It's only been two years since we bid farewell to the incandescent light bulb and already, they may be making a return.
According to Fast Company, scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a highly efficient version of the incandescent bulb, one that may rival its environmentally friendly replacement, the LED.
The main problem with traditional incandescent bulbs lies in the amount of energy required form them to work. Fast Company explains that incandescent lights use electricity to heat up a tiny metal filament in the middle of the bulb to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and most of that electricity ends up wasted as heat.
The new lightbulb invented by MIT still works by heating up a metal filament, but in this case, they use an optimized version that absorbs excess light. Phonetic crystals inside the bulb reflect heat back at the filament, so less electricity is needed to reach its optimal heat.
In short, MIT's bulbs are three times as efficient as traditional incandescent lights, and even better than some of the LEDs we're using now, according to Gizmodo.
That doesn't mean LEDs are going away any time soon. They do preserve a significant amount of energy, and can last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs, according to Energy.gov. Plus, modern LEDs are more versatile than their earlier iterations. You can find them in virtually any shape, and even purchase ones that change color to sync with your favorite music. Brilliant.
