How a Fishing Trip Helped Edison Invent the Lightbulb
At the heart of the story is a fishing trip that changed history. While most people think Edison simply worked tirelessly in his laboratory, the truth is far more interesting. A day spent fishing gave Edison the key insight he needed to find the perfect filament — the tiny thread inside the bulb that makes it actually work. It’s the kind of story that reminds us that great inventors keep their eyes open everywhere, not just in the lab.
But this episode has a second story that students love even more. Edison and his son had a fishing contest — and what happened during that contest reveals the kind of man Edison really was. Warm, competitive, curious, and endlessly creative even when he wasn’t working.

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That was really cool to watch
Catching fish with a fly
The light up cube test in the beginning was so cool!
I never heard the stories of Edison loving to fish and how it helped him with inventing.
Oooo fishinggg
wow! who would have thought fishing could be related to a lightbulb!!
i loved this Science Live!
I want to go fishing now!
It’s so cool to watch how Edison made the light bulb by such successful problems and courses through the journey.
This Science video was very interesting, and fun to watch.
This was a great Live, thank you!
She have a dark side. GO GIRL!
that’s insane how common household items get invented by one idea
I love fishing
I enjoy fishing and hearing this information about it!
Innovation is truly anywhere.
Very interesting. Didn’t know science and fishing were related.
Love this one
Never thought to use a magnet on a wire to move electricity.
This episode is so interesting
Another great Science Live !
I like to fish alot.
I like Science Live!
This one was really cool
I think Newton’s cradles are so satisfying!
I love fishing I cannot believe how much science is in it
I LOVE SCIENCE LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!
We own an Edison Diamond Disc phonograph 1915 official laboratory model. Very cool . He was such a prolific inventor.
I always thought fishing was boring, this is interesting
Science live is so cool.
I didnt realized this was science too
I just went fishing with my brother.
“GONE FISHING” LOL
Its amazing how nature and science go together
Good science live.
I would like to try to fish.
This is so cool!
I didn’t know fishing and science could go together
I use lures when I fish, But I mostly use baits.
Fishing is one of my favorite things to do
I love science life!
This was so interesting I didn’t know fishing was science
I miss fishing- its almost warm enough to fish again here
This was fun to learn about, i want to go fishing now.
This was a super cool way to think about Edison!
love thisssss!!
Amazing cube!
I like fishing and lightbulbs
Fishing is science, more reasons to enjoy fishing. Now if I can get credits for fishing even better, thanks Edison!
i love fishing toooo
never thought that it would have involved fishing
Thank you!
So amazing! Fishing is such a fun hobby!
thank you for the live
I love fishing, its so relaxing.
Very interesting!!
i find inventors realy cool
That’s so cool
I like fishing my dad takes me alot
How to catch a fish with a fly
That is cool. I love fishing
I like to fish with my dad. I will have to tell him what I learned.
My brother has one of the moving metal ball toys. It is fun to watch.
I know it is so satifing!
I like to fish alot. I did not realize it was science.
I enjoy fishing so this was an interesting video for me.
I loved that you humanized Edison with fishing and family. Who would have thought bamboo!! I love fishing!!
I love fishing!
When you invent do you work on one thing at a time or multiple, as it seems one needs to be patient with the trouble shooting all the little issues?
I love to fish. This was interesting to me.
Very interesting video! I didn’t know fishing connected with science.
I hope you catch a fish using an artificial fly!
Love fishing so this was fun to learn.
maybe I should start going fishing and see if I can come up with a great invention lol
Totally
What type of programming does the cube from the beginning use.
It is amazing how anything you do can spark creativity. So thankful for Edison’s creativity!
Great episode! That fish story was hilarious !
Funny to think about Edison fishing, doing normal every day things.
Fishing is always good.
Our world would be so different without this invention.
Nice demonstration of transfer of energy.
hello from chicago
The fish story is cool.
How to catch a fish with supplies
I love to go fishing with my dad. Weird how fishing and science go together.
Fishing can be very fun. Its not a surprise Edison had one!
This is so cool!
This is so interesting!
Its hard to imagine a world without power or light
I never knew that a fishing trip would cause Edison to create the lightbulb!
How to go fishing with a fly
This science live was pretty fascinating.
science live is fun.
Austin, IL
very cool lightbulb story.
I wonder how led bulbs last longer than regular ones.
I like the Newton’s cradle
I love science live🩷💙
Really enlghtening video
This is a great story!!!
Good episode!
this was so cool
This was a very interesting video!
I have the AI mars EX cube, it is really cool that the sides turn themselves
Fascinating! Thanks for another great video!
there were light bulbs before edisons
hi love this one
I did not know that it helped the light bulb be invented.
I liked this video
I LOVED IT
mila from TX
I love fishing so this really interests me
woahhhhh
the light bulb
Determination and continuously trying will almost always end with you catching the fish you want.
Edison is someone I want to learn more about thank you!
I never knew this about the light bulb!
I wish David and Calab was in this science live.☹️
Fishing looks really fun!
Can’t wait to tell my Fisherman dad about this ; D
I love science live
I think its so cool that Edison liked to fish and he came up with the idea about the light buld. Fishing is so fun!
Such a cool story!
I never in my life would have thought a fishing trip could spark something amazing and important . Great news.
Love to fish!
love the light bulb story
Great information!
Is the Newton’s Cradle a toy??
I really liked the light bulb story
I love fishing!
That’s so neat!!
I admire how Thomas Edison worked so hard and didn’t give up.
Me and my dad loves fishing
Knew Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb..but was very interesting to learn he did it with bamboo by fishing! That was very cool!!
It was cool to learn how fishing helped to create one of the greatest inventions of mankind.
Wow I’ve never seen those original lightbulb photos! so cool! Also i love fishing!
I never knew that fishing helped in that way! so cool and i love fishing!
I love the intelligence testing robot.
I still love these and I always will
I knew that this is how Edison created the light bulb!
I love fishing!!!!
Now this is neat my family fishes all the time but I never knew this information
the rubics cube thing is cool
I love fishing!!!
Edison’s observation of how a wet fishing line conducted electricity better inspired him to understand and manipulate electrical resistance, which was crucial for developing the lightbulb filament.
It’s crazy how the two things collided, awesome recollection of the beginning of the lightbulb, W video!
Love science live!
i always liked Edison he gave us that light we really needed
I love Newtons Cradle magnet things they are so interesting and fun in my opinion. It’s so cool how they work.
Science live was amazing this week very informative.
that’s a funny story love fishing
Learning about Newton’s Cradle, energy, and electrons was very interesting. I just love Science. Such a great episode of Science Live!
Probably one of my favorite videos so far! It’s crazy how pretty much everything is connected to science!
It’s amazing that Edison discovered how to make a longer lasting light bulb from a fishing trip just by carefully looking at his bamboo fishing rod and coming up with the idea! Science is so cool!
Sometimes a change of scenery provides the best spark for innovation.
That is amazing that Edison had over 1000 inventions! So many science ideas lead to new discoveries that change everything. Makes me want to be an inventor when I grow up.
I love doing the Rubik’s cube! So watching Pajet Monet and Roger Billings do the computer activated one was so neat!Science Live is the Best!
that was awsome
Edison was lucky.
It was really interesting how a simple fishing trip helped lead to such an important invention!
My favorite video
I like Thomas Edison
Watching science live makes my whole week better
Wow I didn’t know this. Very cool,
I like the story of how the lightbulb was created
I really like the rubix cube, it is very neat 😀
i enjoyed it
i love science live