1. Only 10% of the energy in an average (conventional) light bulb is used to create light. The other 90% of the energy created by a light bulb produces heat. CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs) by contrast, use nearly 80% less electricity than average (conventional) bulbs and can last up to 12 times longer!
2. If you had superpowers and could travel as fast as electricity: You could probably win a race against Superman and go just about 186,411.358 miles per second (the speed of light). You could actually go around the entire earth 8 times in a row in the same time it takes to flip on a light switch!
3. Your bad hair day could be warning you of a strike: They say that you have a better chance at winning the lottery than you do at being struck by lightning, but that doesn’t mean being struck by lightning doesn’t happen. But when it comes to lightning strikes versus the lottery, lighting strikes can give you at least a little advanced notice. According to the article “Flash Facts About Lighting” by National Geographic, if your hair stands up in a storm, it could be a bad sign that positive charges are rising through you, reaching toward the negatively charged part of the storm. That's not a good sign! Your best bet is to get yourself immediately indoors.
4. You may have been slightly misinformed about where electricity got started: Contrary to what we’re commonly taught, Thomas Edison didn't invent the first light bulb! He did invent one that actually stayed lit for more than a few seconds, but the truth is, it took a team of many inventors to produce a functional light bulb that has evolved into the conventional bulbs we use most commonly. Thomas Edison did invent more than 2,000 products (including switches, fuses, meters and sockets), but he was in fact an assembler of the first research and development team at Menlo Park, NJ. (See Photos: 2013 Consumer Electronics Show Highlights Newest Technology.)
5. Turning off your electronics isn’t enough to save you money on your electricity bill:
In an average home, over 75% of the electricity used to power electronics is being consumed while the electronic product is turned off and still plugged in. A great example is your computer. Did you know that the average desktop computer (while plugged in and in idle mode) is idling at 80 watts. Your laptop? 20 watts. A gaming system like a Sony Playstation, whether idling or in use, uses an average of 200 watts. Idle power actually consumes more electricity than every solar panel in the United States combined!