Amanda Young

Imagine a world where there are no lights. Imagine that when the sun went
down, sometimes as early as 4 oclock, our day was over. Not too long ago this was the
case unless somebody had a lantern that they had to lug everywhere they went. The
electric light bulb is something that we all take for granted. Being able to work past dark
is a luxury that is new to humanity. Having light through all 24 hours of a day has
changed how humans live dramatically, and probably more than we realize.
Before the invention of the electric light bulb people typically just used fire. There
were a few options for light. For example oil lamps could be used, as could candles or
torches. Oil lamps lit up an area fairly well, but they left a residue of soot wherever they
were used. Torches and candles did not leave as bad of a residue but it took many to
light up an area. Gas lighting was also common, however it was expensive and
unreliable. While these ways of lighting did the trick, they were not as easy as just
flipping a switch. Oil lamps had to be refilled and candles may go out. Also, people had
to light them any time that they wanted to start using the torch, candle, or oil lamp.
These also all involve an open flame which can be very dangerous. In the medieval
ages people would be required to stay in their houses as a safety concern because it
was so dark outside. Of course there were no streetlights, so villages were completely
dark and only had a volunteer night watch to guard the village. Many people did not
mind staying inside at night anyway. Without any light one would often trip over tree
trunks, piles of wood and other natural and manmade obstacles. Also, there were many
thieves outside waiting to attack somebody outside (Independent). Not having electric
light made life difficult and dangerous.

In 1835 the first constant electric light was created. The following 40 years
scientists everywhere worked on creating a better incandescent lamp. Over those
years they were working to figure out how they could make the best filament. They
experimented with lightbulbs with a vacuum or an inert gas to see which would make
the filament last the longest. Most of the bulbs in these times had very short life spans,
were very expensive, or used too much energy (Energy.gov).
Light really gained its popularity in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Power grids
began to expand and most people living in big cities or in larger suburban areas had
electricity in 1930. However, even by 1930, most people living in rural areas did not
have electricity. When light first became popular, not many people had access to it. It
was only available in cities at first. In fact, one of the first power plant was opened in
Lower Manhattan, New York City (Newswatch Times). In At Home by Bill Bryson, he
talks about how when electric light first came out it was kind of dangerous. Many fires
were caused because of wiring or light malfunctions. People also just didnt have much
experience with them so people wiring the lights may not have been doing so very
safely either.
Having electric light made the world much safer. First of all, people could see
where they were going. We all have been walking around at night outside with no lights
on and tripped over a root or something we put down during the day. This is what it was
like for anybody walking around at night before light. It also made it safer to be walking
around. People could see any other people who were near them and could watch for
potential threats. Electric light not only made towns and cities brighter, it made them
safer.

Light has become such a necessity to our lives now that we cant function without
it. Even if we lose power for two hours people start to go crazy and don't know what to
do. We have become a society that cannot function without electricity or electric light.
Some scientists say that our sleep cycles have changed as well. The way that our
ancestors used to sleep would be they would fall asleep for four or five hours, wake up
very calm and relaxed for about an hour, then sleep for another four or five hours.
Some scientists say that this is the best way to sleep. Not to mention that these people
are getting about eleven hours of sleep which is very rare these days (Newswatch
Times).
Now with light, people stay up until midnight or later and then wake up at five in
the morning and head to work. There is no way that this can be healthy considering
that that is half the amount of sleep that our ancestors were getting. Some people also
say that that light pollution makes it difficult for them to sleep. For most of humanity
when we would go to sleep it was completely dark out with the only light coming from
the moon. Now light could be coming in your windows from your neighbor having a
floodlight on outside, a streetlight, or if somebody lives in the city just all the building
lights.
Electric light not only changed our sleep patterns it also changed the working
world. Having light all the time allowed for factories and other employers to have
multiple shifts and stay open and working all night. Because of this factories were able
to produce much more than they ever could with just sunlight. This created the concept
of the city that never sleeps. By not having to rely on the sun for light, some building
began to have fewer windows as well which increased energy efficiency. Windows are

a heat sink, meaning that they are a spot where warm air escapes and cold air enters.
Since windows are not insulated the heat tends to escape through them more than
walls. Electricity also helped people because it was a much cheaper and more reliable
source than gas. Electricity revolutionized the world, allowing for better production and
saving money on both heat and light.
Electric light is something that most people Americans today could not imagine
life without because it has been available since the day that we were born. We get a
glimpse at what life lighted by candles or lanterns would be like when the power goes
out but then right when we hear all of the electronics beep because power has been
restored we all run and turn on the lights, tv, and all our other electronics. Many of us
even have generators, to prevent being off the grid at all. Most people would agree
that electric light changed the world for the better since it was cheaper and more
reliable. It also allowed for people to be able to work even at night or on a very dark,
cloudy day. Next time you flip turn the lights on, think of all the work that went on to
allow the lights to turn on.

Works Cited
Bryson, Bill. At Home: A Short History of Private Life. New York: Doubleday, 2010. Print.
Energy Illuminated. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2016.
"How Light Bulb Changed Our Lives | Newswatch Times." Newswatch Times. N.p., 15 June
2013. Web. 24 Jan. 2016.
The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2016.
"The History of the Light Bulb." Energy.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2016.