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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This story goes to show that you can keep learning indirectly from different experiences.
Is Pajet Monet French?
Is the fishing story about Pajet Monet and the Dynamite a true story?
I agree. I think it’s important to take time to think. What activity do you suggest for people who can not fish so they can still think? Thank you!
I love fishing and Science Live
This was great information. I really enjoyed learning aboiut it.
haven’t been fishing since. kid so this story reminds me of being younger.
Thankfs for the great episode!
How do you cut a magnetic force field?
I liked learning about How a Fishing Trip Helped Edison Invent the Lightbulb.
So funny that it all came from a fishing trip!
Wow, I fish also.
I like the light block in the beginning.
I like the square light in the beginning
How do you use bamboo for a fishing rod
Sometimes taking a break can be more helpful than not.
This was cool!
I liked the fishing story, I like to fish with my grandma.
That is interesting how he created the lightbulb just from going on a
Fishing trip!
All because of a fishing trip, this is insane.
I love these types of unexpected stories
I like the experiment with the Rubex cube. That was interesting.
My grandfather always says, fishing solves a lot. Not only to feed the soul but solve problems! I’ll have to talk with him and ask if he knew Edison fished and lived in FL during the winter.
This was actually a very interesting story to learn about, I find it hard to believe that a fishing trip helped create a long lasting efficient light bulb.
I love fishing!!
Did not know that it took him a fishing trip to discover that!
Very amazing to know
How do you make that robot?
This was a good episode
I love to fish and find this very interesting.
I love wednesday’s, because I get a new episode of my favorite show!
I never knew this, crazy that a fishing trip “lit the lightbulb” above his head, to make light!
It was amazing to learn about Edison and the lightbulb how he change the future for all of the world
I honestly wouldn’t have been able to believe fishing could’ve helped invent the lightbulb until this video.
cool but short
It makes sense that such a great mind can think better in piece and quiet like on a fishing trip!
I love the light bulb story
good lesson
loved the video really cool.
Thomas Edison was really smart
Love science live
Where would we even be without the light bulb
Amazing video!!!!!
I always thought Edison was super great!
what a fun experiment
I had no idea how his invention was thought up! Interesting fact!
Edison is amazing
Saying hi from VA
Woah, I wanna go fishing now…
I like the idea of just small things that can be used in inventions like fishing.
Woowwwww
I used to go fishing with my dad.
It’s cool that Thomas Edison created light bulbs!
I didn’t know Thomas fished.
love the lightbulb story
I love to go fish 🎣
Wow!! I’ve never thought of science and fishing being correlated like that
I enjoy fishing to. It is really interesting learning about how the light bulb was created.
The story about Thomas Edison was so funny-I didn’t know he loved fishing! Loved when you talked about being a thinker and making goals you can accomplish and want to accomplish!!
I think its cool that he thought of the light bulb just because of a fishing trip. Such a odd thing I would say.
wow how I love science live.
I love it too.
I watched the video
It is crazy how fishing is behind the lightbulb!
very interesting video.
how very interesting.
I love to fish to.
I love learning about Edison, thank you!
I didn’t know that Mr. Thomas Edison was a great fisherman, and that he could used bamboo for making a light bulb with it, and that he also got the bamboo from Kyoto Japan with his best friend. (I LOVE JAPAN I WANT TO GO THERE ONE DAY! 🙂 ) and with the bamboo it made the light bulb to last over a 1,200 hours, and that Edison needed help from Michael Faraday who was interested in electricity and he invented a generator to help the light bulb to last longer. I can’t believe that PJ Monet nuked the the lake with a stick of dynamite! Poor fishies 🙁
The dynamite fish story was craking me up!
I didn’t know that helped him invent the light bulb that custom Rubik’s cube was cool!
It is so cool how Edison discoved how to make the lightbulb last longer?
Where are the protoges?????
I can’t believe our grand mentor is Thomas Edison – how cool!!!!
As many times as we talked about Edison in public school, I never heard the fishing story! This is what makes learning fun at Acellus! We go fishing a lot in the summer time, but never had life changing idea… only broken line and stories 🙂
Thank you for doing these! Very interesting.
I love fishing but usually only when I catch something. But it is time well spent with my thoughts. I’m gonna set more goals for myself.
I got to visit the Thomas Edison lab in Florida once. It was in Fort Meyers.
I think it’s so crazy how fishing and lightbulbs are connected!
fishing is fun
It is amazing to learn about how Edison created the lightbulb because of a fishing trip!
I like the light bulb story!
I had no idea how his invention was thought up! Super cool!
Me too
That’s crazy how fishing and science can be connected like that
cool how a lightbulb and fishing connect.
I am not a fisher but I will tell my dad about the artificial fly!
this was awesome learned so much cant wait till next one these episodes are always so funny
This was a good science live
Great live
This inspired me to check out a biography on Edison. Thanks!
Very good science live
It’s really shows how observant Edison was, the fact he connected fishing to his invention of the lightbulb to make it better is amazing.
Edison was a multitasker!
This was a good video!
I can’t believe that Edison went fishing and found a solution to the lightbulb! I don’t think I’d ever get that!
I love how you structure these lessons around a story!
Fishing looks so fun!
I would love to fish someday with my mom.
Never gone fishing before, this is neat!
I used to live on a lake. Miss fishing!
Super neat!
what’s super neat? 🙂
I always found the inventions fascinating. What makes it even better is learning that simple things such as fishing or nature can contribute to something so much bigger.
Its hard to imagine a world without power or light
I love fishing and Science live! I learn so much.
Im so excited about this episode i love fishing and science live!
So it’s a fancy rubix cube! Super neat!
It’s interesting to learn about what has inspired inventions and brilliant ideas. To think that everyday past times could bring inspiration to creative minds. Maybe I should try fishing!
I’ve never been fishing, maybe I should go some time.
I love fishing, and Science live.
Sounds like an interesting subject!
Sounds like an interesting subject
Fishing with dynamite is absolutely awesome!
I would love to go fishing.
I really liked this sicence live.
I also really want to go to Kyoto.
My brother and me like to go fishing. It is very peaceful and I can see how someone can do some thinking when they are fishing.
How did a simple fishing trip lead to a major scientific breakthrough?
did you watch the video
i didn’t know Thomas Edison fished, that’s cool! but helping him invent??? shocking!
I love fishing, and I always go with my dad!
Hello from virginia
Hello from Virginia
Always loved when my dad took me fishing great memories this one brings!
Did Thomas Edison invent LED lights, too? If not, then who?
This science live was so interesting, I want to try fishing myself!
I love fishing
I accidentally posted a comment on the YouTube video instead of this, but this is awesome! I love these live videos!
This was my favorite video, I love fishing.
This is one of the coolest facts ever
I would love to get an invention idea while doing a hobby!
I always learn such cool things with sciance live!
How the light bulb was made is so very interesting an informative!
It is amazing that Edison tried 6000 materials until he found the filament that worked, perserverance at its best! I am glad he did not give up so now we have the amazing lightbulb!
What a neat thing. I love to go fishing !
I love nature so much
I never knew this about Edison!
i enjoyed this live because i like fishing
Distractions from what we are to do is a huge problem in the world today. We have so many distractions around us from the internet to world issues, it is a real challenge to stay ahead of what we need to accomplish.
Thanks for making scientists like Edison relatable and fun to learn about
just the title alone makes you think
I liked this video. My Mom loves to fish but I am not patient enough!
waow those r big fish
Very great episode, from TX
The rubiks cube at the beginning was super cool. I may try finding where i can get one.
Awesome Science Live!!!!!!!
this video was very entertaining.
A 100lb fish is so huge! I really liked that story.
this weeks science live was great!
I liked watching this video it was interesting
i like the robot looks like a figet cube
A fishing trip helped invent the lightbulb?! That’s amazing!
I liked the story of Thomas Edison’s son catching a bigger silver fish. That was funny!
I love the little colorful robot, it’s like self solving rubiks cube!
fishing is a sport around here in Oklahoma. Enjoy this information thanks
Great episode as always! I never knew fishing helped with the invention of the light bulb!
It’s so cool how random thoughts and ideas come to our minds when we are doing something completely different!
I can’t believe you made an electric rubrix cube. I didn’t know Thomas Edison tested 6,000 materials to make the lightbulb.
I love fishing!
Whoah… He made the first light bulb out of Bamboo! That is so cool!
I love fishing so so much! Thats awesome how Edison went fishing and then thought of creating the lightbulb!
That was funny how Thomas Edison’s son caught a much larger fish than him. That picture really shows the difference between a 100lb fish and a 40lb fish!
Its a good science live
I might going fishing tomorrow
Good for Charles. Nice video.
I love fishing. It is a lot of fun. It can give you quiet time to think about things too
Could simple things involving nature lead to more abstract discoveries involving technology? such as something like wireless electricity? (which Nikolai Tesla had proved may be possible)
Scientist a fisherman Edison went to Kyoto . I want to go to Kyoto. The bamboo trees there make fishing rods.
Fishing looks so fun
I love fishing, this is really neat to know
It was a good science live
That was so cool how edison went on a fishing trip AND thouhgt on how to make a lightbulb!
Science live is cool.
Watching from Colorado
I didn’t even realize Edison had a family.
Quite interesting to learn about the origins of the lightbulb.
Samee
That was an incredibly interesting story, I was so invested.
Great Live today! Fun fishing trip stories, I didn’t realize that Thomas Edison used to fish. There’s more to people than we realize, can’t wait for the next one!
Fishing is awesome it is crazy how helped eddision
I love fishing so I thought the fishing story was funny.
Awesome Science Live
I would have never thought fishing would help lead to the invention of the lightbulb.
Thank you for the video!
I want to go fishing
I love science live!
That fish story was hilarious 😂
I like that idea 👍
ya it wus