How many forum members does it take to change a light bulb?

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The discussion humorously explores the question of how many forum members it takes to change a light bulb, illustrating the typical dynamics of online forums. It highlights various roles members might take, such as changing the bulb, sharing experiences, cautioning about dangers, and debating terminology. The conversation includes arguments over the correct spelling of "light bulb," with some insisting on "lamp" as the proper term. Members also engage in tangents about the relevance of the topic to the forum, with debates on the best methods and brands for light bulbs, as well as links to external resources. The thread reflects the chaotic and often humorous nature of online discussions, where a simple question can lead to extensive, off-topic exchanges, showcasing the culture of internet forums.
  • #51
Let's go back to the beginning, which came first,

the light or the bulb?


Then one must ask, how do they put the light in the bulb and keep it there until ready for use. :biggrin:
 
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  • #52
Astronuc said:
Let's go back to the beginning, which came first,

the light or the bulb?


Then one must ask, how do they put the light in the bulb and keep it there until ready for use. :biggrin:
The domesticated bulb came along no later than 1000 AD. It's unknown how long untamed bulbs have roamed the Earth.http://www.holland.nl/uk/holland/sights/tulips-history.html

Light came along either on Aug 13, 3114 BCE (Mayan), March 29, 3760 BCE (Jewish), Oct 23, 4004 BCE (Ussher), 5199 BCE (Maria de Agreda), 13.7 x 10^9 BCE (plus or minus 200,000 years), 77,760 x 10^9 BCE (Puranic Hinduism), 155 x 10^12 BCE (current iteration of the universe).

Since the earliest possible date for the bulb is unknown, the results are inconclusive.
 
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  • #53
Don't make things too complicated, since at the beginning God said: '...and let there be a bulb.'
 
  • #54
Artman said:
I think ...
Liar!

I'll get you next time.
 
  • #55
Artman said:
Yeah, it's pretty dim. I think maybe it is you. :biggrin: :-p
I bet he didn't see that coming. :-p
 
  • #56
Where's the environmental impact statement?
 
  • #57
radou said:
Don't make things too complicated, since at the beginning God said: '...and let there be a bulb.'
Yeah, but his was filled with hydrogen.

http://www.airforcetimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2333360.php

Of course, it takes a hell of a lot of PFers to change the bulb.
 
  • #58
Gokul43201 said:
Is it just me or is it still dark in here?
http://www.xtratime.com/forum/images/smilies/shades.gif
 
  • #59
That's what happens when a light bulb burns out. Light bulbs are electrically-powered darkness-suckers and when they fail, the darkness leaks back out of them. This is especially annoying in windowless rooms because the bulbs have to suck up a LOT of darkness, and when they fail, it all comes back out, making the room so dark that you have to lug in a portable hand-held darkness-sucker just to be able to change the one mounted on the ceiling.
 
  • #60
skywise said:
* 5 to flame the spell checkers

Mmmm...sweet fire. So many memories.

Can I do this?
 
  • #61
turbo-1 said:
That's what happens when a light bulb burns out. Light bulbs are electrically-powered darkness-suckers and when they fail, the darkness leaks back out of them. This is especially annoying in windowless rooms because the bulbs have to suck up a LOT of darkness, and when they fail, it all comes back out, making the room so dark that you have to lug in a portable hand-held darkness-sucker just to be able to change the one mounted on the ceiling.
We have an outdoor light at my house that I had to put a 40 watt bulb in one time. My wife called it, "A Dark."

Can I do this?
I don't know. Can you? You may do this. :-p :biggrin:

:rolleyes: Actually, with my poor spelling and grammar, I ought to keep real quiet here. :rolleyes:
 
  • #62
Technically, the lightbulb is replaced, not changed.
 
  • #63
o:) what's a light bulb?
 
  • #64
The lightbulb is a symbol of American corporatism and fascist conspiracy! Big Bulb™ is pulling the shades over the eyes of the public, and keeping us all in the dark about the evilness of bulbs. Christianity tells us:

And ye, though one shalt come who showeth the way with the bulb of light, watch not, though ye may be tempted, for ye shalt surely suffer a death of the soul worse than any mortal pain

Luce 4:13

Haliburton spent forty billion dollars on light bulb advertisement last year. Why? Because they secretly implanted a brain control generator in each light bulb they sold! You're all mindless consumer slaves, bent to the will of Big Bulb™ and its subsidiaries! Don't let them take you, or you'll never be free again!

The war in Iraq isn't about terrorism or oil, it's about bulbs! Hussein was a liberal-minded safety conscious man, who banned light bulbs in order to protect his people! Haliburton wanted to expand their market, so they told Bush to invade Iraq so they could give people light bulbs! Same thing with Cuba! Castro banned light bulbs in 1985, and since then his people may be poor, but at least they're free! The Bay of Pigs was actually about smuggling light bulbs into the country, so they could mind control people! It worked! That's why people still try to sail to america!If you do not post this message at least ten times by tomorrow, the ghost of a friend will haunt you for a year. If you do, your true love will surprise you with a present next friday!
 
  • #65
Ki Man said:
Technically, the lightbulb is replaced, not changed.

Once again, you've completely missed the point of the process.

Light bulbs are an aesthetic means of setting tungsten atoms free into the atmosphere. The tungsten filament in a light bulb can reach 4000 degrees Fahrenheit. At that temperature, tungsten atoms will fly off of the filament and collect on the inside of the bulb's glass. The glass quickly darkens and the filament quickly disintegrates. To force a more even and complete disintegration (and to prolong the pleasure), light bulbs are filled with argon gas which bounces many of the tungsten atoms right back onto the filament. Eventually, the filament will have expelled so many tungsten atoms it will disintegrate.

Once the filament has disintegrated to the point that it's no longer possible to heat it via an electric current, the next phase of the transformation begins. The bulb now has a nice coating of tungsten atoms on the inside of the glass and is normally placed in a packing container prior to shipment to the local landfill. (As a side effect, a socket is now available to begin the transformation process on a new light bulb).

The bulb is then transported via truck to the landfill. If properly packaged, the other contents in the package will crush the bulb freeing the tungsten atoms into the local environment. If all goes well, the tungsten will leach into the local water table, where it will be ingested by livestock, animals and humans. In the human body, it's believed by some that a large enough concentration of tungsten can undergo one final transformation, participating in the development of luekemia.

The act of removing a light bulb from the socket and placing in an approved packing container for shipment is just one change in a multi-step transformation. You shouldn't focus in on one step in a major change process. It's important not to lose sight of the forest for trees.
 
  • #66
i love the original post. i am not going to m ake it come true by reading any of the others.
 
  • #67
Has anybody mentioned the 12.4 PFers who need to PM mentors to tell them there's a blown lightbulb?
 
  • #68
If a light bulb burns out in a room and there is no one around to see it...
Does it still get dark?
 
  • #69
mezarashi said:
Hi,

I'm the guy 3 years from the original post, and I've changed light bulbs in the past too! They're great!

No! Light bulbs are vile, twisted creations. Just look at the evidence

http://media.www.dailynorthwestern.com/media/storage/paper853/news/2000/10/04/City/BurntOut.Bulb.Causes.Fire.Scare.In.Kresge.Evacuation-1904905.shtml

Burnt-out bulb causes fire

http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55213

So, last month, the Prospect, Maine, resident went out and bought two dozen CFLs and began installing them in her home. One broke. A month later, her daughter's bedroom remains sealed off with plastic like the site of a hazardous materials accident, while Bridges works on a way to pay off a $2,000 estimate by a company specializing in environmentally sound cleanups of the mercury inside the bulb.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoebus_cartel

The cartel served as a convenient way to lower costs and decrease the life expectancy of light bulbs, while at the same time hiking prices, without fear of competition. Standardisation of Lightbulbs was another side-effect of the cartel.

The Phoebus Cartel divided the world’s lamp markets into three categories:

1. home territories, the home country of individual manufacturers
2. British overseas territories, under control of Associated Electrical Industries, Osram, Phillips, and Tungsram
3. common territory, the rest of the world

http://www.osha.gov/dts/hib/hib_data/hib19970715.html

Potential Fire with Florescent Light Bulbs

http://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q5304.html

The light bulbs that you refer to are most likely "Compact Fluorescent"
bulbs. These light bulbs may contain the radioactive material
promethium-147 (147Pm) in a "sealed glow (starter) switch."
The amount of 147Pm in each bulb can be 0.33 microcuries (the same as
330 nanocuries or nanoCi). Such light bulbs also contain mercury
metal-vapor and phosphor powder, which are hazardous materials. An
example of an MSDS for such light bulbs is
The research shows it's obvious... light bulbs are designed to destroy civilization, and this fact is suppressed by a cartel of the most powerful corporations in history! They must be stopped now!
 
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  • #70
Time to bump this, start with the first post.
 
  • #71
Can we add:

* 2 (Dave and Leroy) to argue with each other over semantics for 3 pages, eventually going back and forth about things which have nothing to do with light bulbs or their installation.
 
  • #72
Dembadon said:
Can we add:

* 2 (Dave and Leroy) to argue with each other over semantics for 3 pages, eventually going back and forth about things which have nothing to do with light bulbs or their installation.
Lol.
 
  • #73
Is this thread still valid?

I don't even use incandescent bulbs anymore. I've slowly switched to the energy saving flourescents. I even had to buy new covers for some of the ceiling fixtures to account for the difference in size.

http://www.lighthousesupply.com/ProductImages/CF-SPIRAL.jpg

I don't think I've actually had to change one of these new bulbs, yet. Do you still use the same procedures?

When they fall on the floor and break, can you still pick up the smaller pieces by licking your finger and pressing it to the tiny glass fragment?

Has anybody seen a cartoon flourescent spiral bulb above someone's head to signify an idea, yet?
 
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  • #74
How do you switch without changing?
 
  • #75
I sincerely hope everyone here is following fire code or I will have to report you to Fire Marshall Bill.

fire-marshall-bill.jpg
 
  • #76
Gale said:
hey, i just changed a lightbulb... man it was so awesome. i like, turned it, and it came out... i burned my fingers at first though, cause it was still hot from being turned on. Also, it was very hard, because once the light was out, i couldn't see any more because it was dark. i also dropped the dead light bulb and broke it on the floor, but i didn't really worry, since i couldn't see where the glass shards were anyway. then i forgot to turn off the switch, so when the bulb was screwed in a little, it nearly blinded me. But, the bulb was changed! woooot

I think you're lying! Either you changed a perfectly healthy light bulb, which was idiotic, or you didn't burn your fingers! You can't have it both ways.

I'll take your failure to respond as confirmation that I'm right!
 
  • #77
It takes zero members to change a lightbulb. Random quantum fluctuations will deal with it eventually.
 
  • #78
twisting_edge said:
That was my answer:

None: Both CRTs and flatscreens are self-illuminating.

(I'm one of the "me too"s.)

Me three. :biggrin: :-p

But obviously, the correct term here is "bright thingy". All of you who say "light bulb" are wrong.
 
  • #79
In the beginning Greg created PF and the lounge.
And the lounge was without form, and void;
and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
And the Spirit of Greg moved upon the face of the waters.
And Greg screwed in a lightbulb and there was light.
 
  • #80
Jimmy Snyder said:
In the beginning Greg created PF and the lounge.
And the lounge was without form, and void;
and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
And the Spirit of Greg moved upon the face of the waters.
And Greg screwed in a lightbulb and there was light.

Hence, any attempt to change a light bulb will be against the will of Greg. Changing light bulb comes under religious activity, which is against the PF rules and not allowed.

And if you try to change a light bulb, Greg will send you to a special place outside PF, of burning and fire and smoke and torture and anguish for you to live forever, and suffer and burn and scream until the end of time. But Greg loves you.
 
  • #81
Jimmy Snyder said:
In the beginning Greg created PF and the lounge.
And the lounge was without form, and void;
and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
And the Spirit of Greg moved upon the face of the waters.
And Greg screwed in a lightbulb and there was light.

jobyts said:
Hence, any attempt to change a light bulb will be against the will of Greg. Changing light bulb comes under religious activity, which is against the PF rules and not allowed.

And if you try to change a light bulb, Greg will send you to a special place outside PF, of burning and fire and smoke and torture and anguish for you to live forever, and suffer and burn and scream until the end of time. But Greg loves you.
<wipes monitor> Buwahahaha
 
  • #82
Evo said:
<wipes monitor> Buwahahaha

That "Buwahahaha" requires some explanation.

Greg might seem as if he's leading some cult, what with this Sisterhood and such, but the truth is a little scarier, as is revealed by this dialogue from the Member Photo Thread:

BoulderHead said:
Hello Greg, I'm wondering who must look at your attachments above then make a call on whether or not they should be allowed for general viewing?

Greg Bernhardt said:
I don't understand :confused:

BoulderHead said:
Sorry about the confusion but I noticed initially the images you attached were pending approval. I thought Evo alone may have had the power to approve, which caused me to snicker considering your position.

Greg Bernhardt said:
The truth has been let out. Yes, evo has a special leash around me! :-p
 
  • #83
jobyts said:
And if you try to change a light bulb, Greg will send you to a special place outside PF, of burning and fire and smoke and torture and anguish for you to live forever, and suffer and burn and scream until the end of time.

chemicalforums.com?
 
  • #84
jobyts said:
Hence, any attempt to change a light bulb will be against the will of Greg. Changing light bulb comes under religious activity, which is against the PF rules and not allowed.

And if you try to change a light bulb, Greg will send you to a special place outside PF, of burning and fire and smoke and torture and anguish for you to live forever, and suffer and burn and scream until the end of time. But Greg loves you.

You forgot to remind people to donate to the church of physicsforums.com.
 
  • #85
BobG said:
I think you're lying! Either you changed a perfectly healthy light bulb, which was idiotic, or you didn't burn your fingers! You can't have it both ways.

That's not true. If you were using the light when it burned out and you changed it right away with a light bulb from the closet where you keep new light bulbs, it could still be hot.
Not every one procrastinates :-p

jobyts said:
And if you try to change a light bulb, Greg will send you to a special place outside PF, of burning and fire and smoke and torture and anguish for you to live forever, and suffer and burn and scream until the end of time. But Greg loves you.

He'll send you to Sunday chat?
 
  • #86
Greatest. Necropost. Ever.

Why isn't this thread stickied?
 
  • #87
Pengwuino said:
Greatest. Necropost. Ever.

Why isn't this thread stickied?
Peng is right, this was posted: May14-04, 01:57 AM I am surprised it still is around because some of the members who posted have long since vanished.

Rhody...
 
  • #88
rhody said:
... some of the members who posted have long since vanished.

They didn't just vanish. Greg sent them to a special place outside PF.
 
  • #89
Aren't they in a constant state of change?

Bulbs that is.
 
  • #90
skywise said:
* 1 forum lurker to respond to the original post 6 months from now and start it all over again.

This is incorrect. It's happened several times since 2004.
 
  • #92
ROFL! That JOKE WAS TOO EPIC! XDDDD
 
  • #93
Artman said:
Aren't they in a constant state of change?

Bulbs that is.

The dimmest bulbs never seem to change.
 
  • #95
I vote we use OmCheeto's light bulb has has in his Avatar's mouth, that is being creative now, isn't it OM ? hehe...

Rhody...:devil: :biggrin:
 
  • #96
I *LOVE* this thread.
 
  • #97
What's a "light bulb?"
 
  • #98
And one more who decides to post a random lightbulb meme.
[PLAIN]http://chzmemebase.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/memes-troll-science-infinity-power.jpg
 
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  • #99
Time to bump.
 
  • #100
I think that everyone should use green lighting technology.

Green-Conscious-Jump-R_jpg_600x1000_q85.jpg
 

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