 The traditional light bulb, a groundbreaking invention in 1879. Other groundbreaking ideas from that time, the whalebone corset, the pedal-operated submarine, and the two-story outhouse. We've come a long way since then. It's time our light bulbs did the same. Visit energysavers.gov and learn about energy-saving light bulbs. See, these new bulbs are more efficient than the old ones, like a text message is more efficient than a carrier pigeon.