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“These are xenon headlamps, also known as high intensity discharge headlamps or HID,” Uncle Gus said, as he looked at the display information. “I think xenon is a gas, too,” Emmett said. He used his phone to call up a web page about the periodic table. “Yep. Here it is. Xenon is a noble gas. Noble gases don’t react much with other elements, which makes them very useful in applications such as lighting.” Uncle Gus read more of the information. “It says here that xenon lights use less energy and yet produce a brighter light than halogen lamps. They last longer, too. I wonder why more peo- ple don’t use them.”

Incandescent Light Bulbs When someone in a cartoon gets a bright idea, a light bulb appears over their head. It’s probably one of those old-fashioned, bulb-shaped things instead of one of the more modern twisted bulbs. Those older ones are incandescent bulbs. The United States, and other countries around the world, are phasing out the production of these bulbs. As of January 1, 2014, the United States does not allow the manufacture or import of 40-watt or 60-watt incandescent light bulbs (right). But bulb makers have filled the void with a host of new and “greener” lighting solutions.

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