It is hanging there. Right now. In a fire station in Livermore, California, a tiny, hand-blown glass bulb is emitting a dim, orange glow. It has been doing this since 1901. People call it the Centennial Bulb, and honestly, it’s the most famous light that never goes out.
You’d think a piece of vacuum-sealed glass from the Victorian era would have shattered or fizzled out by the time the Ford Model T hit the streets. Instead, it survived two World Wars, the moon landing, and the entire rise and fall of the VHS tape. It is weird. It’s also a bit of an insult to every LED bulb you’ve bought that died after six months.
We live in a world of planned obsolescence. Your phone slows down after three years. Your dishwasher starts leaking the day the warranty expires. But in Fire Station 6, this 4-watt relic just keeps humming along. It isn't just a local curiosity; it’s a living piece of evidence in the debate over how we build things—and why we stopped building them to last.
The Secret Sauce of the Livermore Light
So, why hasn't it popped?
Most people assume there’s some magical "lost" technology involved. There isn't. The bulb was manufactured by the Shelby Electric Company in the late 1890s. It was designed by Adolphe Chaillet, a French inventor who was basically a rival to Thomas Edison.
The main difference between this bulb and the one in your kitchen is the filament. Modern incandescent bulbs use thin tungsten coils. Chaillet used carbon. But it wasn't just any carbon; it was an extraordinarily thick, hand-treated carbon filament. Because the filament is so thick, it can handle the heat.
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Also, it’s hardly "working" at all.
The bulb was originally rated for 60 watts. Today, it’s putting out about 4 watts of light. It’s barely a nightlight. Because it runs at such a low voltage, the carbon doesn't vaporize as quickly as it would if it were blazing bright. High heat is the enemy of longevity. By staying cool, the bulb stays alive.
The Phoebus Cartel and the Birth of "Breaking on Purpose"
You can't talk about a light that never goes out without talking about the conspiracy that changed manufacturing forever. In 1924, the world’s major light bulb manufacturers—including Osram, Philips, and General Electric—met in Geneva. They formed the Phoebus Cartel.
Before this meeting, bulbs lasted about 2,500 hours. The Cartel thought that was bad for business. If a bulb lasts forever, you only sell one.
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They decided to force every manufacturer to lower the lifespan of their bulbs to exactly 1,000 hours. If a company made a bulb that lasted 1,500 hours, they were actually fined. This isn't a conspiracy theory; it’s documented industrial history. They literally engineered failure into the product to ensure repeat customers.
The Livermore bulb survived because it was already installed before the Cartel started its nonsense. It’s a middle finger to the entire concept of planned obsolescence.
A History of Near Misses
It hasn't been a smooth 120-plus years. The bulb has been moved a few times. In 1976, when the fire department moved to a new station, they didn't just unscrew it. They were terrified the vibration would snap the ancient filament.
They cut the wire.
They had a police escort. A dedicated electrician moved it in a specially designed box. The whole town held its breath. When they plugged it back in at the new station, it flickered and then settled into that familiar, dull orange.
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There was also a scary moment in 2013. The bulb went dark. For a few hours, the internet (yes, it has a 24/7 webcam) went into mourning. People thought the streak was over. It turned out the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) had failed, not the bulb. Once the power was bypassed, it roared—well, glowed—back to life.
The Myth of the "Everlasting" LED
Today, we’re told LEDs are the ultimate solution. They’re marketed as lasting 20, 30, or even 50 years. But if you’ve ever had an LED "burn out" after two years, you know the marketing doesn't always match reality.
The LED chip itself might last 50,000 hours. The problem is the "driver"—the tiny circuit board inside the base of the bulb. These drivers are packed with cheap capacitors that hate heat. When the driver dies, the light dies.
It’s ironic. We have the most advanced lighting technology in human history, yet we often struggle to beat the lifespan of a carbon-filament bulb from 1901 because we refuse to build high-quality housing for the electronics.
What This Means for You
We probably won't see another light that never goes out in our lifetime, at least not in the consumer market. Economics just doesn't allow it. However, the Centennial Bulb teaches us three very real lessons about technology and sustainability:
- Under-driving works. If you want your electronics to last, don't run them at 100% capacity. Lowering the brightness on your screens or using "eco" modes on appliances reduces thermal stress.
- Simplicity is a feature. The Livermore bulb is just glass, carbon, and vacuum. No smart chips. No firmware updates. No moving parts. The more complex a device is, the more ways it has to fail.
- Thermal management is everything. The reason that bulb survives is that it stays relatively cool. Heat is the primary killer of almost all modern hardware, from your laptop CPU to your EV battery.
If you’re ever in Northern California, drive to Livermore. Go to Station 6. You can see it through the window. It’s small. It’s dim. But it’s a reminder that once upon a time, we knew how to build things that simply refused to quit.
Actionable Steps for Longevity
- Check your fixtures: If you use LEDs, make sure they are in open-air fixtures. Putting an LED in a sealed "jelly jar" light traps heat and kills the driver in months.
- Use Dimmer Switches: For both incandescent and certain LEDs, running at 90% power instead of 100% can exponentially increase the lifespan of the component.
- Invest in Quality Drivers: When buying LED strips or smart lighting, look for products with external drivers that can be replaced independently of the light source.
- Monitor your Voltage: If you find you are burning through bulbs constantly, you might have a "high voltage" issue in your home (e.g., 125V instead of 120V). A simple surge protector or power conditioner can save your gear.