Cyril Hilsum invented the flat-screen displays that hold us in thrall

Cyril Hilsum, a British physicist, invented the flat-screen display technology used in modern TVs and computer monitors. He developed a type of liquid-crystal display (LCD) that used a thin layer of liquid crystals to block or allow light to pass through a matrix of pixels, resulting in thin, lightweight, and energy-efficient displays. Hilsum's work built on the discovery of liquid crystals by Richard Williams and George Gray in the 1960s, but he made significant improvements to the technology, including the development of a new type of liquid crystal that could be used in a wide range of applications. Hilsum's invention had a profound impact on the development of modern electronics and has had a lasting influence on the way people consume media and interact with technology.