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. Tristen

    I love to go fishing with my dad thank you so much for this lesson!

    Reply
  2. Caleb

    Good video! It was interesting to learn the importance of fishing 🎣

    Reply
  3. Hunter

    I like how the bamboo was used for the light bulb.

    Reply
  4. Emerson

    I love fishing!

    Reply
  5. Brayden

    How was fishing the key for Thomas Edison to make the light bulb?

    Reply
  6. Kendra

    I love fishing and I never knew that it helped make a lightbulb.

    Reply
  7. Paige

    Finding out that Edison likes fishing is my favorite part.

    Reply
  8. Caleb

    I love to fish! and thats pretty cool fishing help a guy create a better light bulb.

    Reply
  9. Daxton

    It’s cool that the lightbulbs used bamboo a long time ago.

    Reply
  10. Keegan

    I wonder how long it took for Thomas Edison to catch that fish.

    Reply
  11. Josiah

    This science live was so interesting.

    Reply
  12. Noel

    I wonder why the fish will go for the bare hooks.

    Reply
  13. Hannah

    Fishing stories are always fun

    Reply
  14. Aria

    Fishing isn’t for me but great video as usual.

    Reply
  15. Avianna

    Awesome Episode Thankyou!

    Reply
  16. Althea

    How many difrent tipes compewres are in the wolde.

    Reply
  17. Stella

    100lbs is a crazy catch! crazy how things line up and happen.

    Reply
    • Piper

      I agree!

      Reply
  18. Veda

    I loved this video. My dad and I go fishing a lot and it was cool to see you guys out fishing. Good catch by the way! Also the Rubix cube was fun and interesting. It’s crazy to hear that Thomas Edison used 600 light bulbs to master it!! That’s a lot. Thank you guys for another great video.

    Reply
  19. Nina

    Im not a big fan of fishing but this is really cool

    Reply
  20. Alice

    I love fishing i do it with my brother in law

    Reply
  21. Noah

    Interesting that edison was a fisherman that went after tarpon

    Reply
  22. Dayna

    this gives me a whole different perspective on fishing

    Reply
  23. Carter

    I love fishing! Science Live is the best!

    Reply
  24. Nevaeh

    I love fishing

    Reply
  25. Adelise

    This was interesting to watch. My Mom uses Edison light bulbs in our house, so I was able to make a connection.

    Reply
  26. Aiden

    I love science live!

    Reply
  27. Finn

    Edison had so many inventions.

    Reply
  28. Angela

    This was a great Science Live

    Reply
  29. Nicklous

    I go fishing and love it.

    Reply
  30. Elias

    So what I’m hearing is the fishing rod is the hero of the story.

    Reply
  31. Elizabeth

    This is so interesting!

    Reply
  32. Ainoah

    i think it’s great how it works! Atoms being forced to move, and how it pushes each other. It’s impressive!

    Reply
  33. Prompimon

    I really love Science Live.

    Reply
  34. Olivia

    Thomas Edison is my mentor also. how cool!

    Reply
  35. Caleb

    Science live never disappoints!

    Reply
  36. Calen

    this is so cool

    Reply
  37. Bryson

    I once caught a lightbulb while fishing because the sinker I was using was magnetic

    Reply
  38. Daniel

    what a great video

    Reply
  39. Grayson

    I love fishing with my dad.

    Reply
  40. James

    I never knew this story. cool

    Reply
  41. Phoebe

    Im from kentucky

    Reply
  42. Tenley

    Thank you Acellus

    Reply
  43. Bodie

    thank you for another great episode, look forwrd to learning more

    Reply
  44. Violet

    Great episode. I appreciate all the humor they add into it to keep the viewer’s attention

    Reply
  45. Claire

    I didn’t know that Edison fished. Thats an interesting fact.

    Reply
  46. Don

    I guess he was fishing for ideas

    Reply
  47. Amias

    I am watching this late. (Sorry)

    Reply
  48. Isabella

    Very interesting science live!

    Reply
  49. Joel

    This is my kind of episode! I love fishing!

    Reply
  50. Madison

    You can learn so much fishing.

    Reply
  51. Cora

    I loved how big the son’s fish was compared to the dad’s.

    Reply
  52. Isaac

    I found it interesting that the bamboo was best for a lightbulb.

    Reply
  53. Isabella

    It’s so crazy how most if not all students of acellus are in some ways being mentored by Mr Thomas Edison himself. It just goes to show that even history’s lost scientists still leave an everlasting impact on the generations to come.

    Reply
  54. Elizabeth

    Edison was so cool!

    Reply
  55. Audrey

    This video was soooo awesome and interesting Drb is hilarious and so is Pajet!

    Reply
  56. Oliver

    So cool, thank you

    Reply
  57. Maddie

    That’s so cool, thank you!

    Reply
  58. Brahm

    I love the fishing story and I wish my dad was here. He would love this episode

    Reply
  59. Cayley

    Every week I get to learn something interesting that I never knew!

    Reply
  60. Mason

    Amazing ScienceLIVE video!

    Reply
  61. Lincoln

    So cool I love to fish!!!

    Reply
  62. Kenley

    That’s amazingly crazily cool!!!

    Reply
  63. Alexander

    Fishing sounds like a good way to clear the mind and focus

    Reply
  64. Sasillia

    I love to fish!

    Reply
  65. Hailee

    Could there be a fish worth more than the silver king?

    Reply
  66. Alec

    This was cool i love fishing

    Reply
  67. Austin

    You know what that means, FISH!

    Reply
  68. Sasillia

    I didn’t know the light bulb only last 100 hours

    Reply
  69. Savannah

    I love this show

    Reply
  70. Chris

    Edison testing 6000 different materials for the light bulb is impressing.

    Reply
  71. Zane

    Great science live!

    Reply
  72. Brooklyn

    this is so fun to watch

    Reply
  73. Savannah

    I’ve only been fishing a few times when I was little, I once caught a fish when I was 7!

    Reply
  74. Beckham

    I loved the part abut the fish they caught

    Reply
  75. Isaac

    we need a fishing class

    Reply
  76. Kaleb

    wow so amazing how something so simple can lead to great things.

    Reply
  77. Addison

    Fascinating episode!

    Reply
  78. Brodey

    I think it would be awesome to see bamboo glowing when caught on fire.

    Reply
  79. Kaiden

    Fishing is awesome! Need to go again

    Reply
  80. Elli

    Thanks for another great episode!

    Reply
  81. Jazlyn

    What was the ‘silver king’ fish that Edison caught during the fishing contest with his son, and how did the fishing trip lead him to use bamboo as the filament for his practical light bulb?

    Reply
  82. Reagan

    This was amazing!

    Reply
  83. Brooke

    i loved this one, it might be my favorite

    Reply
  84. Wyatt

    This was a great science live

    Reply
  85. Grace

    Fishing with my dad is one of my favorite things!

    Reply
  86. Kate

    I love to fish with my dad!

    Reply
  87. Vivienne

    It’s crazy that Edison’s son caught such a huge fish! Bamboo has many eco friendly uses, but I did not know that it was used in the creation of the light bulb.

    Reply
  88. Payton

    Wow! This was so cool!

    Reply
  89. Payton

    Awesome lesson!!! Hi from Canada!

    Reply
  90. Nelson

    I enjoyed this episode.

    Reply
  91. Claire

    I Love fishing!!

    Reply
  92. Athena

    Wow I know a lot about fishing now lol

    Reply
  93. Kaylee

    I never knew Edison went fishing with his son!! Interesting

    Reply
  94. William

    I learned two things today.

    Reply
  95. Carsen

    Fishing is such a great way to recenter yourself

    Reply
  96. Xavier

    good things happen when fishing.

    Reply
  97. Ranulph

    I might try fishing someday.

    Reply
  98. Vittoria

    Alternating currents is fascinating. It’s amazing to think how much electrical currents are changed depending on coils and magnets. Thomas the fisherman haha. The creator of a generator.

    Reply
  99. Evelyn

    Excellent live!

    Reply
  100. Yusuf

    I really liked that video Its crazy how FISHING out of all things helped Edison invent the lightbulb

    Reply
  101. Bentley

    fishing is so fun!

    Reply
    • Olivia

      I hope to go fishing this summer!

      Reply
  102. Josiah

    How Jesus blessed inspiration in Edison with inventing the light bulb

    Reply
  103. Mia

    This live was really fun! 🙂

    Reply
  104. Giavanni

    Fishing is so cool and fun

    Reply
  105. Zoe

    Yet another great science live, it is so awesome that Edison fished with his family. Cannot wait to go camping and fishing again this summer.

    Reply
  106. Maximus

    I love science live

    Reply
  107. Alexander

    I watched over the weekend but can’t find my comment. Thank you!

    Reply
  108. Remingtyn

    i loved this one

    Reply
  109. Delani

    This was cool to know that two different things made one invention that we use everyday.

    Reply
  110. Jeffrey

    wow pretty crazy!

    Reply
  111. Miles

    Edison is the goat!

    Reply
  112. Miles

    Love this show!

    Reply
  113. Grayson

    i love fishing!!!!!

    Reply
  114. Zoe

    Love to fish and enjoy everything related

    Reply
  115. Evan

    I love fishing and science live great episode!!!!!

    Reply
  116. Zane

    Wow I didn’t know Thomas Edison went fishing

    Reply
  117. Khloe

    I love fishing!

    Reply
  118. Caleb

    🙂 very cool

    Reply
  119. Paetyn

    We love fishing!

    Reply
  120. Taylor

    I love fishing

    Reply
  121. Michaela

    love fishing!

    Reply
  122. Ava

    This science live video was so intriguing.

    Reply
  123. Matthew

    Edison going fishing with his son is an interesting fact that i didnt know!

    Reply
  124. Ryatt

    I love fishing to.

    Reply
  125. Charliegh

    Loved the live!

    Reply
  126. Stephanee

    This was extremely fun to watch!!

    Reply
  127. Claire

    Thank you for this awesome video about Edison!

    Reply
  128. Payton

    I liked this one a lot!

    Reply
  129. Trey

    this was also a amazing science live!

    Reply
  130. Nevaeh

    Thank you for the information hope to see more.

    Reply
  131. Halo

    Thomas Edison loved to fish because it gave him a chance to think. If he happened to catch a fish too, while thinking, bonus! Except if Charles came along. He out fished his Father by sixty pounds when he caught the 100 lb English Silver King. At least while fishing, Thomas came across bamboo as a possible material to use as filament in his light bulb. Using bamboo turned out to be a success in giving the filament 1200 hours of light per bulb. So I learned that using dynamite to catch fish was a creative way to get in trouble with the game warden. Are you going to talk? Or fish? I think my parents would prefer I fish the slower way though, would give me more time to think, and without the need to have to do some explaining to the game warden.

    Reply
  132. Julius

    I can’t believe that fishing inspired the light bulb.

    Reply
  133. Katie

    I loved learning about this side of Edison! I had never heard about this before

    Reply
  134. Olivia

    What a lovely video! I can’t believe how much I’ve learned. So blessed to be given the chance to listen to this talk .*hearts*

    Reply
  135. Josiah

    Edisons generator was made out of magnets and coils, the coil would spin while the magnets would move up and down on the coils and to the metal at the bottom. These were also called a Dynamo. Thank you Acellus for this lesson now I want to go catch fish, thank you Lady Pajet Monet. GOD BLESS

    Reply
  136. Kenna

    Thank you!

    Reply
  137. Benji

    Great episode! Especially liked the story of Micheal faraday’s story and invention!

    Reply
  138. Mason

    it was cool that edison when fishing with his son

    Reply
  139. Annaleigh

    That is a very cool Rubiks Cube thingy. Wow, bamboo? I would have never guessed that light bulbs have bamboo in them.

    Reply
  140. Titus

    I love going fishing with my dad too

    Reply
  141. Adele

    I enjoy fishing and learning about Edison.

    Reply
  142. Adele

    This was really interesting.

    Reply
  143. Amelia

    loved this science live I enjoyed it!

    Reply
  144. Colie

    This is amazing!!!!!

    Reply
  145. Lijah

    I’m just fascinated by this

    Reply
  146. Lijah

    I am loving the way this is going

    Reply
  147. Carlin

    i havent been fishing sense last week on spring break! Lol

    Reply
  148. Malachi

    love this one.

    Reply
  149. Kasey

    i love fishing

    Reply
  150. Jesius

    Amazing!! Love Acellus

    Reply
  151. Leila

    I never knew fishing really helps with this stuff.

    Reply
  152. Ashley

    his face! Haha

    Reply
  153. Tristan

    How interesting!!

    Reply
  154. Matthew

    I never knew fishing helped invent the light bulb. I love fishing

    Reply
  155. Logan

    Science is so cool.

    Reply
  156. Chi

    This episode was wonderful!!

    Reply
  157. Brex

    I love fishing.

    Reply
  158. Rebecca

    Absolutely amazing!

    Reply
  159. Aayan

    Thomas Edison is such a great inspiration for us. He had so much patience and trust in himself that made his inventions a great success.

    Reply
  160. Claire

    Thank you for the videos!

    Reply
  161. Kristen

    super cool that edison went fishing!

    Reply
  162. Emily

    The light bulb is cool.

    Reply
  163. Wolf

    Hello from Buffalo! Silver king fish is so cool! I would LOVE to see one. I cant imagine catching a 100 pound fish!

    Reply
  164. Lijah

    This was a great science video

    Reply
  165. Malachi

    this was a awesome video!!

    Reply
  166. Lijah

    Science live is awesome

    Reply
  167. Gavon

    Edison loved fishing! I love fishing! Maybe I’ll find the next big discovery while fishing!

    Reply
  168. Samuel

    It was that simple wow, thanks Dr. Billing.

    Reply
  169. Christina

    This was a very interesting topic. I am sorry I missed posting last week and I’ll be sure to post again this week after the newest Science Live comes out.

    Reply
  170. Brighton

    i love this episode the most

    Reply
  171. Camila

    I get bored fishing. Too much waiting LOL

    Reply
  172. Miyari

    Science live is awesome.

    Reply
  173. Kohlten

    Fishing is the best!

    Reply
  174. Kody

    I love science

    Reply
  175. Rosemarie

    I like fishing and always seem to catch the most!

    Reply

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