The Long-Lived Lightbulb of Livermore

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. Long, long ago, probably the late 1890s, in a lightbulb factory far, far away, our lightbulb was born, manufactured by Shelby Electric Co. of Shelby, OH. Our lightbulb is a little bigger than your average modern lightbulb, with a hand-blown glass bulb and a squiggly filament. What was the filament made of? Tungsten Carbon Platinum Metal-coated carbon

2. In 1901, the lightbulb was first installed in a Livermore fire station. The lightbulb's job was to keep firemen from having to fumble with the wicks of kerosene lanterns as they were responding to calls. What was different about fire engines and fire equipment back then? Fire fighters pushed the engines by hand. Fire engines were heavily modified versions of Model T Fords. Fire engines did not yet exist-- firemen were expected to use buckets of water. Fire engines were drawn by horses.

3. Our lightbulb did not always receive the special treatment that it does today. Firemen returning from war in the 1940s and 1950s would swat the bulb for good luck! Which wars would they have been returning from? Only World War II World War I and World War II World War II and the Korean War The Korean War and Vietnam

4. By the 1960s and 1970s, returning veterans and the next generation found a slightly gentler use for the lightbulb - they used it as a target for Nerf basketball practice. True False

5. In 1972, a newspaper reporter looked into the history of the bulb, interviewing old-timers and checking records. Which other compendium of amazing facts also researched and confirmed the bulb's longevity? Weekly World News NASA Ripley's Believe-It-Or-Not The National Enquirer

6. In July 1976, the Long Lived Lightbulb of Livermore was transported from the old Fire Department headquarters to the new Station No. 6. What was true about this two-mile excursion? The bulb was out a mere 22 minutes, one of the few times it had been off since its installation in 1901. Both of these are true. The bulb was given a police escort, with lights flashing and sirens blaring. Neither of these are true. Get out! This is ridiculous!

7. There are other light bulb Methuselahs in this world, with light, er, life spans which would qualify them for the AARP. Where else could you see one of these light bulb senior citizens? All of these places A certain fire station in Mangum, OK The Stockyards Museum, Fort Worth, TX A certain hardware store in New York City

8. Old lightbulbs can be big business. In December 2006, Christie's in London put up for auction a long-lost box of 23 lightbulbs which were used as evidence in a crucial patent infringement suit which Thomas Edison won. What was the highest bid for these lightbulbs? 75 pounds 100 million pounds 95,000 pounds 20 pounds

9. In an effort to cast the light of the Long Lived Lightbulb of Livermore over the whole world, the folks at Station No. 6 set up a lightbulb webcam. Unlike the lightbulb, this webcam was short-lived. What happened? The firefighters now used the webcam for swats and Nerf practice. Livermore citizens found this use of tax dollars scandalous! The webcam died after three years. Oh, the irony! After six months, the webcam still had no hits, so they dismantled it.

10. The Long Lived Lightbulb of Livermore in Station No. 6, will always be a point of pride for the firefighters who work there. What will the long-glowing lightbulb always symbolize to them? The ever-present risk of fire from outdated electrical equipment. The undying fires that burned in every Greek and Roman temple. That there are some extra-persnickety fires that no-one can ever put out. How firefighters are always on duty, always ready to come to the rescue.