International Day of Light: How light plays a pivotal role in serving humanity

CAIRO – 16 May 2022: Light plays a pivotal role in our lives as light, through the process of photosynthesis, is the essence and origin of life itself.

The study of light has led to uncovering alternative sources of energy and life-saving advances, including diagnostic and treatment technologies, the internet, and many other discoveries that have revolutionized society and shaped our understanding of the universe.

These techniques were developed through centuries of research that laid the foundations for the properties of light - from Ibn al-Haytham's work, Kitab al-Manazir, published in 1015; to Einstein's work at the beginning of the 20th century, which changed the way we think about time and light.

The International Day of Light celebrates the role that light plays in science, culture, art, education and sustainable development, in fields as diverse as medicine, communications and energy, which will enable many different sectors all over the world to participate in activities that show how science, technology, art and culture can achieve UNESCO's goals of laying the foundation stone for peaceful societies.

The International Day of Light is celebrated on May 16 of each year, the anniversary of the first successful operation using laser in 1960 by physicist and engineer Theodore Maiman.

This day serves as a call to strengthen scientific cooperation and harness its potential to promote peace and sustainable development.