Compact fluorescent light bulbs available today far surpass the quality, design, and energy efficiency of past CFLs. As technology gets more refined, designers come in and start to work their magic. The Insight Lamp brain bulb concept from designers Igor and Mario Soloyov is one example. The Insight Lamp is a compact fluorescent light bulb designed to look like a brain; the glass tubing is warped and bent to make a very recognizable brain shape.
Perhaps more people would come to enjoy CFLs if they had more oddball designs like this. Then again, a lot of what prevents people from buying CFLs are outdated, invalid beliefs such as thinking CFLs flicker or give bad light. It may have been true at some point, but no longer. Compact fluorescent light bulbs have advanced far enough as to be visually identical replacements for incandescents, as well as provide superior light and color temperatures.
Endless design possibilities is one benefit of the glass tubing used by CFLs. Incandescent light bulbs are not conducive to such abstract implementations, and while LEDs are quite versatile, it would be difficult to reproduce such a design with them. This Insight Lamp brain bulb is pretty cool, and hopefully will be produced and marketed.
Compact fluorescent light bulbs use far less energy than incandescents, produce better more varied light, and last a lot longer. CFLs use mercury, but modern CFLs contain less than 2mg of mercury per lamp. There is no reason not to use them in standard household sockets other than in bathrooms and garages. The Insight Lamp brain bulb would be a neat aesthetic to add to one's home.