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Light bulb burns for 107 years and counting watch!

video.msn.com — An electric light bulb in California has burned continuously for 107 years. It's housed in a garage bay within a firehouse — and has since outlived its manufacturer.

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  • DeathWish808, on 05/09/2008, -0/+90I remember reading about this not too long ago. Apparently they get visitors from all over the world just to see this bulb. I'm just fine seeing it on video, thanks.
    • Adys, on 05/09/2008, -2/+24Comment abuse for YouTube mirror.
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjjCtBviqrw

      Safari users are getting blocked on MSN video. Bonus: no ***** up ad position.
      • slayerab, on 05/09/2008, -1/+6Blog abuse request accepted
      • crossmr, on 05/10/2008, -4/+2we got over this "comment abuse" ***** long ago. Let it die.
        • artofwar420, on 05/10/2008, -3/+2Maybe you got over it, not me, guy.
    • Guardiandevil91, on 05/10/2008, -3/+2It was on Mythbusters.
    • dfsjdkflasjk, on 05/10/2008, -2/+7Imagine the global warming that this light has caused
    • kdepa, on 05/10/2008, -1/+2This lightbulb is practically in my backyard, and even I've never seen it.
      • michaelb323, on 05/10/2008, -1/+1Go see it dude and take some pictures for us.
    • antonio97b, on 05/10/2008, -1/+2They come from all over the world? I guess the rest of the world was getting boring so they decided to visit a bulb.
      • joeydoo, on 05/10/2008, -1/+1Maybe they thought Jesus was doing it.... or it was made from a piece of his corpse.

        NEW!! 'JESUS FILAMENT' BULB TECHNO POWER. Get your's NOW!
        Available at all good retailers.
    • EvilFerret, on 05/10/2008, -0/+2If I went all that way to visit it, I would be the one to put it out of its misery. I would go down in history known as the man who destroyed the oldest light bulb. Hmm.... What's the address?
  • BigManOnCampus, on 05/09/2008, -160/+12Buried as inaccurate, everyone knows California has had rolling blackouts, how did this bulb continue operate with no power?
    • blast_flame, on 05/09/2008, -0/+38It only going off during the blackouts would still be impressive.
    • wonderchemist, on 05/09/2008, -0/+46Some parts of the grid were exempt from the rolling blackouts. I know medical faculties where one of them. It's likely firehouse were also exempted, or contacted in advance and told to turn on their backup generators.
    • twertyto, on 05/09/2008, -4/+122Congrats on stupidiest comment of the year. It's called a generator.
      • Koookie, on 05/09/2008, -34/+4...it's not. It's called UPS.
        • AngelBunny, on 05/09/2008, -2/+23ups is for smaller things like computers and have a short life spam but generators work for larger things like a block of houses or a building.
          • Koookie, on 05/09/2008, -5/+3UPS would indeed work (for the connected groups) for the 30 seconds or so which it takes to get the generator started. Alarm, communications and computer systems at the fire house would surely be covered by UPS. Surely the lamp too. I guess I could have said UPS + generator.
          • neutrascrub, on 05/10/2008, -1/+3and don't call me Shirley
          • jcm267, on 05/10/2008, -0/+2Tell that to the tools at APC who build UPSs for large data centers. And the tools at my company who buy these!!!

            http://www.apc.com/tools/isx/largedc/index.cfm
        • Synapse84, on 05/09/2008, -1/+8UPS = is nothing more then a Battery and a power inverter. (stores power as DC, then inverts it to give you AC)
          Generator = Makes it's own power.. for example... Gasoline Engine + generator to provide AC power..
        • heliox, on 05/09/2008, -12/+3UPS = United Parcel Service. How does that help?
        • jcm267, on 05/09/2008, -2/+2A generator would take some time to kick in... It would indeed take a UPS, and I don't think that UPSs have been around for a long time. kookie is right.
      • LongShlong, on 05/09/2008, -2/+17Congrats for taking part in the stupidest argument of the century.
        • NoCt1, on 05/09/2008, -6/+3Congrats on commenting that he took part of the stupidest argument of the century. So you could have just not said anything like i was going to but i read this and couldnt stop..
        • Ryan2845, on 05/09/2008, -2/+2Congrats on commenting on his comment about the stupidest argument of the century. I'd also like the congratulate myself on this comment, about your comment, about his comment, on the stupidest argument of the century. And finally, i'd like the congratulate the inevitable reply to this comment, for their participation.
        • Twelve-60, on 05/09/2008, -1/+2Thanks!
      • masterm1nd, on 05/09/2008, -3/+2Do you actually know that or is it a guess?
      • DanMiller, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1I remember hearing that they kept it on an emergency backup generator.
        • nyx210, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1But did emergency backup generators exist 100 years ago? How did they manage to set everything up without interrupting current?
      • Briandrews15, on 05/10/2008, -0/+4bigmanoncampus was right...

        "There is no separate electricity supply here, and no rheostat to smooth out power surges. When the juice goes off, the bulb goes off; when it comes back on, the bulb does too. A big storm in 1994 shut off electricity for a week, but afterward the old light roared back to life just like all the others."
    • SRSco, on 05/09/2008, -0/+48In 1976, the fire department moved to Fire Station #6 with the bulb; the bulb's cord was severed for fear that unscrewing it could damage it. It was deprived of electricity for only ten minutes during the transfer, which was made in a specially designed box and with full firetruck escort. An electrician was on hand to install the bulb into the new fire station's emergency generator. In 2001, the bulb's 100th birthday was celebrated with a community barbecue and live music.[4] As of 2006, the bulb has been continuously lit for 30 years.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centennial_Light
      • micro506, on 05/09/2008, -0/+12George should have hired those guys for the Frogger machine
      • trevorh, on 05/11/2008, -0/+1I say that SRSco's comment essentially settles this argument.
    • MrMil, on 05/09/2008, -1/+20OOOOooo....good point. Because Fire Departments probably have absolutely NO contingency plans in the case of blackout. California is the only state in the union to have banned generators in all public buildings.

      I wish I could slap you.
    • milkmage, on 05/09/2008, -1/+8Dumbass. I live in California, and am on the same portion of the power grid as a firehouse - guess what, we're exempt from rolling blackouts because of.. wait for it.. the FIREHOUSE. Yeah, see, there are certain parts of the grid that are exempt from rolling blackouts because there's a hospital, firehouse, or police station, I think even banks (because of electrically sealed vaults and alarm systems)
    • Trick07, on 05/12/2008, -0/+1My home in Orange County, CA was never hit with a rolling blackout... many people did not lose their power ya idiot.
  • HarryWatson00, on 05/09/2008, -20/+70BigManOnCampus...have you ever heard of a power generator...its a pretty common thing for a fire department to have one of those...you should be burried as unintelligent...
    • Koookie, on 05/09/2008, -21/+3A power generator would not help, unless it ran constantly -- for 107 years?
      • Koookie, on 05/09/2008, -14/+4Correction to previous: unless they had some sort of an advance warning of a coming blackout.
        • kemp34, on 05/09/2008, -2/+17You have never heard of automatic back up power? LOL
          • masterm1nd, on 05/09/2008, -1/+5in 1899?

            And I don't know much about this but would the generator have a battery that it automatically switches to and then turns on the generator or what? Because if not, I think it would go out momentarily.
          • Koookie, on 05/09/2008, -5/+3Automatic back up power means that you lose power and you get it right back. That means you have a blackout -- for what, 30 seconds? Enough to break the record.
    • ghank, on 05/09/2008, -11/+37HarryWatson00...have you ever heard of a reply button...its a pretty common thing for forums to have one of those...you should be burried as unintelligent...
    • MrMil, on 05/09/2008, -0/+11He thought he was blowing the cover right off there, eh?
      If this guy is big man on campus he must be home schooled.
    • mozert, on 05/09/2008, -4/+5You are all a bunch of idiots. Shut up.
      • cyranthus, on 05/10/2008, -1/+4see how stupid the internet is? fighting and bickering over a stupid ***** light bulb.
      • dealseeker, on 05/10/2008, -0/+3You have just WON an argument on the internet. Congratulations on this momentous achievement. You are special.
    • crossmr, on 05/10/2008, -2/+5Have you ever heard of a reply button?
    • isunktheship, on 05/10/2008, -0/+2The real feat is that it hasn't burned out... I'd love to watch this /amazing/ video but their commercials scared me away.
  • juiceguy20, on 05/09/2008, -7/+18The energizer bunny could take notes from this light bulb.
  • Conway, on 05/09/2008, -8/+4Burn, baby burn.

    http://www.centennialbulb.org

    Although that news piece really hit their server hard.
  • DaDrake, on 05/09/2008, -6/+38For me, lightbulbs always seem to go bad when you turn them on (that little lightning-flash you see). Can't remember any bulb going bad while allready burning. Perhaps....lightbulbs only go bad when turning on/off.
    • ellisgl, on 05/09/2008, -13/+4Mythbusters did a segment on that...
      • PleaseJustDie, on 05/09/2008, -0/+11and the results were...?
      • Locke23, on 05/09/2008, -0/+5Mythbusters didn't do a segment on that, they did a segment on which type of light bulb would use up less power, done to find out which one was more power efficient and answer the question as to whether flicking off a bulb when you left a room was convenient or the light bulb should simply be left on if you planned on coming back to the room fairly quickly..
        The results were that you should always turn off your lights when leaving a room, the results varied for the different bulbs, but in the end all bulbs save more energy if turned off when exiting a room, no matter how quickly you planned on returning
        • InActionJackson, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1actually they did do a test with light bulbs that were left on and ones that were turned on and off at regular intervals to see which lasted longer. if i remember rite they said turning them on and off didn't significantly affect their lifespan, although the compact fluorescent light bulb never burnt out while they were testing. it might not have been in that same episode since they return to myths later sometimes but they did do it.
    • Brak710101, on 05/09/2008, -2/+18I've watched them go out right in front of me with constant power, but It is true that the shock of power being applied will cause a failure to happen if a defect exists.
    • MrMil, on 05/09/2008, -19/+4Congratulations Drake, you're a retard.
    • mlawrence, on 05/09/2008, -10/+1I thought everyone knew that's what caused lightbulbs to burn out...
    • curtis87xc03, on 05/09/2008, -0/+8The reason they blow out when you turn them on is because when the filament is cool there is less resistance, so when you turn it on there is extra power for a split second while the filament heats up.
    • zarvensha, on 05/10/2008, -0/+2New from Fox - When Lightbulbs go Bad!

      There I was, reading the newspaper, when the lightbulb jumps out of its socket and...................
    • AustinGoodchild, on 05/10/2008, -0/+2so, DONT TURN IT OFF AND ON AGAIN!
    • buadach, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1Light bulbs blow from mechanical torsion stresses causes by alternating magnetic fields from the sinusoidal supply voltage that treat the filament like a basic electric motor rotating one way then the other 50 - 60 times a second, not from the heat as most people expect. When you switch the light on or off during a peak of the sine wave you can generate very large currents.The more rapid the change in current, the larger the magnetic field, which induces a larger current which twists the filament more so the bulb is much more likely to fail when being switched on or off than in normal operation.
  • enjoyvelvet, on 05/09/2008, -38/+0perhaps your dumb. I've seen many a bulb go out while on
    • BadseedJR, on 05/09/2008, -1/+14Perhaps you're dumb. I've seen many a "reply" link right below every post.
    • muleskinner, on 05/09/2008, -3/+4you sir, are an *****. ***** like you take the fun out of Digg.
      Also, learn to use the reply button genius, its there for a reason.
    • MrMil, on 05/09/2008, -2/+1That's right Velvet!! You let him have it!! ***** a reply button!!

      I am totally on your side!

      Badseed!! You have very poor sentence structure! As for you muleskinner...well...I'm stealing you ***** insult. So there.
  • Shawshanksr, on 05/09/2008, -14/+6its funny how this little bulb has seen more history than more than 99% of the population living today
  • rasbill, on 05/09/2008, -18/+4and has been on digg at least 50 times now (and the news, and pbs, and the newspaper, blah blah blah)
    • Llanowar, on 05/09/2008, -0/+13Yeah, that lightbulb is older than the internet!
    • heliox, on 05/09/2008, -0/+3Proof!!! Show us the links to those.
  • rasbill, on 05/09/2008, -38/+1dude new dilbert cartoons, sweet
    http://ringtales.com/dilbert.html
  • Neticule, on 05/09/2008, -12/+4All I see is a really hot coil, hardly any light at all.

    But yeah 107 years is pretty good for a hot coil too :)
    • smokeymcdank, on 05/09/2008, -2/+13Filmed in the light, yea it may not seem like that much light. Plus, remember that 109 ago there was no color, everything was in sepia so they needed less light. Duh!
    • dafragsta, on 05/09/2008, -1/+2It's also not a soft-white bulb. It's clear. Go look at a clear vanity bulb. they are definitely brighter for sure, but they don't seem quite as bright as a bulb with a frosted tint.
    • CCoe, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1In addition to it being daytime, lets say this light has been starting to dim slowly for 20 years, even 30-40 years. That's close to 60 years of continual brightness. That's fantastic.
  • NaziHatinChimp, on 05/09/2008, -3/+50So why does my modern day light bulb burn out way before that? We are being robbed!
    • dafragsta, on 05/09/2008, -1/+39They don't make ANYTHING like they used to.
    • mlawrence, on 05/09/2008, -4/+14Turning a lightbulb off and on is what causes it to burn out.
      • Evansbee, on 05/09/2008, -4/+2Sorry, that's wrong. Dimmers turn lights on and off at 120 times per second and they INCREASE lamp life (and save energy attractively).
        If you want long lasting bulbs, buy 240V bulbs at 2x the wattage you need in a location and you'll see increased lamp life (at a bit of a cost premium). Bulb-life is a ~13th order function of applied voltage.
        • 10SpeedMike, on 05/11/2008, -0/+0I don't think your statement is completely accurate. I'm pretty sure that the reason dimmers do not diminish life because they do not allow the filament to operate as hot, and they don't allow the filament to endure thermal shock from completely cooling down and heating back up. Dimmers give a consistent RMS temperature over long periods of time. When you flip the switch on a light, the filament is going from room temperature to a few thousand degrees in less than a second, that's a lot of thermal stress. It is my understanding that this is why bulbs frequently go out when you turn them on or off.
    • twrife, on 05/09/2008, -1/+30How do you expect a light bulb making company to make any money if they only sell bulbs once?
      • bulletproofbra, on 05/09/2008, -3/+15Hence: Capitalism destroys us all. Mmm, the thought of landfills overflowing with short-life crap just so some company can stick more money in the bank. Yay western society!
        • Locke23, on 05/09/2008, -4/+4Socialism: 1 Capitalism: 0
          > Norway =)
        • SkinnyPuppy, on 05/10/2008, -4/+1What would you do if you were the light bulb company?
          Support your family by selling light bulbs for life, or sell light bulbs for 1 year and then start over with a new product?
          I don't mean to pick on you, but everyone who pisses about "the man" and capitalism should just go ***** themselves.
        • csm888, on 05/10/2008, -0/+5Step outside your box for a second, he's not suggesting that people need to keep inventing stuff to make money, he's objecting at a much deeper level to the whole capitalist philosophy, something has got to be wrong when the system encourages people to make defective (limited lifespan) products. No one seriously believes that this can be changed by one person making a stand, it takes a large part of a nation to understand the problem before anything will change.
    • th3heretic, on 05/09/2008, -0/+5Not to mention the fact that light bulbs also use much thiner filaments that produce more light than that.
    • Kas70, on 05/09/2008, -0/+3I have a 15 year old microwave (that my kids hate) but I won't get rid of it because it's solid, made of metal, it's compact, and most importantly, it still works as well as when I bought it. I understand that companies want to make money, but some items have ridiculously shoddy materials, or workmanship purposely designed to keep us shelling out the money. If clothes, shoes, sun and eyeglasses, and power tools (to name a random few) all "self-destructed" at the relative rate that pantyhose, batteries, and light bulbs do, we'd freak out.

      In other words, I'm not suggesting that just because the bulb makers could make light bulbs last for a century that they should; I am suggesting that they evidently can and ought to make them more durable.
      • lostpnoiboi, on 05/10/2008, -2/+215yr old microwave? are those the ones that does not have radiation protection?
        • waydee, on 05/10/2008, -0/+2Yeah the dangers of microwave radiation weren't discovered until at least 1999, rite?

    • thomashauk, on 05/10/2008, -1/+7That bulb is 4 watts so if your 100 watt bulb lasts 4 years it has converted more energy than that one has
    • smashingmonkey, on 05/10/2008, -2/+2Planned obsolescence.
    • AngryAngryBrian, on 05/10/2008, -0/+3Another thing to note is that they used a carbon filament. Carbon actually increases in strength as it heats up, where metal weakens. Same reason they use it for rocket engines and high performance brake pads.
    • encumbent, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1Mainly the fact the globe has a high quality vacuum instead of the noble gas in todays globes.. Different filament material too, and way thicker.
    • joerick, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1a vacuum isn't used today because the filament evaporates and deposits itself on the relatively cool glass- that's why this looks all muddy brown.
  • AlwaysAwake, on 05/09/2008, -6/+35If they could do this 107 years ago, GE could do it today, if it didn't threaten their big stockholders, also in the oil business, as well as the bulb business. GE recently announced a 2 times more efficient bulb to come in 2010. Why not now ? Have one 4 times as efficient, and bragging about holding it back from the market.
    • kemp34, on 05/09/2008, -3/+7Yeah, bulbs burning out early gives them a new customer more quickly.
    • dougfunny, on 05/09/2008, -1/+12dude, if there was a better alternative a smaller company would start producing it and the bigger companies would be forced to change
      • Bilabrin, on 05/09/2008, -0/+4Shelved patents my friend. And I'm a Libertarian too so I basically agree w/you but seroisly man, shelved patents.
      • Loonacy, on 05/10/2008, -0/+2Because a smaller company can obviously afford to spend as much in R&D as GE can. Yeah.
        • Bilabrin, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1Big companies cannot adapt nearly as quicly as small ones.
    • Bilabrin, on 05/09/2008, -0/+3That's why shelved patent deniers make me so angry!
    • fluxion, on 05/10/2008, -0/+2scientists have since lost the secret of making perfect vacuums
      • buadach, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1There is no such thing as a perfect vacuum. Due to the quantum nature of energy, particles are continually popping in and out of existence, so no matter how powerful your vacuum pump you can never reduce the density of any space to zero.
    • chono, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1There's a difference between longevity and efficiency. Incandescent bulbs, like the centennial bulb, will always be less efficient than other technologies like florescent bulbs or leds.
    • joerick, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1incandescent bulbs are dead. they're not going to spend any more money on them, with fluorescents now and LEDs developing
  • socoolisme, on 05/09/2008, -15/+2and this has been on the home page 107 times.
    • heliox, on 05/09/2008, -5/+4I've been on your mom 107 times.
      • socoolisme, on 05/09/2008, -7/+1I wasn't making fun of you. I was making fun of the story, you retard.
  • mnemy, on 05/09/2008, -1/+23"Don't make em like they used to"
    • johnny23, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1"there's no money in it"
    • brad3378, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1And that's a good thing.

      Although these old bulbs have a long lifespan (from an enormous filiment) they're also notorious for using a lot of energy despite being relatively dim.
      Assuming this bulb is bulb is rated at 100 watts (to keep the math easy)
      107 years = 937941 hours http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=107+ ...
      937941 * $0.10 per kilowatt hour * 0.1 kilowatts =

      $9379.41 worth of electricity (not adjusted for inflation)
    • buadach, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1Do you really only pay $0.10 per KW hour in the states. In the UK we pay 4 times that amount!
  • nicksargeant, on 05/09/2008, -4/+40What is with all the ***** stupid comments recently...
    • Gregus1032, on 05/09/2008, -9/+2lol wut do u meen?

      Probable cause is people advertising digg on youtube.
    • Surefly, on 05/09/2008, -11/+4They can't all be gold. Go outside and play once in a while.
    • MrMil, on 05/09/2008, -8/+2You tell me.
  • Conwaysb0718, on 05/09/2008, -10/+3Thats pretty cool, considering the new "energy saving" bulbs I bought seem to last half as long as the regular ones...
    • scabbers, on 05/09/2008, -0/+4You have to be a shill, or, you're doing something REALLY wrong.
      • Conwaysb0718, on 05/09/2008, -0/+2nope, bought five packs of eight bulbs of the energy saving lights from Costco. So far 4 of the 12 I used have burnt out.
        • scabbers, on 05/10/2008, -0/+2Are you putting them in enclosures?
        • Conwaysb0718, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1misc fixtures around the house... e.g. on a 3 socketed bathroom light, where all the bulbs were changed at the same time, just one goes out after 6-7 weeks. indoors, outdoors, doesnt matter... maybe i just got some duds or something.
        • Brows, on 05/10/2008, -0/+2you do know that you CANNOT put compact fluorescents on a dimmer right? not even on a 3way switch. it's all or nothing with cfl's or they will fail much quicker or worst EXPLODE, very dangerous on dimmers. Also, cfl's life decrease significantly when being constantly turned on and off.
  • cramming, on 05/09/2008, -6/+16Al Gore does not approve of this non-compact fluorescent light bulb .
  • neocr0n, on 05/09/2008, -1/+119"the company that made it went out of business in 1914" of course it did, it made something that lasts, talk about bad business practices.
    • fumar, on 05/10/2008, -1/+0Give this man one free internet! He wins where you all fail!
  • smoger, on 05/09/2008, -2/+9this lightbulb's manufacturer was the basis for stride chewing gum's business plan
  • roomaustin, on 05/09/2008, -17/+2off topic but I have to say it, ***** THE RIAA!
    • fakekevinrose, on 05/09/2008, -0/+5No, you didn't have to say anything
    • PleaseJustDie, on 05/09/2008, -0/+4Yes, its off topic and No, you don't have to say it.
  • dean888, on 05/09/2008, -2/+42No way I'm clicking on that link! how long would it take to download a 107year long video?!!!
    • Mononuclear, on 05/09/2008, -1/+7depends on the resolution and compression
    • heliox, on 05/09/2008, -0/+9They had video 107 years ago?
      • Locke23, on 05/09/2008, -1/+7yeah.. original footage too
        /sarc
      • Lazydriver, on 05/10/2008, -1/+4And uh, yeah, they did have video 107 years ago... Oldest film's from like 1895 or some *****. The more you know....
  • lorductape, on 05/09/2008, -2/+24"Your operating system is not supported"

    :-
    • alpha88, on 05/09/2008, -1/+9You know what's strange? My operating system (Mac OS X Leopard) isn't supported either. And yet, when I click "Continue Anyway" it works just fine!!! ***** Microsoft and their *****.
      • nebkiwi, on 05/10/2008, -1/+2same. absolutely ridiculous. its discrimination because Microsoft are just jealous of an operating system that actually works. wow i feel like a fanboy..
    • Phate8263, on 05/09/2008, -3/+3Works fine on ubuntu and windows? What are you running? FreeDos?
  • Indrius, on 05/09/2008, -13/+4How I'd love to smash this useless bulb. Just for fun.
  • MrMil, on 05/09/2008, -2/+13Even stranger is the fact that this same story has been on digg for 108 years.

    Weird, huh?
  • Leer, on 05/09/2008, -7/+4I live about 20 steps from that firehouse.

    I barely see people there.
    • bmonet, on 05/09/2008, -0/+2The only buildings that can view it from 20 spaces is the new civic center and the church.
    • DrakeRangoon, on 05/09/2008, -0/+2hey fellow livermoron! did you make it out to the wine festival last weekend?
      • jimbob007, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1I did! I did!
      • kdepa, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1Haha! So did I! Have any of you fellow livermorons actually even seen this in person? I know I havent...
  • tanside, on 05/09/2008, -4/+3So in the not to distant future it may be one of the last burning incandescent bulbs in California.
  • Surefly, on 05/09/2008, -4/+1This is not a popular manufacturing strategy for light bulb companies.
  • thomas, on 05/09/2008, -1/+25They showed this light bulb on the Mythbusters once.
    • danconia, on 05/09/2008, -11/+2Yep and told us it's because the filament is so thick. I have a feeling it's gone out a couple of times though because blackouts happen. Then again maybe the fire department always has backup electricity. What do you guys think?
  • jayselle, on 05/09/2008, -8/+15Buried because the site (MSN Video) doesn't support Safari and prompted a page that said "Your browsers is not supported".
    • alpha88, on 05/09/2008, -1/+4If you click "Continue Anyway" is still works however. Microsoft is full of *****.
    • Whaines, on 05/09/2008, -11/+6But seriously, who uses Safari?
    • Mystfit, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1I get the same message with Web messenger. Means squat really.
    • waydee, on 05/10/2008, -1/+1I wasn't going to digg it but I think I will now, good work MSN.
  • nodehopper, on 05/09/2008, -8/+36Dummies !!!

    It lasted because the filament is thick and inefficient and hardly puts out much light. Modern incandecent bulbs are brighter and more efficient because they have a much thinner filament which glows brighter and is more efficient but doesn't last as long.

    ***** duh.....
    • leoedin, on 05/09/2008, -1/+15Thank you for speaking sense instead of the sensationalist conspiracy drivel that comes out of most of digg.

      Of course, you got buried for it.
    • MrMil, on 05/09/2008, -2/+1Totally.
    • Malchus89, on 05/09/2008, -8/+2I buried you because you couldn't just give the information, you had to attack other people whilst doing it. Not everyone is as enlightened as you, learn the value of patience with stupied people, and you will find that people actually care about what you have to say.
      • baylorbear, on 05/10/2008, -1/+2And I buried you because you used the word whilst like a self-righteous prick.
  • wondertwins, on 05/09/2008, -2/+5This is very old. I saw this on mythbusters. They were testing a myth on different kind of light bulbs.
    • cam0man, on 05/09/2008, -0/+5no ***** it's old, it's 107 years old. Nobody was claiming this to be breaking news...
  • r3s0p, on 05/09/2008, -3/+4107 * 365 * 24 = 937320. Puts the million hour MBTF for hard drives into perspective...lol
  • kurupttek, on 05/09/2008, -8/+2Ok so with if the power goes out in the neighborhood
  • XenoSNK, on 05/09/2008, -7/+2Sounds pricy.
  • Kallius, on 05/09/2008, -4/+4I've stated this before, but in my high school electricity class, one of our projects was to make a desk lamp out of PVC piping. In addition to the wiring and switch, we installed a diode into the lamp (to smooth out small power fluctuations). The bulb is one of those large 4 inch diameter incandescent bulbs. I use the lamp regularly still, with the original bulb, from 25 years ago. As far as I know, the bulb is nothing special.

    But why don't manufacturers put in diodes (pennies added to the cost to manufacture, by the way) into their lamps? Simple: because they are in collusion with the light bulb manufacturers to make you needlessly buy more bulbs.
    • joebaloney, on 05/09/2008, -1/+2Your high school "electricity class"? Okay.
      • dragis101, on 05/09/2008, -1/+425 years ago. Jackass.
      • joebaloney, on 05/13/2008, -0/+125 years ago? So in the middle 80s, which is when I was in high school, there were classes called "electricity class"? Did you go to school in Elbonia?
  • wizzroom, on 05/09/2008, -1/+2Eventually GE and other light bulb manufacturers realized if they made light bulbs last too long, they would go out of business.
    • pcghost, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1I doubt GE's revenue is dominated by the light bulb sales. It just might be the airplane engines or turbines or *fill in the blank*s they make. What doesn't GE manufacture these days?
    • slayerab, on 05/09/2008, -0/+4Well, the company that made this bulb went out of business 13 years after it was made... go figure
  • mlawrence, on 05/09/2008, -8/+10These comments are hurting my head. Doesn't ANYONE know that turning a light bulb off and on is what causes it to burn out? It's not a matter of better quality or you getting intentionally ripped off. That's how it works. Ever notice how it doesn't burn out while on, only when you go to turn it on?
    • moomeep, on 05/09/2008, -2/+1+1. still, i like to turn off my lights at certain times...
    • humbled, on 05/09/2008, -0/+12Inaccurate. The filaments heat up and will eventually fatigue. The initial stress of the current on the bulb is greater than the stress during operation, so that is a frequent point of failure, but it is most definitely possible for incandescent lights to burn out during operation.
    • Kas70, on 05/09/2008, -0/+3Are you suggesting that a modern light bulb, if left burning continuously, will not burn out?
    • MrMil, on 05/09/2008, -1/+7Dear Moron,
      The light fixture in the hallway of my building is not on a switch, the bulb is on 24 hours a day. I change that bulb about every three months.
      Take your pills.
      Sincerely,
      MrMIl
      • Koookie, on 05/10/2008, -0/+2Have you heard of bulbs rated for higher voltages, e.g. 240 v instead of 230 v? You might not need to change it every 3 months.
  • palehorse864, on 05/09/2008, -0/+6And I get grief for leaving a light on for five minutes.
    • Enron, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1Looks like they didn't observe Earth Hour either.
  • judicar, on 05/09/2008, -3/+4"Your browser or operating system is not supported"
    buried
    Also this same stupid light bulb story gets dredged up every couple of months. Wish I could bury it twice.
  • robbob, on 05/09/2008, -1/+8Built when "Made in the USA" meant something
  • RuckusNutz, on 05/09/2008, -1/+6***** MSN Video, what a waste of bandwidth.
  • humbled, on 05/09/2008, -0/+5Dugg down for MSN video crap. Couldn't you just provide a link to the video instead of some search results page?
  • DrakeRangoon, on 05/09/2008, -0/+5I live in Livermore. Supposedly there's a standing rule at the firehouse that if any fireman should accidentally break this bulb, he/she is immediately fired from the force, no pun intended.
    • humpy, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1I live in livermore too, don't you ever just want to go right up to the garage door and shoot that mother ***** out with an airsoft pistol? Me too, im surprised someone hasnt done it
      • PurpleDingo, on 05/10/2008, -0/+4If someone pulled that, I bet a tiny missile would fly out of the lab and spear them in the chest.

        ...hell yeah I want to.
    • PurpleDingo, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1What do you bet that after John Madden tears down the Donut Wheel he buys out station six for ***** and giggles?
    • shakeeb, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1Livermoron's represent, ***** yeah.

      Reppen' that Tri-V
  • Jamihabs, on 05/09/2008, -1/+2What are they going to do when compact fluorescent bulbs become mandatory?
  • alpha88, on 05/09/2008, -2/+5Oh noes. My Operating System and Browser aren't supported! Yet I can view the website and video fine when saying continue anyway.... Curious. Very curious. It's as if Microsoft didn't like Apple or something.
  • FuckXboxx, on 05/09/2008, -3/+8Further proof humanity will never achieve what we're capable of as long as we care about profits.
    • akula89, on 05/10/2008, -0/+2well, it's not like they couldn't sell the everlasting lightbulb for $149.99
    • afruff23, on 05/10/2008, -0/+3I copied nodehopper's comment from above. You are clearly mistaken xboxx.
      "Dummies !!!

      It lasted because the filament is thick and inefficient and hardly puts out much light. Modern incandecent bulbs are brighter and more efficient because they have a much thinner filament which glows brighter and is more efficient but doesn't last as long.

      ***** duh....."
      • FuckXboxx, on 05/10/2008, -3/+1That's because you subscribe to the misconception that electricity is in limited supply. Free energy is all around us...if only those with the most to lose from its popularity wouldn't suppress it..
        • afruff23, on 05/10/2008, -0/+2"That's because you subscribe to the misconception that electricity is in limited supply."
          That "misconception" is the basic laws of physics: conservation of energy. In any case, modern light bulbs are way brighter than old light bulbs.

          I am not denying there are mercantilistic interests present in this world, but in this particular instance, you were proven wrong. The fact that dim, old light bulbs last way longer than super-bright, modern light bulbs is not indicative of a conspiracy.
          • FuckXboxx, on 05/11/2008, -0/+2If the "laws of physics" cannot be bent, explain UFOs. How could any vehicle travel through the universe without any guaranteed access to solar energy, unless the vehicle could actually produce its own energy?

            This light bulb is symbolic of the fact that we can achieve such things, if only because we understand the basic concept. The human mind in combination with free will is literally capable of achieving everything we can imagine.
    • mdramige, on 05/11/2008, -0/+1We would achieve nothing without profits.
  • harreola, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1Was I the only guy that thought the digg picture looked like an arial view of a naked women's lower torso on her knees with some weird writing on her ass?
  • shloopa, on 05/09/2008, -0/+5BigManOnCampus is still an idiot, sources say.
    • jcm267, on 05/09/2008, -1/+2Why is he an idiot? Because you don't know how a generator works?
  • liquisoft, on 05/09/2008, -0/+2***** MSN for not allowing me to view their website in Safari.
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