What is an LCD monitor?

　　LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) may no longer be a novel term for many users, yet the history of this technology far exceeds our expectations: as early as the late 19th century, Austrian botanists discovered liquid crystals—substances that exhibit both the fluidity of liquids and the ordered arrangement characteristic of crystals. Under the influence of an electric field, the orientation of liquid-crystal molecules changes, thereby altering their optical properties; this phenomenon is known as the electro-optic effect. Leveraging this effect, British scientists developed the first liquid-crystal display in the last century. Today’s LCDs predominantly employ nematic liquid crystals, which, when viewed under a microscope, resemble cotton swabs. Compared with traditional CRTs, LCDs are not only smaller and thinner—current 14.1-inch models can be as thin as 5 centimeters—but also lighter, more energy-efficient (1 to 10 microwatts per square centimeter), operate at lower voltages (1.5 to 6 volts), emit no radiation or flicker, and can be directly interfaced with CMOS integrated circuits. Owing to these numerous advantages, LCDs began to be adopted in desktop computers in 1998.