I recently decided to start a new video series on the modern history of light.<p>You may be surprised to learn that street lighting (as we know it) was relatively uncommon until the mid 1800s. Up until about 200 years ago, new lighting technology developments tended to take place centuries apart. That all changed with the advent of open-flame gas lighting.<p>In the first video in my Story of Light series, I cover the development of gas lighting, the pros and cons of the technology, and the inventions that led to its downfall. If you know where to look, however, you can still find gas lamps today.