Remember that this type of lamp is really a light bulb. (Refer to “lamp” in the DESIGN SPEAK glossary.) A halogen lamp is the really the shortened name for a tungsten-halogen lamp, which is an incandescent lamp filled with halogen gas (such as bromine, chlorine, fluorine, or iodine) and incorporating a quartz glass capsule. For the latter reason, they are sometimes referred to as quartz lamps. The gas under high pressure allows the filaments to function at higher temperatures with higher efficiency. You should not touch the quartz capsule – not only because your fingers will be badly burned, but also because the oil on your hands will shorten the lamp’s operating life. These types of lamps are commonly used for highlighting and accenting in both commercial and residential applications, and the most common of these is the MR-16. Originally designed for use in slide projectors, MR-16s can be found today in an endless array of light fixtures – desk lamps, pendants, recessed, track, display, etc. The heat they generate is substantial, so new LED technologies are being developed to create cool versions of these hot little numbers.