the lightbulb
Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2007 1:22 am
It is a little known fact that Edward Madison is the one who invented the electric light bulb. Edward or Eddie as he was known to his immediate family, spent many hours in his electric lab trying all sorts of materials for the filaments of the bulb. Finally, Eddie's old friend, Franklin Benjamin suggested he use goat hair as the filament. This in itself was not a good suggestion since goat hair burned and smelled like old goats. The suggestion, though, got Eddie to think about using natural fibers for filaments such as asbestos and polyurethane. Eventually, Eddie would settle on copper, brass, tin and rin tin tin filaments creating what we know today as: light.
When Eddie was young, he experimented on other kid's hair, often setting it on fire. He was given the name Little Pyro, then Pyro Eddie by one of his classmates as he continued lighting up his soon to be ex-friends' hair. Pyro Eddie was brought to the Principal's office many times for this behavior and told to stop lighting other kids on fire. Eddie acquiesced and instead started lighting the neighborhood pets on fire.
When Eddie's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Madison caught wind of this, they grounded Eddie for a year. He was not seen beyond the walls of his house during this time. Fortunately for Eddie, this gave him ample time to set other things on fire like his little sister, the curtains, the carpeting and his parents' temper.
Eventually, Eddie grew out of this penchant for setting people, places and things on fire and returned to school to the chagrin of his dubious classmates. With time, Eddie started to fit in and lost the nickname Pyro Eddie, which was replaced by Ed Madision, then shortened to Edison.
Well, little Edison liked his new name, but when he finally came of age, he decided he would keep this nickname and legally change his name so that he would have a first name. A first cousin, whom Edison respected immensely, suggested he take on the name Thomas Alva. But what is Alva, he thought? Is this short for Alvatross, the bad luck bird? No, he rejected this suggestion and decided to call himself Madison Edison or Maddy for short. So, Maddy Edison invented the electric light bulb and anyone who disagrees with this historical interpretation of the facts is simply wrong.
When Eddie was young, he experimented on other kid's hair, often setting it on fire. He was given the name Little Pyro, then Pyro Eddie by one of his classmates as he continued lighting up his soon to be ex-friends' hair. Pyro Eddie was brought to the Principal's office many times for this behavior and told to stop lighting other kids on fire. Eddie acquiesced and instead started lighting the neighborhood pets on fire.
When Eddie's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Madison caught wind of this, they grounded Eddie for a year. He was not seen beyond the walls of his house during this time. Fortunately for Eddie, this gave him ample time to set other things on fire like his little sister, the curtains, the carpeting and his parents' temper.
Eventually, Eddie grew out of this penchant for setting people, places and things on fire and returned to school to the chagrin of his dubious classmates. With time, Eddie started to fit in and lost the nickname Pyro Eddie, which was replaced by Ed Madision, then shortened to Edison.
Well, little Edison liked his new name, but when he finally came of age, he decided he would keep this nickname and legally change his name so that he would have a first name. A first cousin, whom Edison respected immensely, suggested he take on the name Thomas Alva. But what is Alva, he thought? Is this short for Alvatross, the bad luck bird? No, he rejected this suggestion and decided to call himself Madison Edison or Maddy for short. So, Maddy Edison invented the electric light bulb and anyone who disagrees with this historical interpretation of the facts is simply wrong.