Miners' lamp. Bottom section of an early prototype for a miners' safety lamp, designed by Sir Humphrey Davy in 1815. This was intended to prevent explosions due to 'fire damp', a mixture of gases including methane, found in coal mines. In this early design, small holes in the base allow a flow of air through the lamp and are led away at the top. A candle burning inside only has a restricted amount of oxygen in which to burn at any moment. If the air entering the lamp contains fire damp the flame burns brighter, using more oxygen and thus damping its own flame. Here the design was faulty and the prototype exploded. Davy's final design hugely reduced explosions in coal mines around the world, saving thousands of lives. This object is on display at the