LIVERMORE, Calif. -- The world's longest shining light bulb, glowing in a fire station since 1901, has been challenged, so to speak, by an East Coast bulb, shining only since 1912.
Jack Gasnick, a New York City mechanical engineer whose company office houses a bulb going for 71 years, said in a letter to the 'Guiness Book of World Records' that he is 'suspicious and skeptical' of the California bulb, listed by Guiness as the record-holder.
He said he had seen newspaper photos of the bulb and it does not appear to be dark enough to be genuine.
'What bothers me about it is that there is no carbonization,' Gasnick said. 'If you have a light bulb at home for over six months, you're not going to have a clear bulb. It's going to be darkened inside.'
Another detail about the California bulb that bothers Gasnick is that it is too cool.
'How come I've seen pictures of people holding the socket, which should be too hot to touch?' Gasnick asked.
Livermore residents, who have been showing the bulb off to tourists for years, dismissed Gasnick's challenge.
'I'm confident that criteria used by Guiness officails is accurate and valid,' said Fire Chief Jack Baird. 'We're sticking to our guns on this one.'
