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Edison’s Bright Idea
“Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.”
—Thomas Edison
In 1878, when Thomas Edison announced that he would have a working small electric light “in a matter of weeks,” gas stocks plummeted. Riding on his already legendary reputation, Edison raised money, organized the Edison Electric Light Company, and set out to invent the electric light. The trick was simply to find the correct element for the light filament. Thousands of materials were tested, but none lasted beyond a few seconds. After months of failure, Edison hired a physics expert named Francis Upton. With Upton’s help, experimentation focused on a platinum filament, which showed some promise. It was now 1879. Work began early each morning, and Edison spent most of the day flitting from workbench to workbench observing the trials. At night he played songs at his pipe organ while he mulled over the day’s findings in his mind. By mid-1879 it was clear that the platinum lamp would not work.
In October 1879, Upton and Edison’s assistant Charles Bachelor began researching carbon. They devised a lamp with a short carbonized thread in a vacuum. Beginning on October 21, 1879, the carbonized lamp remained lit for 40 hours. The process had been messy, discouraging, and very non-romantic, but success was finally achieved. Edison believed the electric light could be produced. He placed his reputation on the line and endured more than a thousand failures before seeing that first successful lamp.
Consider This: If you have a good idea, work toward its completion. The road may be difficult and discouraging, but the success will be sweet.
Submitted by Richard
“Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.”
—Thomas Edison
In 1878, when Thomas Edison announced that he would have a working small electric light “in a matter of weeks,” gas stocks plummeted. Riding on his already legendary reputation, Edison raised money, organized the Edison Electric Light Company, and set out to invent the electric light. The trick was simply to find the correct element for the light filament. Thousands of materials were tested, but none lasted beyond a few seconds. After months of failure, Edison hired a physics expert named Francis Upton. With Upton’s help, experimentation focused on a platinum filament, which showed some promise. It was now 1879. Work began early each morning, and Edison spent most of the day flitting from workbench to workbench observing the trials. At night he played songs at his pipe organ while he mulled over the day’s findings in his mind. By mid-1879 it was clear that the platinum lamp would not work.
In October 1879, Upton and Edison’s assistant Charles Bachelor began researching carbon. They devised a lamp with a short carbonized thread in a vacuum. Beginning on October 21, 1879, the carbonized lamp remained lit for 40 hours. The process had been messy, discouraging, and very non-romantic, but success was finally achieved. Edison believed the electric light could be produced. He placed his reputation on the line and endured more than a thousand failures before seeing that first successful lamp.
Consider This: If you have a good idea, work toward its completion. The road may be difficult and discouraging, but the success will be sweet.
Submitted by Richard
