I beg to differ. Binary ensures the transistors in microprocessors have two basic states. Imagine a scenario with the decimal system and the associated circuity along its complexity.
Edison's lab was absolutely instrumental in developing a commercially viable incandescent light bulb, but Edison didn't actually invent the first light bulb. There were several others who preceded his lab's work, such as de Moleyns, Swan and Woodward & Evans. Edison bought the rights to the earlier patent of Woodward and Evans and he partnered with Swan to avoid disputed claims. You might even claim Volta produced the first incandescent light.
This is a very intricate question, and I am torn between two individuals, George Boole (of Boolean Algebra) and Claude Shannon (Information Theory). Although Shannon did not (physically) invent anything, he invented 'Information Theory' in which he discussed binary digits as bits as a carrier of information; for the first time ever. His information theory formed the basis for communication systems (arguably, communication within computers as well), and he would not have arrived at that had he not studied Boolean Algebra.
The light bulbs and vacuum tubes used to be the amplifier in radios. They worked like transistors but were never "called transistors"(I gues it is because they are not semiconductors. But that could just be my idea.)
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