Real answers · The family’s gifts to the world
Did light bulb makers really cap bulb life?
The real answer
Yes. At a meeting in Geneva on December 23, 1924, the world’s leading light bulb makers formed a cartel that by early 1925 had set the life of a household bulb at 1,000 hours, down from the 1,500 to 2,000 hours then common, and fined a factory whose bulbs lasted longer or shorter than the rule. Its members called it a trade-off for brighter, more efficient bulbs (IEEE Spectrum, 2014).
The house’s version
Observe: the light bulb, our bright idea. In 1924 the family met its friends in Geneva, and soon a bulb lasted 1,000 hours. Any of us whose bulbs lasted longer paid a fine. You have been buying bulbs ever since. We called it quality.
A parody, from Donate now.
For your convenience: a man in a bright shirt explains what we would rather not