Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) have emerged as a popular form of electronic display, particularly since the 1980s. They use very little electricity (a thousand times less energy than a LED (light-emitting diode) uses) and are easily visible, even in direct sunlight because they scatter light rather than produce it. In other words, they produce dark areas that may be seen in brightly illuminated environments instead of glowing lights that could be visually overpowered by brighter light sources. At the heart of a LCD is a material called a liquid crystal. First discovered in 1889, liquid crystals are fluid substances that have very well-ordered molecules, like those of solid crystals. When molecules of a material are aligned, they have a profound effect upon light passing through the material, often bending or splitting the individual light rays. In liquid crystals the molecules are parallel to...