The light bulb was also an iteration, and no Edison was not the inventor. Humphrey Davy (1802) was (or Warren de la Rue (1840) if you count the inclusion of a b

The light bulb was also an iteration, and no Edison was not the inventor. Humphrey Davy (1802) was (or Warren de la Rue (1840) if you count the inclusion of a bulb as a necessary distinguishing feature), and at least 22 people contributed to iterations on the idea before Edison and Swan commercialized it. Edison contributed a lot to the iterations that made incandescent light, phonographs and video production possible, but he certainly was not the sole inventor that people make him out to be. He was basically the first Steve Jobs. Shrewd business person, yes. Iterator, yes. Sole inventor, no. IMHO the myth of the sole inventor is one of the most destructive/unproductive notions I've encountered since it gives some very smart people the false impression that not only do they not need to work cooperatively with others, but that they might even be hindered by working with anyone not equally as brilliant as themselves. It's a myth that produces a toxic attitude that squanders the talents of some of the most talented. [0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incandescent_light_bulb#History http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incandescent_light_bulb#History