Did Edison Make a 'Wonder Material, Graphene' 125 Years Before Its Official Creation?   Science Alert - January 29, 2026

Inventor Thomas Edison is known for being ahead of his time, and a new study could add another notch to his overachieving belt. Researchers at Rice University suggest Edison may have inadvertently created graphene in 1879 - a "wonder material" that wasn't officially made until 125 years later.

Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 - October 18, 1931) was the quintessential American inventor and businessman in the era of Yankee ingenuity. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, which include the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and early versions of the electric light bulb, have had a widespread impact on the modern industrialized world. He was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of organized science and teamwork to the process of invention, working with many researchers and employees. He established the first industrial research laboratory.

Edison was raised in the American Midwest. Early in his career he worked as a telegraph operator, which inspired some of his earliest inventions.

In 1876, he established his first laboratory facility in Menlo Park, New Jersey, where many of his early inventions were developed. He went into business and became wealthy. Edison used his fortune to further his passion for invention. This was realized in experimental mining operations, the first film studio, and 1,093 US patents.

Edison began his career in 1863, in the adolescence of the telegraph industry, when virtually the only source of electricity was primitive batteries putting out a low-voltage current.

Before he died, in 1931, he had played a critical role in introducing the modern age of electricity. From his laboratories and workshops emanated the phonograph, the carbon-button transmitter for the telephone speaker and microphone, the incandescent lamp, a revolutionary generator of unprecedented efficiency, the first commercial electric light and power system, an experimental electric railroad, and key elements of motion-picture apparatus, as well as a host of other inventions.

Edison was the seventh and last child - the fourth surviving - of Samuel Edison, Jr., and Nancy Elliot Edison. At an early age he developed hearing problems. Whatever the cause, Edison's deafness strongly influenced his behavior and career, providing the motivation for many of his inventions. Read more