7 Things Invented by Thomas Edison Genius

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7 Things Invented by Thomas Edison Genius

Do you have any idea of how many things you see around you are either completely attributable to, or are thanks to things invented by Thomas Edison? This prolific inventor has had a major influence on the world around us and his 1,093 patents allowed other inventors to progress their ideas too. So many electrical items came about because of a small idea manifested into reality by Edison. Check out and be in awe of the things invented by Thomas Edison.

1 The Phonograph (1877)

This was one of the first things invented by Thomas Edison and it helped him to set up his business. He invested his money into a lot of ventures in his lifetime, such as coal and that of his other inventions. But, his success started with this device that was said to have been inspired by singing clay bowls, where clay being spun into pots somehow recorded the background noise of the workshops.

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2 The Carbon Microphone (1877-78)

The microphone was one of the things that Thomas Edison did not have much faith in. He did not see it as a big seller, and it was his staff that made it famous. It also became part of the telephone, which is another invention that took a long time to take off. But eventually, both devices became very popular and today, indispensable.

3 Ear Tubes (1878-91)

This is one of the things invented by Thomas Edison that never really took off in the form he made them. Essentially he was trying to invent headphones so that people could hear sounds through speakers attached to their heads. The term “ear tubes” was what he called these inventions in the late 1880s when he was trying to add talking to silent movies.

4 The Incandescent Light Bulb (1879)

This is one of the things invented by Thomas Edison that everybody seems to know, although there seems to be this mistaken belief that he discovered electricity when he did not. It was no easy task, as he had over 3000 failed attempts before finding the right mixture of ingredients needed to create artificial light. He was not the first person to try and do it, so again, mistakenly people attribute the invention of the light bulb to him, but he was the first person who did it with both a light that did not quickly burn out, or a light that did not need to be fed ingredients other than electricity. Artificial light could be practically reproduced.

5 The Brockton Breakthrough (1883)

This is one of the most amazing Thomas Edison inventions. He created and invented the world’s first electric power plant. It was called a three wire electric plant and he built it to power the small town called Brockton. He was showing people how electricity was safer than gas power, and was showing the world how light bulbs could be used every day in normal settings on a regular basis. He showed people that there was a choice between gas and electricity.

6 The Kinetoscope, Kinetograph and Kinetophone (1888-1890s)

The first Kineoscope was invented by William Dickson, and then the idea was progressed by Edison. Moving pictures were not a new thing, but this is as advanced as the technology had come in a very long time. The Kinetophone was another way in which Edison tried to add sound to the movies he had created. His devices to make movies were then improved upon over time in order to get what we have today. But, it did take a long time to get this far.

7 Nickel-iron Batteries (1901)

Lead-acid batteries were dangerous to humans and the local surroundings, but before gas and steam powered vehicles were created, people were using electric cars. The Nickel-Iron batteries were safer, they took less time to charge, and they were better for the local environment. They are one of the more productive and easily marketable things that Edison invented. The light bulb took a lot longer to make an impact on the market than his batteries did, as the batteries were simply replacing something that was already on the market. He replaced an outdated and dangerous product with a less dangerous and more efficient product.

These are some of the big things invented by Thomas Edison but all of his little things are also used in modern telecommunications, sound recording and movie making. He invented seemingly minor things like alternators and resistors but without these many of our modern gadgets wouldn’t work today. Are you in awe of Thomas Edison?

Sources: en.wikipedia.org, inventors.about.com, inventors.about.com

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