The Guy Who Didn’t Invent the Lightbulb
Listen to a story about Edison, the man who invented many things except that one
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What do you think, eh?
The words
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Word
Meaning
Invention (n.)
It’s a new thing that someone creates to solve a problem. Example: The smartphone is an important invention that changed daily life.
Profit (n.)
It’s the money a business earns after costs. Example: The company made a profit last year.
Improve (v.)
To make something better than before. Example: The team worked together to improve the design.
Electricity (n.)
It’s a kind of energy that powers lights and machines. Example: The storm cut off electricity in the city.
Create (v.)
To make something new. Example: Artists create work that shows their ideas
The story
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People around the world know Thomas Edison. Students learn he made things, like the light bulb. They also learn he worked alone at night. Edison worked a lot, but some stories are not true.
Edison once said he didn’t need to make new things. He could buy ideas from people. That’s what happened with the light bulb.
A man from England made it in 1845. Edison gave him some money for the idea. Then, people at Edison’s company changed it. In 1879, they made a better bulb. People bought i,t and Edison made lots of money.
Some people think he worked alone all night. Not true. He had a team working for his company. Sometimes there were 14 people. For example, he did not make the light bulb better. He paid other people to do that.
Edison was good at starting companies. One company made electricity. Today, that company is still working. It is called General Electric.
He used companies to buy ideas. Today, big companies like Google do the same thing. They buy small companies with a good idea. The true story about Edison helps us understand how to make a new idea. It doesn’t always come from hard work. We can sometimes find a new idea if we find an old one and change it.