Are you looking for an ingenious way to recycle your burnt-out light bulbs? You could transform them into tiny terrariums, repurpose them as flower vases, or even decorate them to be used as holiday ornaments. If you are more interested in practical applications, however, you can always use light bulbs to brew your morning coffee. YouTuber The Q has designed a one-cup coffee maker constructed from light bulbs that not only serves as a conversation piece but also demonstrates the importance of physics in everyday life.
According to YouTuber The Q: "A vacuum coffee maker operates as a siphon, where heating and cooling the lower light bulb changes the vapor pressure of water inside it. Water is pushed up (or pushed down) the siphon tube into (out of) the upper light bulb."
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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