http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/18610
Buzz up!on Yahoo!Hanging about 18 feet high in the engine bay of a
Livermore, California firehouse, a humble, low-watt light bulb has
been burning almost continuously since 1901. Take that, halogen!
The Los Angeles Times (via Boing Boing) recently ran a story on the
remarkably resilient Centennial Bulb=97a four-watt, curlicue carbon-
filament lightbulb that, give or take a few brief interludes, has been
burning for 24 hours a day, seven days a week for more than a century.
The bulb has become something of a lucky charm for Livermore
firefighters, who (according to the LA Times story) won't even dust
off the bulb for fear of damaging it.
Indeed, when the department moved to a new fire station in 1976,
firefighters decided to cut the power cord rather than unscrew the
fragile bulb from its socket. A motorcade of fire trucks then
accompanied the Centennial Bulb (which, according to Wikipedia, was
only off for about 10 minutes during the short journey) to its new
home, where it's been burning continuously ever since.
What's the secret to the Centennial Bulb's longevity? As the LA Times
story notes, there are many theories. One former firefighter thinks
it's because the bulb, made by the long-defunct Shelby Electric Co.,
****nes in a cool-burning vacuum thanks to a perfect seal. Others chalk
it up to the fact that the bulb has almost never been turned off.
In any case, the Centennial Bulb has been drawing curiosity-seekers
and news stories (including, of course, this one) since 1972, and the
bulb even has its own Web site=97which, unfortunately, appears to be
down for now (probably due to a burst of traffic).
Check out the LA Times Web site for the full story, including many
more details on the bulb's storied history.
So, any theories on why the Centennial Bulb has been burning for so
long?
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