In 1901, the Livermore Fire Department in California decided it was time to try that newfangled “electricity” thing all the kids were jabbering about. So they installed electrical lighting in the station, complete with modern light bulbs and everything.

And 110 years later, one of those original bulbs is still doing its thing.

When you look at the statistics, this is truly mind-boggling: Old-style incandescent light bulbs should only last a few thousand hours, while newer bulbs can go up to 25,000 hours with moderate use. The Livermore bulb, by comparison, has been in near-continuous use for over 110 years, and hasn’t been turned off since 1976. That time period alone is well over 300,000 hours.

When they all verified that the bulb was actually the oldest functioning one in the world, the town went nuts

Read more: 5 Historic Artifacts You Won’t Believe Still Work | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/article_19724_5-historic-artifacts-you-wont-believe-still-work.html#ixzz1pvXPdbXT

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Some—and possibly most—distributors and retailers may choose to follow the laws anyway. Anyone who would like to ignore them, however, will be free to do so without impunity until at least September 30, 2012.

Assuming EISA’s lighting rules have their intended effect, compact fluorescent bulbs will account for a majority of light bulbs sold in the United States, serving alongside the select halogen incandescent bulbs that meet the updated efficiency requirements. This hard-earned era of dominance, how­ever, may be short-lived.

That’s not to say LEDs are ready competitors to CFLs. There are few lamps on the market, and almost none are 100-plus-watt equivalents. Then there is the price: In the world of LEDs, $20 is a bargain. Fifty dollars is the norm.

Whether the EISA rules achieve their goals remains to be seen. In one way, however, they have already been a failure. The perception of the ban as a regula­tory overreach has merit: It does more than encourage lower energy use; it limits choice in situations where incandescent bulbs might be preferable.

In the end, consumers are best served by ignoring the rhetoric and trying new bulbs for themselves. And while an open mind will find a lot to like in the alien lighting aisle of 2011, don’t worry if you feel the lingering urge to stockpile a box or two of those old-style bulbs—just in case.