Rick bought a light bulb at Home Depot that turned into more of a geography test. The question it poses: is there anywhere in the world that has an average of three hours of darkness year-round? The answer: no. Which means that the claims on the front of this light bulb package contradict each other.

He wrote:

Hi, I purchased this Phillips CFL bulb at Home Depot. It says on the front, “Energy Saver Automatic Postlight” “Turns on at Dusk, off at Dawn” and “Last 7 Years (see back for details)”.

On the back it says “based on 3 hours average use per day/7 days per week”. I’d like Phillips to show me on a map a place where nighttime is an average of 3 hours per day. Please!

The 3 hours use claim is perfectly rational for an outdoor light that doesn’t use its awesome photosensor abilities as a selling point. Either the bulb lasts 7 years, or you’re supposed to leave it on all night. Pick a side, Philips.

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