One designer has threatened to wage war against them. Another reckons they're so depressing that we'll be driven into psychotherapy. A manufacturer describes them as "very unfriendly" and, even, "a little violent."

The objects of their derision are compact fluorescent bulbs, otherwise known as CFLs, the miniaturized versions of fluorescent strip lights, which are touted as energy-efficient alternatives to the incandescent bulbs that have lit our homes for over a century. The problem is the quality of their light. "It's completely indifferent and boring," said the German lighting designer, Ingo Maurer (the one who thinks they'll be a boon for shrinks). "They make you feel as though you're waiting for a bus or a train at a desolate station."

For further information: International Herald Tribune