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 »

Follow

1,096 Comments

  1. Diesel

    That was really cool to watch

    Reply
  2. Joseph

    Catching fish with a fly

    Reply
  3. London

    The light up cube test in the beginning was so cool!

    Reply
  4. William

    I never heard the stories of Edison loving to fish and how it helped him with inventing.

    Reply
  5. Presley

    Oooo fishinggg

    Reply
  6. Isabella

    wow! who would have thought fishing could be related to a lightbulb!!

    Reply
  7. Dorian

    i loved this Science Live!

    Reply
  8. Ayame

    I want to go fishing now!

    Reply
  9. Raylynn

    It’s so cool to watch how Edison made the light bulb by such successful problems and courses through the journey.

    Reply
  10. Nethanjah

    This Science video was very interesting, and fun to watch.

    Reply
  11. Blazen

    This was a great Live, thank you!

    Reply
  12. Kylie

    She have a dark side. GO GIRL!

    Reply
  13. Hunter

    that’s insane how common household items get invented by one idea

    Reply
  14. Koon

    I love fishing

    Reply
  15. Anaya

    I enjoy fishing and hearing this information about it!

    Reply
  16. Cody

    Innovation is truly anywhere.

    Reply
  17. Kassandra

    Very interesting. Didn’t know science and fishing were related.

    Reply
  18. Sulaiman

    Love this one

    Reply
  19. Matthew

    Never thought to use a magnet on a wire to move electricity.

    Reply
  20. Reagan

    This episode is so interesting

    Reply
  21. Presley

    Another great Science Live !

    Reply
  22. Angelina

    I like to fish alot.

    Reply
  23. Jane

    I like Science Live!

    Reply
  24. Daisy

    This one was really cool

    Reply
  25. Henry

    I think Newton’s cradles are so satisfying!

    Reply
  26. Canon

    I love fishing I cannot believe how much science is in it

    Reply
  27. Emmett

    I LOVE SCIENCE LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  28. Carys

    We own an Edison Diamond Disc phonograph 1915 official laboratory model. Very cool . He was such a prolific inventor.

    Reply
  29. Oivia

    I always thought fishing was boring, this is interesting

    Reply
  30. Eli

    Science live is so cool.

    Reply
  31. Sophia

    I didnt realized this was science too

    Reply
  32. Liam

    I just went fishing with my brother.

    Reply
  33. Joshua

    “GONE FISHING” LOL

    Reply
  34. Zion

    Its amazing how nature and science go together

    Reply
  35. Holt

    Good science live.

    Reply
  36. Mimzy

    I would like to try to fish.

    Reply
  37. London

    This is so cool!

    Reply
  38. Oaklee

    I didn’t know fishing and science could go together

    Reply
  39. Isaac

    I use lures when I fish, But I mostly use baits.

    Reply
  40. Madison

    Fishing is one of my favorite things to do

    Reply
  41. Joseph

    I love science life!

    Reply
  42. Craig

    This was so interesting I didn’t know fishing was science

    Reply
  43. Anabelle

    I miss fishing- its almost warm enough to fish again here

    Reply
  44. Griffin

    This was fun to learn about, i want to go fishing now.

    Reply
  45. Harper

    This was a super cool way to think about Edison!

    Reply
  46. Alexis

    love thisssss!!

    Reply
  47. Ember

    Amazing cube!

    Reply
  48. Regan

    I like fishing and lightbulbs

    Reply
  49. S

    Fishing is science, more reasons to enjoy fishing. Now if I can get credits for fishing even better, thanks Edison!

    Reply
  50. Reese

    i love fishing toooo

    Reply
  51. Lillian

    never thought that it would have involved fishing

    Reply
  52. Athena

    Thank you!

    Reply
  53. Dakota

    So amazing! Fishing is such a fun hobby!

    Reply
  54. Justin

    thank you for the live

    Reply
  55. Logan

    I love fishing, its so relaxing.

    Reply
  56. Natalia

    Very interesting!!

    Reply
  57. Aiden

    i find inventors realy cool

    Reply
  58. Hadley

    That’s so cool

    Reply
  59. Mason

    I like fishing my dad takes me alot

    Reply
  60. Joseph

    How to catch a fish with a fly

    Reply
  61. Chi

    That is cool. I love fishing

    Reply
  62. Logan

    I like to fish with my dad. I will have to tell him what I learned.

    Reply
  63. Kaylee

    My brother has one of the moving metal ball toys. It is fun to watch.

    Reply
    • Kensleigh

      I know it is so satifing!

      Reply
  64. Nathan

    I like to fish alot. I did not realize it was science.

    Reply
    • Lilllian

      I enjoy fishing so this was an interesting video for me.

      Reply
  65. Ashlynne

    I loved that you humanized Edison with fishing and family. Who would have thought bamboo!! I love fishing!!

    Reply
  66. Jaxon

    I love fishing!

    Reply
  67. Candice

    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?

    Reply
  68. Nicholas

    I love to fish. This was interesting to me.

    Reply
    • Kassandra

      Very interesting video! I didn’t know fishing connected with science.

      Reply
  69. Ember

    I hope you catch a fish using an artificial fly!

    Reply
  70. Sophia

    Love fishing so this was fun to learn.

    Reply
  71. Leah

    maybe I should start going fishing and see if I can come up with a great invention lol

    Reply
    • Ember

      Totally

      Reply
  72. Aaron

    What type of programming does the cube from the beginning use.

    Reply
  73. Alicen

    It is amazing how anything you do can spark creativity. So thankful for Edison’s creativity!

    Reply
  74. Seraphina

    Great episode! That fish story was hilarious !

    Reply
  75. Molly

    Funny to think about Edison fishing, doing normal every day things.

    Reply
  76. David

    Fishing is always good.

    Reply
  77. Aiden

    Our world would be so different without this invention.

    Reply
  78. Jake

    Nice demonstration of transfer of energy.

    Reply
  79. Ana

    hello from chicago

    Reply
  80. Karson

    The fish story is cool.

    Reply
  81. Joseph

    How to catch a fish with supplies

    Reply
  82. Sophia

    I love to go fishing with my dad. Weird how fishing and science go together.

    Reply
  83. Nathan

    Fishing can be very fun. Its not a surprise Edison had one!

    Reply
  84. Justin

    This is so cool!

    Reply
  85. Evelyn

    This is so interesting!

    Reply
  86. Owen

    Its hard to imagine a world without power or light

    Reply
  87. Sabrina

    I never knew that a fishing trip would cause Edison to create the lightbulb!

    Reply
  88. Joshua

    How to go fishing with a fly

    Reply
  89. Liam

    This science live was pretty fascinating.

    Reply
  90. Austin

    science live is fun.
    Austin, IL

    Reply
  91. Ashura

    very cool lightbulb story.

    Reply
  92. Marilyn

    I wonder how led bulbs last longer than regular ones.

    Reply
  93. Gabe

    I like the Newton’s cradle

    Reply
  94. Luke

    I love science live🩷💙

    Reply
  95. Samuel

    Really enlghtening video

    Reply
  96. Diana

    This is a great story!!!

    Reply
  97. Christopher

    Good episode!

    Reply
  98. London

    this was so cool

    Reply
  99. Averey

    This was a very interesting video!

    Reply
  100. Jordan

    I have the AI mars EX cube, it is really cool that the sides turn themselves

    Reply
  101. Tanner

    Fascinating! Thanks for another great video!

    Reply
  102. Derek

    there were light bulbs before edisons

    Reply
  103. Addison

    hi love this one

    Reply
  104. Valentina

    I did not know that it helped the light bulb be invented.

    Reply
  105. Micah

    I liked this video

    Reply
  106. Ardynn

    I LOVED IT

    Reply
  107. Mila

    mila from TX

    Reply
  108. Mattison

    I love fishing so this really interests me

    Reply
  109. Jaxson

    woahhhhh

    Reply
  110. Houston

    the light bulb

    Reply
  111. Trenton

    Determination and continuously trying will almost always end with you catching the fish you want.

    Reply
  112. Audi

    Edison is someone I want to learn more about thank you!

    Reply
  113. Eleanor

    I never knew this about the light bulb!

    Reply
  114. Beckett

    I wish David and Calab was in this science live.☹️

    Reply
  115. Adriana

    Fishing looks really fun!

    Reply
  116. Karla

    Can’t wait to tell my Fisherman dad about this ; D

    Reply
  117. Ian

    I love science live

    Reply
  118. Charlie

    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!

    Reply
  119. Paislee

    Such a cool story!

    Reply
  120. R`mhani

    I never in my life would have thought a fishing trip could spark something amazing and important . Great news.

    Reply
  121. Mabry

    Love to fish!

    Reply
  122. Nevaeh

    love the light bulb story

    Reply
  123. Gavin

    Great information!

    Reply
  124. Oona

    Is the Newton’s Cradle a toy??

    Reply
  125. Logan

    I really liked the light bulb story

    Reply
  126. Joshua

    I love fishing!

    Reply
  127. Alivia

    That’s so neat!!

    Reply
  128. Hee-jeong

    I admire how Thomas Edison worked so hard and didn’t give up.

    Reply
  129. Kyser

    Me and my dad loves fishing

    Reply
  130. Abigayle

    Knew Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb..but was very interesting to learn he did it with bamboo by fishing! That was very cool!!

    Reply
  131. Maya

    It was cool to learn how fishing helped to create one of the greatest inventions of mankind.

    Reply
  132. Blake

    Wow I’ve never seen those original lightbulb photos! so cool! Also i love fishing!

    Reply
  133. Parker

    I never knew that fishing helped in that way! so cool and i love fishing!

    Reply
  134. Beckham

    I love the intelligence testing robot.

    Reply
  135. Josiah

    I still love these and I always will

    Reply
  136. Tull

    I knew that this is how Edison created the light bulb!

    Reply
  137. Conrad

    I love fishing!!!!

    Reply
  138. Sara

    Now this is neat my family fishes all the time but I never knew this information

    Reply
  139. Emily

    the rubics cube thing is cool

    Reply
  140. Taj

    I love fishing!!!

    Reply
  141. Farrah

    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.

    Reply
  142. Damian

    It’s crazy how the two things collided, awesome recollection of the beginning of the lightbulb, W video!

    Reply
  143. Jaycob

    Love science live!

    Reply
  144. Aiden

    i always liked Edison he gave us that light we really needed

    Reply
  145. Calli

    I love Newtons Cradle magnet things they are so interesting and fun in my opinion. It’s so cool how they work.

    Reply
  146. Mercedes

    Science live was amazing this week very informative.

    Reply
  147. Harper

    that’s a funny story love fishing

    Reply
  148. Declan

    Learning about Newton’s Cradle, energy, and electrons was very interesting. I just love Science. Such a great episode of Science Live!

    Reply
  149. Lillian

    Probably one of my favorite videos so far! It’s crazy how pretty much everything is connected to science!

    Reply
  150. Liam

    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!

    Reply
  151. Nicole

    Sometimes a change of scenery provides the best spark for innovation.

    Reply
  152. Bowie

    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.

    Reply
  153. Flora

    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!

    Reply
  154. Madelyn

    that was awsome

    Reply
  155. Pham

    Edison was lucky.

    Reply
  156. Emma

    It was really interesting how a simple fishing trip helped lead to such an important invention!

    Reply
  157. Sofia

    My favorite video

    Reply
  158. Bethel

    I like Thomas Edison

    Reply
  159. Kynlie

    Watching science live makes my whole week better

    Reply
  160. Shaine

    Wow I didn’t know this. Very cool,

    Reply
  161. Estelle

    I like the story of how the lightbulb was created

    Reply
  162. Reyna

    I really like the rubix cube, it is very neat 😀

    Reply
  163. Aubree

    i enjoyed it

    Reply
  164. Rheya

    i love science live

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Christopher Cancel reply

By clicking "Submit", you agree to our Terms & Conditions. Required fields are marked *