Another positive to a passive system would be the fact -- as far as I can remember -- that the Sun has always functioned, and has never, ever burned out.

"We will investigate energy-saving ways to light food crops in space using vertical strips of colored, light-emitting diodes," Mitchell said. "Light strips will hang right in the crop stand with plants growing all around them. These lights are cool enough that plants can even touch them. The colors will match the absorbence of the photosynthetic pigments in the plants. This is a modification of the commercial 'pathlights' you see in movie theaters and in airline exit rows."

Hmm-m...

I wonder how many of these LED tubes do they intend to launch for this -- and how many will properly function, once they are in orbit...

Surprised they aren't replacing natural plant life with some other synthetic "masterpiece,"
Dan
--ps--
Everybody at Purdue can now pat themselves on the back for reinventing the Sun.