Washington, D.C.—The 100 Watt incandescent bulb, "phased out" for the sin of consuming too much energy and giving off too much heat, died on New Year's Day, 2012, at the age of 132.

He was survived (at least temporarily) by his cousins, the 75 watt, 60 watt and 40 watt incandescent.

He will be remembered fondly for his warm, homey glow, his gentle cooperation with dimmer switches and his flexibility and usefulness in all indoor-and-outdoor light fixtures. In the wintertime in the colder areas of the United States, including New England and the Pacific Northwest, he provided not just light but a steady warmth that reduced the heating bills by just a bit.

He had a simple, aesthetically pleasing design, so iconic it became known as the very symbol for ideas. It would be an exaggeration to say the 100 Watt ever had any ideas of his own, despite being a symbol of them.

Rarely could you find a more unpretentious fellow. Inexpensive, predictable and harmless—if a tad boring. For a glass globe, he was fairly hardy and wouldn't break that easily if you you squeezed him when twisting him in the socket. And if he did break, he had the good manners not to spew mercury all over the place. And he was never fussy: When you were done with him, you could throw him in the ordinary household trash.

The world moves on. And Progress comes, or at least, what some folks call progress. RIP, 100 Watt. You will be missed.