The Light Bulb Conspiracy (2010)

Published On: March 10, 2014
301 words
Views: 1965

The untold story of planned obsolescence. This is the story of companies who engineered their products to fail. This film criticizes the way manufacturers deliberately make short lasting products that continually have to be re-bought, increasing their profit.

Did you know that the lifetime of light bulbs once used to last for more than 2500 hours and was reduced on purpose to just 1000 hours? Did you know that nylon stockings once used to be that stable that you could even use them as tow rope for cars and its quality was reduced just to make sure that you will soon need a new one? Did you know that you might have a tiny little chip inside your printer that was just placed there so that your device will break after a predefined number of printed pages thereby assuring that you buy a new one? Did you know that Apple originally did not intend to offer any battery exchange service for their iPods/iPhones/iPads just to enable you to continuously contribute to the growth of this corporation?

This strategy was maybe first thought through already in the 19th century and later on for example motivated by Bernhard London in 1932 in his paper Ending the Depression Through Planned Obsolescence. The intentional design and manufacturing of products with a limited lifespan to assure repeated purchases is denoted as planned/programmed obsolescence and we are all or at least most of us upright and thoroughly participating in this doubtful endeavor. Or did you not recently think about buying a new mobile phone / computer / car / clothes / because your old one unexpectedly died or just because of this very cool new feature that you oh so badly need?

Published 2010 (IMDB Rating 8.1)

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    martijn monster
    martijn monster
    October 2, 2013 2:10 PM

    It’s a shame most people do not have interest in understanding the ways the
    system works and how it forces us to accept ridiculous behavior as normal.
    great documentary! I’ll share it :)

    RichardPhist100
    RichardPhist100
    October 4, 2013 7:04 PM

    Hello

    Eau Rouge
    Eau Rouge
    October 5, 2013 8:21 PM

    Thanks for sharing mate¡¡

    Mikael Hedin
    Mikael Hedin
    October 9, 2013 2:18 AM

    This youtube program is no more aloud and taken away in the “free” Sweden “

    shesnailie .
    shesnailie .
    October 10, 2013 8:44 AM

    Of course, now that everything is churned out by the People’s Lead & Puppy
    Grindery, Western Civilization no longer really benefits so much from
    planned obsolescence…

    shesnailie .
    shesnailie .
    October 10, 2013 8:57 AM

    @36:47 …what the fukushima!

    Alex D
    Alex D
    October 18, 2013 8:36 AM

    Start looking to Wall-E if you want to know what the future will be like.

    Mike Roberts
    Mike Roberts
    October 18, 2013 11:45 AM

    Funkyw4, The oldest light bulb has been burning since 1901, the light bulb
    industry will be fine. The point of this documentary is to provide some
    evidence and facts that our system is completely and utterly FLAWED and
    cannot continue on the path that it is on currently.

    Alvin Jorge
    Alvin Jorge
    October 18, 2013 3:54 PM

    I can clearly agree with you on that.

    Leon-ardo Ojo de Oro
    Leon-ardo Ojo de Oro
    October 19, 2013 8:57 PM

    what is the adress of the russian site?

    Hamza B
    Hamza B
    October 24, 2013 12:52 PM

    Thank you for this ill be sure to share it

    Nico Ene
    Nico Ene
    October 26, 2013 3:44 AM

    My stove and fridge are more than 20 years old and they work perfectly.I
    have new models as well, but they always break.

    Nico Ene
    Nico Ene
    October 26, 2013 3:44 AM

    My stove and fridge are more than 20 years old and they work perfectly.I
    have new models as well, but they always break.

    I am
    I am
    October 26, 2013 4:51 AM

    It blows my mind how little people wanna take interest in such
    things……. Not that I’m sayin’ midgets shouldn’t. It’s just weird.

    inervin
    inervin
    October 26, 2013 9:57 PM

    Just never forget – all talk about sustainability is come from Agenda 21,
    facsistoid concept created by the same greedy people to cover their real
    goals, total control and absolute power.

    BeatrixNuada
    BeatrixNuada
    October 28, 2013 7:38 PM

    I am a future economist and I wish we all could have longer lasting and
    fully recyclable products. I see why it is no wonder people do not import
    cheap efficient green energy solutions. Because it requires massive
    reconstruction, it is a game changer for which big companies are not
    willing to risk with. It makes all markets less dynamically inert. But it
    gives population stability and reliability to counter for a great
    depression and starvation. Even capitalists don’t have real interests in
    this

    Annan Fay
    Annan Fay
    October 29, 2013 12:23 AM

    “You see, without planned obsolescence these places wouldn’t exist. There
    wouldn’t be any products. There wouldn’t be any industry. There wouldn’t be
    any designers. […] All the jobs would go.” Instead of letting go half
    your staff. Why not reduce work hours by half? Give everyone two or three
    day work weeks. People get less money because they are only working 2-3
    days a week. However, would also spend less money on replacements. People
    would have more time to enjoy living.

    fleamarketmutt
    fleamarketmutt
    October 30, 2013 10:55 PM

    They recited “the pledge of alliance” to a American conspiracy against
    consumers

    Eldar Babakov
    Eldar Babakov
    November 1, 2013 7:08 PM

    36:43 Ironically enough , the battery of the photo camera is also almost
    dead

    eric5335
    eric5335
    November 2, 2013 6:00 PM

    What, really?!

    FernestHall
    FernestHall
    November 5, 2013 12:07 AM

    I think your tinfoil hat is some seizes to small. Don’t wear those which
    squeeze your brain.

    Corinne Chew
    Corinne Chew
    November 5, 2013 5:37 PM

    Cartels – setting a standard of obsolescence

    gabriel zaldivar
    gabriel zaldivar
    November 10, 2013 10:04 PM

    Watch this and think of all the products you have purchased since your
    ability to go to the store.

    Matt Heilman
    Matt Heilman
    November 17, 2013 8:00 PM

    I judge a Company/ Product, by how well it performs its function and how
    long it can preform that function.
    As for planned “Planned Obsolescence”: I see it more as failure due to low
    cost production.

    Hiran Karandeniya
    Hiran Karandeniya
    November 24, 2013 8:03 AM

    A must watch…

    David Andersen
    David Andersen
    December 1, 2013 7:00 AM

    It’s scarier to think of the market that can maintain a “planned
    obsolescence”. It would obviously be in the best interest of an upcoming
    entrepreneur to make a product “better” but can’t; because somehow the
    “free market” is in favor of those making the money and not buying the
    product.

    Abdou
    Abdou
    December 19, 2013 6:57 AM

    39:04 – those CRTs last for ever, but we been brain washed to buy flat
    panels, that are designed to fail promptly.

    Brian Hamilton
    Brian Hamilton
    December 27, 2013 3:26 AM

    This is an informative, thought provoking program. Don’t mind the Norwegian
    sub-titles.

    Paul thecat
    Paul thecat
    December 27, 2013 4:48 PM

    A nice bit of propaganda mostly, this is on a par with ‘Ralph Nader unsafe
    at any speed’ Who are this so called ‘cartel’ surely another business man
    would come in and offer a better product if they could. Most of this has to
    do with politicians and bureaucrats defining standards, rather than
    allowing the market to operate. All these so called environmental energy
    bulbs have arisen from government mandates not the market. For instance
    look at low level regulated markets such as the mobile phone- original cost
    in 1950’s $5000 size of a brick with no battery life, today you can run
    your life off one for a fraction of the cost, similarly a Bluetooth dongle
    original costs $300 in the 1990s today less than $4 ( and that’s not
    including inflation !!!!). Heavily regulated markets such as cars always
    increase in value, since bureaucrats and politicians interfere determining
    how much safety should be in there and how things should be tested. It is
    politicians and bureaucrats messing up the market, with which standards
    things should be held to.

    Stephen Dickens
    Stephen Dickens
    December 27, 2013 7:29 PM

    I think the real truth that some may have overlooked goes like this. Things
    are made to break, thats what keeps the money flowing, sad but true, and no
    I dont agree with that plan,,but that is how its all made and planned. For
    example any electronic device could be made to last way longer. Usually
    when lets say for example your TV croaks. Its one component that has gone
    bad or failed in it. But a circuit board can be made with several back ups.
    Meaning if one transistor failed, there could be three others wired into
    the board, with a microchip that would just switch it all over to use the
    second transistor if the first failed. And any number of backups could be
    added. But its not made that way, its made so when that one component fails
    in your TV or other device, you simply throw it away and buy another, and
    of course litter the world more. And it is rumored that if not already so,
    some day a program may be placed in a microchip to force your electronic
    device to fail after a certain time, like a timer. And you would either
    throw it away, or have the repair man reset the circuit to restart the
    timer all over again.

    Nayr747
    Nayr747
    January 1, 2014 3:21 AM

    Marcos’ should have just bought a laser printer. Inkjets suck down one of
    the most expensive liquids in the world even if it’s just sitting there not
    printing anything. Laser toner cartridges can last years and it’s a
    fraction of the price per page.

    Jeff Colard
    Jeff Colard
    January 10, 2014 5:38 PM

    I have been in the motorsports industry all my life and Ran a smog
    shop!Even in California with its clean air laws.Logic and reasoning would
    dictate that a car that consumes a volume of air 5 times more than the next
    would be undesirable! they only ask us to check the emissions of the gases
    based on parts per millon not volume So a small car with a motor
    of 1 liter produces and imits 1/5 the volume of a car with a 5 liter! the 5
    liter gar burns 5 times the oxygen out of the atmosphere While today all
    the car are clean burning,we still do not get it ,that Oxygen levels fall
    as we go up in the atmosphere and we are consuming the very elements that
    produce it! Knowledge does not equal power unless we use it with logic
    ,reasoning,and wisdom

    Coty Riddle
    Coty Riddle
    January 10, 2014 7:22 PM

    haha most parts in my computer are reused

    fywacia
    fywacia
    January 25, 2014 10:41 PM

    Are there any asshole professional skeptics and wannabe asshole skeptics
    who would like to debate me over the fact that rich people conspire to get
    richer? Some of you assholes even believe that the auto makers do not make
    cars that consume fuel at the rate that the oil companies want. Some of you
    are even stupid enough to think that the government has nothing to do with
    aiding these corporate thieves. So please step right up and challenge me
    with your bullshit skeptic crap, I’m waiting….

    Buzz Werd
    Buzz Werd
    January 26, 2014 4:32 AM

    How many people use electric every day? How many companies and signs and
    headlights? How much light and images?
    If everything uses many times the electricity needed, where does the
    electricity come from?
    Most of it comes from burning carbon. And the number of users and uses is
    billions even as the rate of use outstrips the ability to find and get more
    carbon since over 40 years ago and we have a very real problem with burning
    too much carbon.

    Sometimes you have to make a choice for efficiency when the alternative is
    lights OUT decades sooner if you don’t. We can’t go back by simply wishing
    or voting so.

    Read Consumer Reports before you buy an item or at least see what things
    you can buy refurbished since those items are repairable! The originals
    cost MORE and there is the rub, people buy cheap and quality is made less
    and less often because it is squeezed out, what sells shapes what gets made.

    Buy cheap crap, get cheap crap. Eat fast food while you’re at it then
    complain about that.

    TheOneTrueKaliban
    TheOneTrueKaliban
    January 27, 2014 7:45 AM

    So Londons’ idea was to fix an economic problem that was created by
    government tinkering by having the government tinker with it. :-/

    No WONDER he whispered about it.

    Robert Fisher
    Robert Fisher
    January 27, 2014 9:48 AM

    41 dayz. vs the one from 1901 = over 100 years. lol FUCK YOU

    DJtrainman261
    DJtrainman261
    January 28, 2014 9:21 AM

    I’m ten minutes in, and things are already not adding up.
    1. Light bulbs are supposedly forcibly kept to last no longer than 1000
    years. So what happened to compact fluorescent bulbs, and never mind LEDs,
    which practically last forever? And yes, LEDs are slowly getting into the
    home lighting business.
    2. They keep on talking about how things are made to break, and how
    supposedly every company is in some cartel to ensure that. However, I’ve
    seen quite a few things that pretty much defy that. For example, I’ve seen
    phones that are at least 10 years old, and working fine – I even used one
    for a half a year recently. I also have a computer that must be about 12
    years old sitting in my room – it might be a little slower than it was
    originally, but a simple Windows reinstall would fix that. And no, that’s
    not planned obsolescence, because you have every right to reinstall an OS
    on your computer without paying extra.
    3. Marketing something that lasts longer is simple, and it’s been done many
    times before. All I can say is look at the compact fluorescent bulb – it is
    being purchased more and more than “standard” light bulbs. Sure, there are
    often trends to buy things that don’t last as long, the computer industry
    comes to mind now, creating super slim laptops where you can’t even replace
    the battery of all things – however, that’s specifically because people are
    looking for more lighter and especially slimmer computers, which are hard
    to make if you have to account for swapping parts. Not to mention, many
    computers are still being sold that have exchangeable parts.

    Bryan Lightningrod
    Bryan Lightningrod
    January 29, 2014 4:13 PM

    dude inkjet printers are just basically stupid anyways, there shouldn’t be
    any reason to print anything out really, if so send it to a print shop who
    uses things besides inkjet printers and can print out quality. Also, people
    would sue the print company if the printer did get ink all over the place
    or just basically think it was a crappy printer. Talk about the complete
    waste of money the injet cartridges are, they cost more than the entire
    printer a lot of times. Also things like computers should be obsoleted
    because would you like to be working on a mac or pc from the 80’s? I doubt
    it. A lightbulb from 1900 sux compared to a led bulb today. The things
    that should be got rid of are cars and airplanes because the fuel they use
    and the death they cause.

    BankaiIchigo12345
    BankaiIchigo12345
    January 31, 2014 12:11 AM

    Can’t understand half of it because it’s in some foreign language.

    jeanious2009
    jeanious2009
    January 31, 2014 2:58 PM

    It was designed to FAIL.=-= STILL GOING ON TODAY. with everything.

    jeanious2009
    jeanious2009
    January 31, 2014 2:59 PM

    its all because of GREED, without it there would be no need for a 1000hr
    light bulb…but for a LIFE LONG bulb. This goes for other electronics and
    items.

    Reptilian
    Reptilian
    January 31, 2014 8:40 PM

    I wonder why didn’t competition rule out the need for planned obsolesce? I
    mean, didn’t companies back then always claim their stuff lasted the
    longest and worked better than the competitor’s products? Why would a
    crisis arise from that problem? Now I realize that companies even if they
    don’t really have to. I mean, what kind of dumb company would invest time
    and money spending on materials to built a lasting product when they can
    hire chinese child laborers and use the cheapest crap available and just
    say that new products that they make are simply better, even though they’re
    the same shit.

    Robert Gift
    Robert Gift
    February 4, 2014 12:40 AM

    The fire station filament is obviously undervoltaged. Will last far longer
    than if brighter at its designed voltage. Is very inefficient when
    undervoltaged.
    Calculate how much money it co$t to operate.

    eamh2002
    eamh2002
    February 6, 2014 5:52 PM

    some months ago I measured a lightbulb power draw, it was 20watts although
    the bulb was 40watts. The bulb was brighter than a “power saving” lamp with
    11w (claimed equal to 60w bulb). It was about 3times brighter than the
    11watt energy saver with only 2times the power.

    So WTF? Lightbulbs with equal measured watts actually outperform “energy
    saving” crap.

    DoodiePunk
    DoodiePunk
    February 9, 2014 3:48 AM

    Russian propaganda: They exploit the weakness of capitalism and flatter
    communism, but hey, they didn’t mention how people have been living under
    communism. It’s OK to learn from others’ experiences, but this documentary
    is way too flattery to tyranny. There’s definitely an error with the
    economy and it needs to be upgraded, but not by communism.

    Steve Chering
    Steve Chering
    February 11, 2014 8:16 AM

    Fascinating documentary a wake up call to all!

    Steve Chering
    Steve Chering
    February 11, 2014 8:23 AM

    And all the LED bulbs in UK are priced at an almost out of reach sum..for those wanting to cut back on power consumption..and most of the bulbs in IKEA are of screw in fitting and UK are all bayonet types.. so you have to then change all the fittings in the house.so in effect..you have to spend more cash to save…..LESS! outrageous for a so called Green economy? The massive swindle continues.!

    Man Fung Wong
    Man Fung Wong
    February 11, 2014 10:19 AM

    Just found out my hp laptop default cooling kicks in when 60C is reach, no
    wonder my laptop overheats! Download a modded BIOS, simply adjust the
    temperature to 50C solved my overheat issue.

    Vente Interdite
    Vente Interdite
    February 12, 2014 7:48 PM

    The World is big enough to satisfy everyone’s needs, but will always be too
    small to satisfy individual greed. Mahatma Ghandi.

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