💡The Phoebus cartel established a 1,000-hour lifespan standard for incandescent light bulbs.
📉Longer-lasting bulbs were available but produced less light per watt.
⚖️The lifespan-efficiency trade-off was a physical reality that the cartel had to balance.
💡Efficiency was crucial for power generation companies included in the cartel.
🏭Mass-production made light bulbs affordable and not precious objects.
Was the Phoebus cartel involved in planned obsolescence?
—The Phoebus cartel, an arrangement between light bulb manufacturers, established a 1,000-hour lifespan standard. This trade-off between lifespan and efficiency is a debated topic of planned obsolescence.
Did longer-lasting light bulbs exist?
—Yes, longer-lasting light bulbs were available, but they produced less light per watt. The standard of 1,000 hours was chosen to optimize efficiency.
What influenced the decision for a 1,000-hour lifespan?
—The decision to establish a 1,000-hour lifespan was influenced by the trade-off between lifespan and quality of light output. There are also suggestions that power generation costs played a role.
Were light bulbs expensive and rare?
—Light bulbs were not expensive and rare; they could be mass-produced. The simple design made them affordable and readily available.
Did the Phoebus cartel solely control the light bulb industry?
—The Phoebus cartel was a literal oligopoly with documented collusion efforts. However, it did not have complete control over the light bulb industry.
00:00The Phoebus cartel established a 1,000-hour lifespan standard for incandescent light bulbs.
10:00Longer-lasting bulbs were available but produced less light per watt.
19:50The decision to establish a 1,000-hour lifespan was influenced by the trade-off between lifespan and quality of light output.
19:57Light bulbs were not expensive and rare; they could be mass-produced.
20:01The Phoebus cartel was a literal oligopoly with documented collusion efforts, but it did not have complete control over the light bulb industry.
