on a swing-arm. This technology is a necessary first step to producing nirnroot, but that is the full extent of my expectations. I expect the chiming sound will come later. Any serious application will probably have to be artificial lichens that can be painted onto surfaces that are exposed to light and moisture. Lichens are hardy little bastards, so if you cover a sidewalk in glowing lichen paint, you will likely end up with something that glows just strongly enough to expose tripping hazards on it. Paint a runway with it, and planes might be able to manage an emergency landing without the usual lighting. This light isn't bright enough for me to see any domestic uses that would displace LEDs or electroluminescent panels.