Kathy Joseph

And so it took until the 1880s before people like Edison said, I think I have a good idea. We're gonna use this kind of generator and we're gonna have light bulbs that aren't very bright, but a whole bunch of them. That was actually Edison's discovery. It wasn't the light bulb.

And so it took until the 1880s before people like Edison said, I think I have a good idea. We're gonna use this kind of generator and we're gonna have light bulbs that aren't very bright, but a whole bunch of them. That was actually Edison's discovery. It wasn't the light bulb.

It was the idea that he could make a whole bunch of light bulbs, not super, super bright and put them in homes and that it would come from a centralized location. So people were always arguing who invented the light bulb. But there was an electric light created by Isaac Newton's assistant in 1609. Like, these things were old. They just weren't industry ready until the 1880s.

It was the idea that he could make a whole bunch of light bulbs, not super, super bright and put them in homes and that it would come from a centralized location. So people were always arguing who invented the light bulb. But there was an electric light created by Isaac Newton's assistant in 1609. Like, these things were old. They just weren't industry ready until the 1880s.

It was the idea that he could make a whole bunch of light bulbs, not super, super bright and put them in homes and that it would come from a centralized location. So people were always arguing who invented the light bulb. But there was an electric light created by Isaac Newton's assistant in 1609. Like, these things were old. They just weren't industry ready until the 1880s.

And even then, it was only very wealthy people would have it.

And even then, it was only very wealthy people would have it.

And even then, it was only very wealthy people would have it.

That is correct. That is because when Edison heard about it, the most powerful generators out there were DC generators. And also, at the time when he first started, there was no advantage to AC, electricity at the time. It was only after he got everything started that someone else said, oh, there's a trick with these two coils of wire, something called a transformer.

That is correct. That is because when Edison heard about it, the most powerful generators out there were DC generators. And also, at the time when he first started, there was no advantage to AC, electricity at the time. It was only after he got everything started that someone else said, oh, there's a trick with these two coils of wire, something called a transformer.

That is correct. That is because when Edison heard about it, the most powerful generators out there were DC generators. And also, at the time when he first started, there was no advantage to AC, electricity at the time. It was only after he got everything started that someone else said, oh, there's a trick with these two coils of wire, something called a transformer.

where we can take alternating current, make it really high voltage and low current and make it go long distances without losing power and then use another transformer to make it safe again. And Edison was like, uh-uh, I have this whole system set up. I don't want to change everything. I don't think that's safe anyway, forget it.

where we can take alternating current, make it really high voltage and low current and make it go long distances without losing power and then use another transformer to make it safe again. And Edison was like, uh-uh, I have this whole system set up. I don't want to change everything. I don't think that's safe anyway, forget it.

where we can take alternating current, make it really high voltage and low current and make it go long distances without losing power and then use another transformer to make it safe again. And Edison was like, uh-uh, I have this whole system set up. I don't want to change everything. I don't think that's safe anyway, forget it.

And then he starts doing some very unpleasant things to promote his idea that AC was unsafe. But none of that was really influential. Everyone at the time who was dealing with electricity thought that the real money was not in electrifying houses, but the real money was in providing electric buses, electric trains for public transportation, because only the very wealthy could afford light bulbs.

And then he starts doing some very unpleasant things to promote his idea that AC was unsafe. But none of that was really influential. Everyone at the time who was dealing with electricity thought that the real money was not in electrifying houses, but the real money was in providing electric buses, electric trains for public transportation, because only the very wealthy could afford light bulbs.

And then he starts doing some very unpleasant things to promote his idea that AC was unsafe. But none of that was really influential. Everyone at the time who was dealing with electricity thought that the real money was not in electrifying houses, but the real money was in providing electric buses, electric trains for public transportation, because only the very wealthy could afford light bulbs.

But many people rode the bus. And it was only when there was this big World's Fair in Chicago that he lit up with electricity that everyone said, oh, we have to have our houses electrified. We have to have our stores electrified. And then suddenly, America became the most electrified country in the world.

But many people rode the bus. And it was only when there was this big World's Fair in Chicago that he lit up with electricity that everyone said, oh, we have to have our houses electrified. We have to have our stores electrified. And then suddenly, America became the most electrified country in the world.

But many people rode the bus. And it was only when there was this big World's Fair in Chicago that he lit up with electricity that everyone said, oh, we have to have our houses electrified. We have to have our stores electrified. And then suddenly, America became the most electrified country in the world.