Fluorescent Lights
Why do fluorescent lights hum?
———- from Allison Allen ofMadison County, Iowa
Because they don’t know the words. Unlike incandescent lights, fluorescent lights can only remember the melody. Most are born with perfect pitch, while harmony is second nature to these long white tubes, especially harmonics of 60 cycles per second. Incandescent lights — first invented by Thomas Edison — are tone deaf yet they’re eloquent speakers. It’s not uncommon for a dim 40 watt bulb to recite the Gettysburg address verbatim. And I hear those new extended life bulbs can rattle off the entire dialogue to the film “Titanic.” Like anyone in show business, though, both fluorescent and incandescent lights are subject to burn out. Once this happens, they join the scrap heap of burnout’s and move to northern California.
Because they don’t know the words. Unlike incandescent lights, fluorescent lights can only remember the melody. Most are born with perfect pitch, while harmony is second nature to these long white tubes, especially harmonics of 60 cycles per second. Incandescent lights — first invented by Thomas Edison — are tone deaf yet they’re eloquent speakers. It’s not uncommon for a dim 40 watt bulb to recite the Gettysburg address verbatim. And I hear those new extended life bulbs can rattle off the entire dialogue to the film “Titanic.” Like anyone in show business, though, both fluorescent and incandescent lights are subject to burn out. Once this happens, they join the scrap heap of burnout’s and move to northern California. 