Thomas Edison was called a wizard, which was a good nickname for one of historys most famous inventors and the holder of more than 1,000 patents. Often improving upon the ideas of others, Edison and his assistants perfected the incandescent lightbulb, and created the first successful electrical power system, the alkaline battery, and the phonograph, which played recorded sound. Edisons modern industrial research laboratory was one of the first, and he helped to start the motion picture industry. For more information, read Electromagnetism, another book in the Mission: Science series.