THE LIGHT BULB
The modern world is an electrified world. The light bulb, in particular, profoundly changed human existence by illuminating the night and making it hospitable to a wide range of human activity. The electric light is one of the everyday conveniences that most affects our lives.
Although Thomas Edison did not in fact invent the light bulb, he improved upon the idea developed 50 years prior to his advancement. Yet Edison is most often credited with coming up with the best design and developing a practical incandescent, electric light. On October 21, 1879, Edison first demonstrated in public his incandescent light bulb: a reliable, long-lasting source of light. Edison's incandescent light bulb has created immense implications on society and can be found in just about any building around the world.
The invention of the light bulb was a significant milestone in human history because it eliminated peoples' dependence on candles and oil lamps, and created an easier way to light buildings and streets at night.
The light bulb enables people to be able to conduct and produce work during all hours of the day and night. This greatly improves productivity, enhances the quality of our life, and reduces crime rates. Crimes are less likely to occur in areas that are lighted due to the increased visibility of such environments.
Light bulbs are a reliable sources of light, that are safe to use and can be cheaply mass produced, making them even more useful. They revolutionized indoor and outdoor lighting and forever separated light from fire.
The light bulb enables people to be able to conduct and produce work during all hours of the day and night. This greatly improves productivity, enhances the quality of our life, and reduces crime rates. Crimes are less likely to occur in areas that are lighted due to the increased visibility of such environments.
Light bulbs are a reliable sources of light, that are safe to use and can be cheaply mass produced, making them even more useful. They revolutionized indoor and outdoor lighting and forever separated light from fire.
Thomas Edison's Lab in Dearborn, Michigan
Charles Proteus Steinmetz, an electrical engineer at General Electric Co. and a professor at Union College, spoke to students at the New York Electrical Trade School about the upcoming and increasingly important role electricity would play in society, as the use of coal diminished. Steinmetz said, "When we reach the end of our resources in coal, in the not very far distant future, then the only remaining source of power, the only thing which will keep us from freezing will be the water power, which we will have to utilize electrically." As Steinmetz spoke to the students, he emphasized the impact electricity would have on the future of the world.
The development of the light bulb was a significant leap in the understanding of electricity and how to harness its awe-inspiring power. If we had not developed the capability to use electricity to our fullest extent, we would still require the use of other resources for the creation of a power source. Dependence on such resources would greatly reduce their amount and deplete their existance, possibly leading a crisis.
The development of the light bulb was a significant leap in the understanding of electricity and how to harness its awe-inspiring power. If we had not developed the capability to use electricity to our fullest extent, we would still require the use of other resources for the creation of a power source. Dependence on such resources would greatly reduce their amount and deplete their existance, possibly leading a crisis.
1949 General Electric Light Bulb Film
People found themselves dazzled by light bulbs and their concept of electric light, having the ability to work for hours on end and provide a stable source of light. An observer at the Montmartre Fair on the 4th of November 1903, described a mechanical wonder they witnessed at the fair, "brilliantly lit by electric light in clusters and in single arc lamps." Before the age of the light bulb, it was hard to imagine the ease of simply flipping a switch and having access to instant electricity, so this new invention came as a surprise to people and they found the light bulb to be quite an astonishing feat.
The light bulb made it possible for city life to flourish when the sun went down. Before the light bulb, people went home and slept as darkness took over the city. With the creation of the light bulb, the day no longer ended when the sun was no longer out. This extended the amount of time people spent out and about enjoying the new night life of the city due to street lights and in-home lighting. People were no longer bound to the hours given to them through sunlight, and in the winter provided for the same amount of daylight as other seasons.
In the picture to the right, casinos and hotels light up the night for gamblers and tourists in 1950s Las Vegas.
In order to invent a light bulb that was commercially viable Edison had to invent an entire electrical system and figure out what the characteristics of a bulb for that system would be. He also had to invent the manufacturing process for mass producing light bulbs. The electrical system itself enabled the invention of a whole host of new technologies. These new technologies included:
- transistor
- electric welding
- all night open retail and manufacturing stores
- chromium alloys and heat tolerant metals
- manufacturing processes of sealing glass while pulling a vacuum
- movie projector
Today, people rarely spend time in natural night darkness and have found themselves dependent on the light bulb. Though the light bulb has paved the way for the use and expanded knowledge of electricity, society has isolated itself from the natural world through an addiction to electric light. The invention of artificial light has led to light pollution, which disrupts the world's more primitive inhabitants. New York City, Mumbai, Tel Aviv, Lagos, Barcelona, Mecca, Buenos Aires and Tokyo are each known as "The City That Never Sleeps". This nickname can be correlated to the use of the light bulb to extend daytime hours into the night and early morning, from flashy neon signs to street lamps. Furthermore, the light bulb has paved the way for an entire culture based on ideas of convenience and instant gratification, due to the fact it can be activated by simply flicking a switch up or down. Just as any profound change on society, the light bulb brought about positive and negative implications.
Society was forever changed as the 1900s ushered in the era of the light bulb. The light bulb is definitely an invention worth keeping because of its lasting impression on civilization and the advancements it led to. Some of the most significant impacts of the light bulb on society are:
- longer working hours
- increased productivity
- workplace safety improvements
- safer home environment, especially during the nighttime
- longer leisure hours
- leisure activities: electric radios, televisions, etc.
- motivated people to utilize and explore the concept of electricity
- extended day