Solar lamp an "icon in social entrepreneurship"

The public has come up with 23 pages of suggestions for the 100th object in A History of the World in 100 Objects.

These range from the iPhone ("epitomises our hyper-connected reality") to the washing machine ("liberated western women from domestic duties") to the plastic water bottle ("symbol of our wastefulness").

The solar-powered lamp is one of the four (out of five) contenders that have so far been selected by the series makers for the shortlist.

One of the most recent comments on the BBC's blog - from Elaine Khoo in Singapore - supports the specific example of the D.light solar-powered lamp.

it is an icon of the gravitational shift of social entrepreneurship - the focus of designing for consumers at the bottom of the pyramid which even the Fortune 500s are scrambling to get right.

One of this year's Ashden Award winners, D.Light has already sold over 220,000 units in over 30 countries via a network of rural entrepreneurs.

The 100th object will be announced on Thursday.