M.J. Rose

“Some mysteries never dim with time. One of them is hanging from an electrical wire in Livermore.

At Livermore Fire Station No. 6 is a lightbulb that has not burned out in 110 years. Nobody, even in this golden age of technology, knows why. And no one wants to unscrew the bulb to find out.

“It still gives that warm, comfy glow,” said retired Livermore fire Division Chief Lynn Owens. “In this transient modern world, this lightbulb is really something you can trust. And nobody knows the mystery of it.”

The lightbulb is about 3 inches long and slightly rounder than a modern lightbulb. Inside the hand-blown glass is a jumble of carbon filament that radiates about 4 watts of soft orange light – about the strength of a nightlight.

Its workings may be a mystery, but it’s probably the most well-documented lightbulb in history…”