How a Fishing Trip Helped Edison Invent the Lightbulb

What does a fishing trip have to do with inventing the light bulb? More than you’d ever imagine. Thomas Edison is one of the most famous inventors in history — but most people have never heard the real story behind his greatest invention. In this episode of ScienceLive, Dr. Roger Billings tells the complete, fascinating story of how Edison didn’t just invent the light bulb — he made it practical, affordable, and accessible to the entire world.

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. 

About DrB

Dr. Roger Billings is a visionary innovator whose work has touched the lives of millions of students and transformed the landscape of education. Widely known as “DrB” to the countless kids who benefit from his groundbreaking Acellus learning system, Dr. Billings has dedicated his life to advancing education through technology. As part of DrB’s lifelong commitment to supporting education, Science LIVE was launched as a way to “give back” by mentoring students in conjunction with the Roger Billings Scholarship Program.


Read more about DrB » 
About the Roger Billings Scholarship Program »

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1,096 Comments

  1. Mars

    Here from CA

    Reply
  2. Mackenzie

    these are so interesting

    Reply
  3. Leah

    I liked the little robot rubix cube that solves itself without someone holding it

    Reply
  4. Zaidee

    Hello from Minnesota.

    Reply
  5. Konnor

    Thanks for the good video again this week

    Reply
  6. Tyler

    Hello from Arlington TN!!

    Reply
  7. Madison

    i loved this video!

    Reply
  8. Eleanor

    I fished once when I was younger, this brought back the memory!

    Reply
  9. Avaharrell

    Very interesting! this was a fun video looking forward to see the next live!

    Reply
  10. Jayden

    This weeks science live was awesome

    Reply
  11. Anthony

    Well look at that! I learned something new today! Thank you for all the cool info, I loved learning about Thomas Edison

    Reply
  12. Yoel

    Hello from new york

    Reply
  13. Kelsey

    this science live is one of my favorites

    Reply
  14. Sophia

    Hii from Illinois

    Reply
  15. Anthony

    Wow, what an interesting video, thank you for teaching us about Thomas Edison and his invention.

    Reply
  16. Karlee

    Very exiting and interesting.

    Reply
  17. Jack

    Great lesson this week!

    Reply
  18. Caroline

    I love fishing!

    Reply
  19. Braylee

    I loved this live

    Reply
  20. Cheyenne

    Fishing is so relaxing 😌

    Reply
  21. Rhianna

    Fishing is my favorite, it’s so weird to think how little things can become such big things.

    Reply
  22. Madelyn

    This episode was really good!

    Reply
  23. Olivia

    I didn’t know about this episode…. until now.

    Reply
  24. Madelin

    So edison made the best bulb

    Reply
  25. Hailey

    Hello from Georgia

    Reply
  26. Jackie

    Sorry that it took me so long to notice this, but anyways I should probably get to the point. I find it so interesting how a fishing trip did overall end up being the one of the main reasons Edison made the lightbulb and that without it maybe he never would have thought of it at all.

    Reply
  27. Remme

    hey from nc

    Reply
  28. Madelin

    Hi from Ohio

    Reply
  29. Kaylann

    It’s interesting that a hobby so small can turn into something much bigger. Edison’s invention is inspiring.

    Reply
  30. Jd

    This was a very interesting episode!

    Reply
  31. Aria

    This was a cool episode.

    Reply
  32. Haylee

    Hii from Texas!

    Reply
  33. Bella

    I love learning with science live every week!

    Reply
  34. Starlette

    i love science lives so much!

    Reply
  35. Kaylann

    Fishing is a great way to clear your mind and improve your mental health too. I’m sure Thomas Edison was able to be alone with his thought to come up with these things.

    Reply
  36. Jaishaun

    I really like learning new things about Thomas Edison!

    Reply
  37. Jackson

    I really love this video.

    Reply
  38. Easton

    Hello from Virginia

    Reply
  39. Landon

    glad to be here love yall

    Reply
  40. Ellie

    So cool to learn more about Thomas Edison.

    Reply
  41. Athena

    hi from texas

    Reply
  42. Gracie

    this is so cool!

    Reply
  43. Rylie

    this is really interesting

    Reply
  44. Emma

    I love this!

    Reply
  45. Sergio

    The fishing trip gave a fresh perspective and i love fishing as well!

    Reply
  46. Brendan

    That’s crazy how Edison had his ” Technique” of fishing.

    Reply
  47. Marco-antonio

    I wonder how this will relate to a Fishing Trip?

    Reply
  48. Luna

    I am grateful for Thomas Edison

    Reply
  49. Marco-antonio

    The cube does actually resemble a Rubik’s Cube!

    Reply
  50. Asteria

    What a great history lesson

    Reply
  51. Henry

    How old is Roger Billings?

    Reply
  52. Emily

    This was so cool!

    Reply
  53. Emily

    Hi watching from Florida!!!

    Reply
  54. Siobhan

    I love when science and history get combined into fascinating backstories.

    Reply
    • Ree

      I love science lives! Hi from South Dakota!

      Reply
  55. Sophia

    I can’t wait to go to kansas so I can graduate!

    Reply
    • Iris

      I love watching these videos!

      Reply
  56. Beckett

    I look forward to each week and watching and learning new things

    Reply
    • Kaylie

      I really liked this video and I love fishing

      Reply
    • Kaylie

      I love every Wednesday that I get to watch these videos.

      Reply
    • Jade

      Love this episode
      !

      Reply
    • Emmet

      Love fishing 🎣 so much .I never catch anything

      Reply
  57. Meah

    I love fishing! Really shows how small things can be turned into something bigger.

    Reply
  58. Ethan

    these weekly lives are very intresting hello from florida!!

    Reply
  59. Emma

    I really liked this video!

    Reply
  60. Ethan

    this was exciting

    Reply
  61. Amari

    hello from alabama

    Reply
  62. Talia

    Awesome episode!

    Reply
    • Delilah

      I’ve been to Branson Missouri! What a funny story, Dr. Billings is great at storytelling, as well as teaching and inventing!

      Reply
  63. Caleb

    love these!

    Reply
  64. Moira

    Fishing is fun.

    Reply
    • Ellie

      How interesting that science is connected to fishing.

      Reply
  65. Shilo

    Where is R-51?! WE WANT HIM PLEASEEEEE!!!!!!

    Reply
  66. James

    Glad I can finally be here to watch this!

    Reply
  67. Brayden

    I love the science live every week.

    Reply
  68. Neilah

    Hello from Florida! I also love your videos

    Reply
  69. Aidan

    I never knew it was this that helped with the invention of the lightbulb.

    Reply
  70. Emily

    So cool! I loved this video.

    Reply
  71. Jose

    I love fishing so watching this was great!

    Reply
  72. Escudero

    These lessons are great thanks, David from connecticut

    Reply
  73. Arlen

    Awsome video!

    Reply
  74. Deniz

    With what other types of material can you develop a lightbulb?

    Reply
  75. Ahriana

    I really enjoy tuning in to these weekly lives and learning new things! Thank you! Ahriana from Kansas

    Reply
  76. Kylanee

    Awesome video!

    Reply
  77. Naveah

    Dr.Billings is awesome and has some funny stories!

    Reply
  78. Caroline

    I find it inspiring to know that Thomas Edison experimented with those many ways, makes me want to do the same now!

    Reply
  79. Connor

    I quite liked this one 🙂

    Reply
  80. Preston

    The fishing trip gave him a fresh perspective and a chance to think outside the lab, which is awesome because anyone can do what he did and get a open mind on things

    Reply
  81. Svetlana

    I love this episode and all it said about fishing

    Reply
  82. A`quilla

    I can not wait to be able to make a historical change. Thanks for the knowledge weekly xoxo:)

    Reply
  83. Mariana

    Great episode!

    Reply
  84. Emery

    I love fishing!

    Reply
  85. Gus

    I really like fishing. It’s cool to know how science and fishing can be tied together.

    Reply
  86. Arianna

    I love that fishing with no bait. People AND fish won’t bother me!

    Reply
  87. Juliet

    Can’t wait to go fishing!

    Reply
  88. Meghan

    I didn’t realize how important bamboo was for lighting! I also thought the rubix cube that solves itself was cool!!

    Reply
  89. Derek

    This was a really enjoyable video!

    Reply
  90. Jayla

    This was a great science live!

    Reply
  91. Richard

    Great video, I enjoy learning something new every time.

    Reply
  92. Caleb

    Who knew?! so interesting learning all these facts

    Reply
  93. Noah

    I really like Dr. Billings and what he is doing!

    Reply
  94. Leila

    Fishing can really do miraculous things!

    Reply
  95. Darren

    I never knew he tested so many things.

    Reply
  96. Harley

    Thank you for my scholarship program! Yall keep me going everyday!! Loveddd the lightbulb and the inventions. I really wanna make a difference like that

    Reply
  97. Gabriel

    I can’t wait to do experiments!!

    Reply
  98. Nathaniel

    i always watching these

    Reply
  99. Renaud

    I always learn something new from science live every week!

    Reply
  100. Aiden

    Fascinating story!

    Reply
  101. Sera

    Thank you for teaching us about Edison! I didn’t know that he tested that amount of materials.

    Reply
  102. William

    I think I would’ve liked to go fishing with Thomas Edison. Just imagine what you could learn from him.

    Reply
  103. Juliet

    Can we have more fishing stories from Pajet Monet? 🙂

    Reply
  104. Louden

    great vid

    Reply
  105. Angelina

    I love how much determination all of these inventors bring. This really shows how whenever you put your mind to anything, nothing is impossible. Fishing is just one example of how inventors lead to much better things, Including the Hydrogen car.

    Reply
  106. Reagan

    THATS SO COOL!

    Reply
  107. Angelica

    I love Eddisions quote thats so interesting and how he interpret it is so cool to me , I also find that how he was apply to apply fishing to hs work is amazing. 🙂

    Reply
  108. Madilyne

    Thank you for my scholarship program!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  109. Greyson

    Science and invention always seem to have a beginning in the oddest ways.

    Reply
  110. Ivy

    This was something I didn’t expect! Thanks for the knowledge!

    Reply
  111. Samantha

    Wow! i never knew he tested so many things that’s so interesting.

    Reply
  112. Madilyne

    Thank you for my scholarship program!!!

    Reply
  113. Jack

    I liked the walking robot so cool to learn!!!!!!

    Reply
  114. Madilyne

    It is amazing how Edison was lucky on his trip!!!! Thank you for my scholarship program!!!

    Reply
  115. Isabella

    AWESOME!!!

    Reply
  116. Noah

    I really liked this one!

    Reply
  117. Hannah

    that cube looks really fun lol, i need it

    Reply
  118. Bryce

    Great episode Thanks!

    Reply
  119. Chanlee

    This is so cool I mean who would have thought FISHING helped invent the light bulb

    Reply
  120. Katelyn

    Learning about the lightbulb is so amazing! So helpful nowadays, I can’t imagine life without it.

    Reply
  121. Shreyak

    Loved this video! Thank you so much.

    Reply
  122. Tyler

    Wow lightbulbs are so cool

    Reply
  123. Tyler

    I’m going fishing today!!!

    Reply
  124. Grayson

    I love to fish too! thanks for the live videos.

    Reply
  125. Mattison

    Love, love, LOVE science live!

    Reply
  126. Jeten

    this is so fun and great to watch

    Reply
  127. Alyssa

    I’m in sixth grade and doing 8th grade science and 7th grade social studies and 7th grade language arts

    Reply
    • Ryland

      Aight bet good for you bro.

      Reply
  128. Kenza

    I like the approach that yes Edison invented the light bulb… but it was his ability to make it into something practical that really led to human progress. How do you think others contributed to Edison”s invention prior to his light bulb? Science is discovered on a continuum right?

    Reply
  129. Brantley

    Interesting episode!

    Reply
  130. Tyler

    Science live is so cool

    Reply
  131. Kate

    Science live is awesome

    Reply
  132. Amelia

    Thank you so much! I have learned so much with these science live videos and I hope to keep learning more!

    Reply
  133. Brooke

    Wow this was very interesting, I love these videos so much!

    Reply
  134. Le

    These lives are always so interesting!!

    Reply
  135. Noah

    That is cool

    Reply
  136. Rebecca

    How interesting a light bulb discovery, that changed everything was made all by going fishing and just by using bamboo all thanks to Thomas Edison.

    Reply
  137. Hayes

    Always great info!

    Reply
  138. Vincenzo

    Science live is so cool

    Reply
  139. Hudson

    I LOVE SCIENCE LIVE

    Reply
  140. Johary

    It’s amazing how Edison was lucky in this trip.

    Reply
  141. Titus

    I liked the walking robot!!

    Reply
  142. Harley

    science really does come from unexpected places

    Reply
  143. Lilah

    these videos make my day!!

    Reply
  144. Cornea

    Wow this was very interesting

    Reply
  145. Nguyen

    Thankyou very much!

    Reply
  146. Nathan

    testing out 6000 different materials is insane, but atleast it worked out in the end.

    Reply
  147. Gavin

    Very interesting!

    Reply
  148. Keziah

    Loved this science live!

    Reply
  149. Emma

    I love these you guys make them so fun to watch every time! I cant wait for the next one.

    Reply
  150. Charles

    This story showed that inventors stay curious all the time. Edison paid attention to everything, even on a fishing trip, and that helped him make the lightbulb work.

    Reply
  151. Finn

    I learned that Thomas Edison got his big idea for the lightbulb while he was fishing. It showed me that you can get smart ideas anywhere, even when you’re having fun.

    Reply
  152. Gip

    Sciencelife is so amazing because it’s teach me about science and many cool facts and things too!

    Reply
  153. Solveig

    Can you please make a video of butterflys

    Reply
  154. Madison

    The cube kinda reminded me of the rubiks cube

    Reply
  155. Nathaniel

    Don’t know if I’ve already commented on this one sorry if I already have

    Reply
  156. Reagan

    I love this episode

    Reply
  157. Paishence

    Hi from Mississippi!!

    Reply
  158. Nya

    This science live was very interesting!

    Reply
  159. Patrick

    WOW!!

    Reply
  160. Dayne

    whos the original inventor(s) of acellus program

    Reply
  161. Dakota

    This was amazing! So interesting!

    Reply
  162. Tim

    really good video loved that keep it up love it.

    Reply
  163. Lily

    I want one of those cubes

    Reply
  164. Tim

    great video I loved how fishing invent the light bulb.

    Reply
  165. Alynah

    awesome video!

    Reply
  166. Landon

    This was an interesting episode.

    Reply
  167. Rylie

    This was so interesting! I loved it!

    Reply
  168. Samantha

    So excited for the new classes

    Reply
  169. William

    Very interesting story about Thomas Edison!! Thanks for sharing Dr. Billings!! It would be nice if we could all be this lucky on a fishing trip!!

    Reply
  170. Logan

    WOW!

    Reply
  171. Joshua

    SCIENCE IS AMAZING AND I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!

    Reply
  172. Joshua

    Science is so so much fun

    Reply
  173. Didrika

    Amazing Video!! I have a theory Lady Pajet is related to the electronic rubrix cube and it owed her a favor!!

    Reply
  174. Jaxxon

    I’m the first comment:)

    Reply
    • Esmee

      I wish I was the first comment but I have gymnastics 6 hours a day

      Reply
      • Kalen

        OMG i agree really hard with that, for me its just that i have no clue when science live starts up now, its been turning on not at 8:00 PM EST, and so now i have no clue when it starts, now i have to double check in the morning whether it turns on or not, and i also couldn’t comment at like lunch time even if it did start at normal time since i have lunch and chores lol

        Reply
    • Ryland

      Why, ya’ll so competitive on who is the first comment, relax your not even first bro. LOL! 🤣🤣🤣

      Reply
      • Kalen

        agree, but he was in second place ngl so good job still

        Reply
      • Kalen

        Oh and i should mention they were only 4 minutes off, so they might have had to load the comments in order to see if anyone else already commented

        P.S. its just a funny thing to do to be the first one to comment, thats really it as far as i can tell lol maybe next science live ill try to be the first to comment heh

        Reply
  175. Didrika

    Im the first Comment!!!!

    Reply
    • Kalen

      dang u must have gotten up at like 1 in the morning est dang (est = eastern time) gooda cheese job

      Reply

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