# Lightbulb=Idea!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lightbulb-idea/98010>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 13, 2002, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lightbulb-idea/98010 "2002-03-13T06:27:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lightbulb-idea/98010/1 "2002-03-13T06:27:39Z")

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So, I’m curious–anybody know the origin of drawing a lightbulb over someones head when they have a “Bright Idea”? I’m thinking it must be Twentieth Century, because of the bulb, but I guess it could have been a candle at one time! Editorial cartoons go way back. Is the idea specific to one person? 😕 Anyone?

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**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lightbulb-idea/98010/2 "2002-03-13T06:33:49Z")

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WAG: Thomas Edison, perhaps?

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**Author:** ![bbeaty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bbeaty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbeaty)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lightbulb-idea/98010/3 "2002-03-13T14:10:28Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Earthling \*  
> \*\*WAG: Thomas Edison, perhaps? \*\*

Definitely Edison. The impact on that society was truely immense, so Thomas Edison with a thought-balloon containing a light bulb was the icon of the age. Don’t miss the symbology of a “light dawning in your mind.”

If Nikola Tesla had beat out Edison, then our symbol for having an idea would’ve been a little coil of wire suddenly appearing over your head? 🙂 Or more likely a lightning bolt. The Tesla icons still live on in modern society: to do a REAL science experiment you have to open the big doors on your roof and crank the huge coil into the sky. Igor, throw the Big Switch! Yeassss Neeeekola!