Understanding and using electricity has changed our society. Being able to do simple things like having the light on during periods of dark has changed our sleeping and waking routines, and the way we work is independent of the daily and seasonal cycle.
With electricity we can simulate weather conditions and, for example, grow flowers all year round in heated glasshouses. We can more easily and effectively heat or cool our homes, and so we can live in some of the most inhospitable parts of the globe. Just as well, as the world population is growing so quickly that we need the space.
Many inventions that make our lives more convenient use electricity. For example, the washing machine, electric oven, cars, and refrigerators. These free up our time for other things, during which we use electricity to communicate and find out what’s going on in our community – through the use of computers, PDAs, telephones etc.
A recent revolution in electrical convenience has been getting rid of the wires that have begun to trail around our homes and offices. This includes that marvellous innovation – the mobile phone. But even in the home, if you still want the lower cost of a landline, you can wander all over your house with your cordless phone. There are many types of cordless phone, including the new digital DECT cordless phones that provide clear, reliable reception at a good range. Many homes have multiple handsets which provide convenience and coverage for sufficient floor area to cover most houses. Examples are the BT Synergy or Uniden DECT 6.0.
And of course, you can now also wander around your home with your laptop. You can sit on the deck and browse the Internet, or curl up in bed and pay the bills, with a wireless LAN, or Wi-Fi. With a router (a device that routes signals from attached devices) with wireless broadcasting ability, your local area network (LAN) is available wirelessly around your house, in much the same way as your phone signal.
Of course, there may be health dangers with increasing levels of radiation. Research is progressing on this topic.