I suppose that when Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, he may have considered that he was meeting certain obvious needs and addressing growing problems. In addition to the poor lighting provided by candles and kerosene lamps, fires were frequent. Poor lighting represented an encumbrance to productivity while fires represented a threat to safety. I doubt Edison’s zeal for invention was hindered by the obvious constraints of his day. How would his newly invented lights be powered? Would anyone be able to pay for the product after all the effort to manufacture it? In the