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<blockquote data-quote="spiney" data-source="post: 186383" data-attributes="member: 192438">Priority disputes can get quite complicated ......Yes, there's always been &quot;airbrushing&quot; of history, the worst offender currently being USA (due to global mass media domination, before that we did it!).But, relevant here, important inventions often appear simultaneously in several different places, when the general technological background has become &quot;right&quot;. Although, it then usually takes one &quot;pushy&quot; individual to develop and exploit each particular invention into a &quot;going concern&quot;. Certainly, Swann had a working light bulb before Edison. But, lots of other people were also looking for an alternative to the carbon arc lamp, as it was &quot;tricky&quot; and not suitable for domestic premises.See: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_light" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_light</a> .In Britian, electric light wasn't so important as in USA, because we already had a huge coal-gas distribution network, and widespread gas lighting. Most people have never seen gas lighting, but it's comparable to electric lighting, (with a nicer &quot;softer&quot; light). And during long winter nights in cold countries, there's the bonus of some heat.In Britain, gas lighting lasted well into the 1960s! I can just about remember it at my infants' school, and later on in some streets, where a man used to come round each evening to light the lamps, using a long pole. See: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_lighting" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_lighting</a> .(&quot;Greatest inventor ever&quot; is hard to define, but Edison was probably the most prolific ever. His early inventions in telegraphy made money, then he established a huge technology research centre at Menlo Park, from whence came the phonograph, cinema, and electic light and power systems (although, the &quot;foredoomed&quot; dc electricity distribution!). These were the 3 &quot;key inventions&quot; of the early 20th century (er, if you ignore the automobile and aeroplane)! The &quot;Edison Effect&quot; - in lightbulbs - also later led to thermionic valves (tubes), and the electronics industry and broadcasting.Edison worked largely be trial and error, following &quot;hunches&quot; which usually didn't pay off (he very famously said &quot;genius is 99% perspiration, 1% inspiration&quot;). But, he was also lucky enough to be around when things could still be invented by &quot;endless tinkering&quot;!See: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edison" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edison</a> ).</blockquote>

[QUOTE="spiney, post: 186383, member: 192438"] Priority disputes can get quite complicated ...... Yes, there's always been "airbrushing" of history, the worst offender currently being USA (due to global mass media domination, before that we did it!). But, relevant here, important inventions often appear simultaneously in several different places, when the general technological background has become "right". Although, it then usually takes one "pushy" individual to develop and exploit each particular invention into a "going concern". Certainly, Swann had a working light bulb before Edison. But, lots of other people were also looking for an alternative to the carbon arc lamp, as it was "tricky" and not suitable for domestic premises. See: [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_light"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_light[/URL] . In Britian, electric light wasn't so important as in USA, because we already had a huge coal-gas distribution network, and widespread gas lighting. Most people have never seen gas lighting, but it's comparable to electric lighting, (with a nicer "softer" light). And during long winter nights in cold countries, there's the bonus of some heat. In Britain, gas lighting lasted well into the 1960s! I can just about remember it at my infants' school, and later on in some streets, where a man used to come round each evening to light the lamps, using a long pole. See: [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_lighting"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_lighting[/URL] . ("Greatest inventor ever" is hard to define, but Edison was probably the most prolific ever. His early inventions in telegraphy made money, then he established a huge technology research centre at Menlo Park, from whence came the phonograph, cinema, and electic light and power systems (although, the "foredoomed" dc electricity distribution!). These were the 3 "key inventions" of the early 20th century (er, if you ignore the automobile and aeroplane)! The "Edison Effect" - in lightbulbs - also later led to thermionic valves (tubes), and the electronics industry and broadcasting. Edison worked largely be trial and error, following "hunches" which usually didn't pay off (he very famously said "genius is 99% perspiration, 1% inspiration"). But, he was also lucky enough to be around when things could still be invented by "endless tinkering"! See: [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edison"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edison[/URL] ). [/QUOTE]

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