A flash of inspiration is known as a light-bulb moment. In an instant, things become clear, like items in a room when you flip on a light switch.

But soon we’ll need a new cliché. The latest light bulbs don’t spring to life. Compact fluorescent bulbs warm up slowly, only eventually giving off as much light as an incandescent bulb gives right away.

The new bulbs are more expensive than traditional bulbs, and have other significant drawbacks. For example, they contain mercury. In some states, it’s illegal to throw the bulbs in the trash -- they must be taken to a hazardous waste facility.

And heaven forbid you accidentally break a fluorescent bulb. If that happens, the Environmental Protection Agency recommends you turn off the heating or air conditioning, clear the room and air it out for at least 15 minutes.

After that, “Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag,” the agency advises. Then use duct tape to pick up any remaining shards of glass.

If you use a vacuum, “Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag” once you’re finished. And “the next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window prior to vacuuming.”

Also, don’t forget to check to see whether your state requires you to deal with the bulb as hazardous waste.

Still, when they don’t break, the fluorescent bulbs are better in many ways. They last longer, use less electricity and throw off less heat. Consumers will reportedly save about $30 over the life of each bulb.

But that raises an interesting question: If the new bulbs are “superior in every measurable way,” as the Mankato (Minnesota) Free Press put it in an editorial, why did Congress need to make traditional incandescent bulbs illegal?

That’s right. As part of the energy bill passed last year, lawmakers phased out traditional bulbs. In a few years they’ll be outlawed, which could lead to a large black market in “Soft White” light bulbs. Continued...