Some claim that Thomas Alva Edison kick-started the United States of America into rapid economic rise to its current political position as world Super Power.
Born in 1847 and a going concern until his death in 1931, Edison filed hundreds of patents. More than any other individual in history at the time.
But it was the incandescent lamp that brought him fame and fortune. A bitter fight with genius Nicholas Tesla somewhat tarnished Edison's image, in his latter years. Edison won the court battle over the title of just who invented alternating current (AC). Tesla seems to be winning in the minds of the new generation. But that is another story.
Edison lit up a dark world. He extended the working day, which provided many more productive working hours. Hours to study books, hours to work in the burgeoning factories dotting America and later the world. We can say he lit up the planet. His lighting also offered new possibilities and dramatically changed a grateful world.
But Edison was more than lights. He also invented the phonograph and the microphone among other inventions. This man from Milan, Ohio, didn't find everything easy along his road to fame. One of his hometowns, Clearwater, Florida, wouldn't allow light bulbs in barns for years. Farmers claimed they made cows give sour milk. That thought caught on in many farming communities and took years to erase. But right up to his death, Edison was still tinkering and believing that "everything comes to him who hustles". He had troubles convincing people for years. His formal education was limited to three months, and a teacher from his school in Port Huron, Michigan said, "his mind was addled and his mind was weak and wandering." His education was left to his mother who did a great job until she read him the Dictionary of Sciences. After that Edison did the rest himself. He built his first lab in his basement.
His persistent nature paid off. He made 9,990 separate experiments before he created what we call the electric light.
Fate made a memorable decision one day in 1869. Edison was in New York. The transmitter at the Gold Exchange broke down. Edison happened to be there and solved the problem. They offered him a job at $300 a month. An unheard of salary in those days.
One day Edison invented a universal printer hoping to sell it for $5,000. The president of Western Union looked, questioned, and offered him $40,000. The kid was on his way.
In late 1879, 10 years after his big break with the sale of his printer, Edison and his assistant watched the first electric light light up their workshop. The first day in which the human race had continuous, steady and fairly reliable 24-hours-a-day light. The world changed. Again. But, Edison didn't stop there. Later he combined his phonograph with a camera to produce the talking motion picture.
But time and new technology can be cruel to the memory of mere man.
An excellent article by Sidney Perkowitz in the 8 January 2000 issue of NEW SCIENTIST magazine says the light bulb will burn out.
The Light Emitting Diode has reached new levels. This is the same LED I have been giving away with my sets of one-a-month-books. These flashlights, instead of electric bulbs,
contain LED's. The diode is guaranteed for 100,000 hours (This is NOT a typo)! Because LEDs provide light with very little power, these flashlights can operate for between two and three years of normal use with just three AA cells.
Imagine the implications in replacing a world full of hot, burning-out old light bulbs. No more burnt fingers holding hot bulbs containing tungsten filaments burning at 2000 degrees Celsius. No more shaky ladders nor fatal falls while changing bulbs.
NEW SCIENTIST reports that if LEDs replaced every Edison-invented light bulb in America no new American generating power stations would be needed for 20 years. Cambridge University scientist Colin Humphreys claims LED lighting can reduce your electric light bills by 80 percent.
Point this out to your local power company!!
Progress can be chaotic. In Cyberspace there is no "off" switch for change.
