Invention & innovation

THOMAS Edison, one of the greatest inventors ever to have lived, is best known for inventing a long-lasting, practical electric electric bulb. And although the value of this invention is undeniable, we don't consider it to be Edison's biggest invention. In fact, there were at least 22 inventors of bulbs prior to Edison, yet it was his version of the device that has been widely adopted.

At the time of inventing the light bulb, there was no easy way to procure electricity, so all other lamp designs remained a curious novelty. What Edison did differently…