historys

The history of the invention and evolution of the light bulb bears testimony of the endeavors of many scientists, physicists, and even chemists. The history of light bulbs is as old as two centuries. Sir Humphrey Davy worked out a formulation for the electric arc that resulted in Davy’s miner lamp.

In 1802 he first demonstrated the working of the electric arc using 2 wires, one end of which was attached to a narrow thin piece of charcoal and the other to a battery. In 1820, Warner de la Rue used a coil made of platinum in an empty tube, passed an electric current through the coil and produced the first light bulb. Such a bulb was not commercially feasible, as platinum is a very expensive metal.

Research to find the right kind of filament was being worked out by many scientists. However, it was James Prescott Joule who first propounded that electric current when made to pass through a conductor with high resistance yields thermal energy, which can generate light energy or become luminous. The quest began to find the right filament, which was inexpensive, practical, commercially viable, and not too big. In 1840, Joseph Wilson Swan, an English physicist and chemist, developed the first practical working electric light bulb using a carbonized paper filament in partial vacuum. He patented this incandescent lamp in 1860.

However, this bulb produced fairly dim light, was not long-lasting, and had to be close to the power source. In 1874 he demonstrated an improvised version. However, Thomas Eliot made it commercially feasible in 1875 using similar technology. Eliot worked relentlessly to improve the light bulb. In 1880 he introduced a bamboo fiber filament lamp. With the use of a vacuum pump invented by Herman Spiegel he was successful at creating a complete vacuum inside the lamp chamber. The presence of oxygen was known to oxidize the filament and affected the life of the bulb.

The shape of the glass bulb that was used was originally designed by Henry Woodward and Matthew Evans. During this time scientists were working on a new form of electric arc lamp, the discharge lamp, first by using carbon dioxide inside the bulb and later by inserting a noble gas like argon or krypton. This was done to enhance the efficiency of the light bulb.

In 1901, Peter Copper Hewitt invented a lamp of mercury vapor, which emitted a bright bluish-white light. Later, a brighter sodium vapor lamp was invented. In 1903, Willies Whitney introduced a metal coating for the carbon filament to prevent it from getting charred and burned, and in turn blackening the bulb. In 1906 General Electric introduced the tungsten filament, which had a high melting point.

Although Eliot was aware of this metal and its use, there was no machinery to develop it during his time. In 1910 another engineer from General Electric, William David Coolidge, invented a tungsten filament with a longer life. The 1920s saw the invention of frosted light bulbs, which were used for cars and neon lights. In 1930, photographic flash bulbs and fluorescent bulbs were invented. The 1940s saw the invention of soft incandescent light bulbs and the 1950s saw the invention of quartz glass that was later used in halogen bulbs. The 1960s and 1970s paved the way for metal halide lamps, ellipsoid reflectors and mirrors, which were used to produce brighter lamps. In 1990 the Philips company invented a 60,000-hour bulb with magnetic induction, and later it also introduced the full-spectrum light bulb.

In modern times, scientists are working around the clock to develop more-energy efficient, power-saving and environmentally friendly bulbs.

Light Bulbs provides detailed information on Light Bulb, Halogen Light Bulb, Fluorescent Light Bulb, History of the Light Bulb and more. Light Bulbs is affiliated with Light Fixtures.

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Long before the advent of a written history, the elders of ancient civilisations used stories to teach the new generation. The lessons might have related to the values of the society, their particular version of how they came to be, their purpose on the earth, or methods of obtaining food or a spouse.

The most well known of the ancient stories were the civilisation’s particular version of how Earth came into existence and how they came to be here on earth. These are known as the great Creation Stories. Every civilisation had an explanation for what the Earth sun, moon and stars were, along with more intricate details of the place of fire, water, animals and humans in the ecosystem.

The Creation Stories of various civilisations include the Stories from Genesis in the Bible (the writer here makes no value judgement on the veracity of the account in Genesis, merely acknowledging it was part of Jewish oral history before the actual writing of the Bible), to the Dreamtime of the Australian Aborigines, along with the whole gamut in between. These two examples are used as “bookends” because the Stories in Genesis have been printed and distributed more than any other literary work, whereas much of the Australian Aboriginal account has yet to be even collated in one place, let alone set down in writing.

Over time, the stories were written down for ease of teaching. During this period, the Bible Stories, Aesop’s Fables, Homer’s Epics the Iliad and the Odyssey, along with countless other classics were recorded on stone, paper, papyrus or some similar form.

As literacy became more prevalent and written works were used for teaching purposes to a greater extent, the long, detailed stories were stripped of their emotional content and reduced to their bare essence. For example, the Seven Days of Creation in Genesis was reduced to what is now known as “the Big Bang Theory”. People slowly turned away from the richness of meaning behind the Creation Stories from each civilisation and sought after clear and concise explanations for the same questions.

Inevitably, the time came when history “textbooks” were written. Often these give merely the facts of a time, place or period. It was about this time that a clear separation between “stories” and “facts” emerged.

In the era when Voltaire and Rousseau were loudly proclaiming the supremacy of Reason and their theories regarding the absolute importance of being able to prove something for it to be real, the Grimm brothers and Hans Christian Anderson were quietly spinning their “Fairy Tales”, which were often so fantastic that they stretched the bounds of believability.

Nevertheless, what child has not heard the story of the Frog Prince, Beauty and the Beast, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, the Lion and the Mouse, or the tale of Snow White? What adult would not prefer to listen to a fairy tale or a fable over a list of bare facts teaching the same message.

Essentially, what we often associate as “history” is merely the moral of the story. It is the message that if you habitually lie, you will not be believed when you do tell the truth. Would you prefer to here an explanation of that line, or hear the story about the Boy who Cried Wolf?

To summarise, one cannot separate facts from stories. Stories have been used for millennia to teach the new generation. The next time you read a fact, realise that there is a story behind it. Indeed without the story, there would be no fact as the fact is the essence of the story. You be the judge of the importance of stories.

Mike holds a Bachelor of History from the University of Notre Dame. If you are looking for Aesop’s Fables see AesopResources.com

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Recently I have been hearing the news about the wars going on, in and around Jerusalem. There is talk of mass destruction and people are wondering if we will be totally enialated. God makes it no secret that after the second coming of Christ, the world will be destroyed by fire instead of water again. But for those of us who are born again will not experience this horrendous act of destruction. By the grace of God we will have been given our one way ticket into His glory when Christ returns for His bride. But for anyone who hasn’t accepted Christ as their Savior will live through the worst seven years upon this earth, the Tribulation. Just as God gave His invitation to Noah and his family to be saved from destruction by entering the ark, He is extending His invitation to everyone today to enter into another ark of safety, this ark is Christ the Messiah. It’s only through Him will people escape the final judgement when God destroys this world as we know it with a fire hotter than hell itself.

Upon studying and teaching God’s Word, I am beginning to see how He ties it all together and how every account of recorded Biblical history was an event that leads to Christ, the fullfillment of God’s truth which is eternal salvation by being saved through grace. This is a revelation that God laid upon my heart and I thought it worth sharing.

In Matthew the 24th chapter, Jesus is telling His disciples about the events that will first take place before His second coming. His first warning was this: “Be careful that no one misleads you [deceiving you and leading you into error].” Matt. 24:4

This made me think of the author of the ‘Da Vinci Code’, Dan Brown. It has caused such a stir among Christians and non-Christians alike. The sad thing about this book is that even though it’s full of false claims, a weak follower of Christ will not be able to decipher the lies, and a non follower will be eager and willing to believe it. This book alone will be responsible for drawing people away from the Gospel of Truth. Satan’s plan to keep people in the dark is working, for now. Satan is leading people into error and being deceptive. I pray you are not among them.

Then Christ said we will hear of wars and rumors of them, but not to be frightened because these things must take place first. Nations will be against nations. (Mt. 24:6) Sound familiar? There certainly is all of that going on right now. And if you read Ezekial 38 and Isaiah 61, these wars all involve Israel, which seems to be the major headlines in today’s news. God reveals in these chapters just how it’s going to end up. I wouldn’t want to give away the plot, but Israel wins because of God’s favor for His people. Sadly though, this will not stop other countries from trying.

And in Mt. 24:7 Jesus talks about famines and earthquakes. All of these are a result of people’s disregard for fellow human beings through a sinful nature, which brings me to this point.

“As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For just as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, [men] marrying and [women] being given in marriage, until the very day when Noah went into the ark. And they did not know or understand until the flood came and swept them all away-so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” Mt. 24:37-39

What were the days of Noah like that Jesus should compare the last days to them? It’s recorded in Genesis 6 that God saw the wickedness of men, which included every imagination and intention of all human thinking and it got progressively worse. God saw how degenerate, debased and vicious it was. All humanity was corrupt and they had lost their true direction. It was at this point that He was sorry that He ever created man. Doesn’t this make you think how He must feel today? But Noah won favor with God and from him, the world continued…but still repeating history of every wicked imagination. This time God has it all under control through Jesus Christ. People are still wicked in every conceivable way, only this time, He is giving everyone, not just a select few the chance to come aboard the “Ark” of safety.

Today people are going about doing their “own thing” and they aren’t understanding the seriousness of it. They are anxious and easily led astray by false doctrines such as the Da Vinci Code. Are you beginning to see now?

Here’s the revelation that God showed me, it was the object of the ark. In the Old Testament God’s Spirit was contained in the Ark of the Covenant. The Bible says that after the flood had destroyed every living creature and had receeded, He smelled the pleasing odor [a scent of satisfaction to His heart] and said He would never again curse the ground because of man’s evil ways. He blessed Noah and his sons and made a covenant with them that He would never destroy the earth with water. Noah’s ark is a law of ‘first mention’ regarding the safety of being in Christ. He carries us through every tribulation, when the waters of life try to take us under. The Ark of the Covenant was God’s promise to His people that He was with them. Today, Christ is that ark. His death and resurrection left a pleasant odor of satisfaction unto the Lord. It was the ultimate sacrifice. God now gives us all the choice to enter into the safety of “The Ark” through Christ, we all have God’s promise of eternal salvation should we choose to step inside.

Just as we will never have to experience destruction by floods, neither shall we have to worry about destruction by fire the next time. But Jesus also gave another warning. Although no one knows the time or day of His return, He does say that we will be able to see the signs. He is telling us to be ready. Are you prepared?

“So also when you see these signs, all taken together, coming to pass, you may know of a surety that He is near, at the very doors.” Mt. 24:33

If we know for sure that all this is still to come, wouldn’t it be wise to be ready, unlike the people of Noah’s time? When God makes a promise, He can not break it. Are you willing to take that chance? If you haven’t received Christ as your Savior, your Ark of safety, you still have time, but for how long? God only knows.

The gospel is bad news to those who reject it…and wonderful news to those who receive it.

Vivian Gordon writes inspirational and spiritual articles
in which to help strengthen the Believer’s walk in Christ.
They are often taken from today’s point of view and
used in conjunction with what God says about certain
situations and how we are to handle them. There is
always an answer for every problem. These articles are
not all about asking God “why?” but in finding the
answers.

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