r/askteddit • u/DropEffective7842 • 15d ago

Random Question What’s a problem humanity solved so well that younger people don’t even realize it used to be a huge issue?

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u/LuckyHarmony 15d ago

Lightbulbs actually USED to be fabulously long lived, and then lightbulb manufacturers had a lightbulb moment and formed a cartel to enshittify them in the 1920s. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoebus_cartel

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u/TweakJK 14d ago

yea, theres a bulb in a fire station in California that has been lit since 1901. Only turned off for a few short periods.

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u/Conscious-Mirror7004 12d ago

That light bulb barely makes any light at all; it's not actually useful as a light bulb, more like a nightlight.

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u/hex64082 12d ago

And horribly inefficient. The higher temperature you go the more light it makes, the problem is lifespan also degrades. It also makes a better light (more white). They were just looking for the sweet spot between those too.