Nikola Tesla!

[WillBrink]

Some of this I knew about, much of it I didn't. Also not sure if it's all confirmed legit, but some fun reading here that gets more entertaining. :cool:

http://i.imgur.com/cp39z.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/IZwAT.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Imfda.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/qOLzq.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/9Ldaj.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ke15S.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/GUD96.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/EzvPb.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/StElc.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/k3Rju.jpg

Source: TheOatmeal:http://theoatmeal.com/comics/tesla

[MarkG]

The stories behind the story always make for good reading but there are a number of half truths in the presentation.

[VooDoo6Actual]

Pure Genius & w/o peer for his day regarding his specific area of expertise. Truly a "SME".

People would also be wise to learn what was done to him & how he got screwed etc.

[WillBrink]

People would also be wise to learn what was done to him & how he got screwed etc.

That's what the above goes into great detail over, but as mentioned, how much is factual, I can't say. I knew some of it, such as his battle with Edison over AC vs DC and others.

[Cesiumsponge]

Tesla was a man before his time and one of my inspirations (hence my signature). The man gets absolutely no credit for basically inventing or laying the groundwork for the 20th century. I've never seen his name even mentioned in a general history textbook that wasn't related to engineering or physics. Unfortunately, he was also apeshit insane and had no sense of business. He got screwed by others many occasions, but he also screwed himself plenty of times because he gave his inventions away. He finally shot himself in the foot when, after establishing AC as a winner, wanted to uproot the AC system and move to a wireless electrical system that would be free. That didn't bode well with his financial backers. He got battier as he got older and people found new scientists and inventors to fawn over.

The only thing I regret is the weird pseudoscience guys that spin magnets and hang magic crystals latched onto him as an idol and surrounded his incredible life with real incredible bullshit about death rays and aliens.

Edison was a brilliant idea man but he had no scientific knowledge or engineering abilities. The guy basically tried tens of thousands of random items as bulb filaments until he got one to work. That isn't very efficient or methodical. He would be a damn fine politician today because he was the king of character assassination, electrocuting elephants in public displays with alternating current to prove DC was better.

[montanadave]

Edison might have served as the prototypical American behind Churchill's statement (and I paraphrase), "You can always count on the Americans to do the right thing ... after they've tried everything else."

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

[chadbag]

Nikola Tesla Wasn't God And Thomas Edison Wasn't The Devil - Forbes


http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2012/05/18/nikola-tesla-wasnt-god-and-thomas-edison-wasnt-the-devil/


This article in Forbes was written in reply to the Oatmeal cartoon...

----

[Moose-Knuckle]

Not since Michelangelo Buonarroti has a man had such pivotal role in the technological evolution of our species.

There is a reason why he is not a house hold name. . .

[Cesiumsponge]

Nikola Tesla Wasn't God And Thomas Edison Wasn't The Devil - Forbes


http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2012/05/18/nikola-tesla-wasnt-god-and-thomas-edison-wasnt-the-devil/


This article in Forbes was written in reply to the Oatmeal cartoon...

----

While a silly webcomic shouldnt be taken at face value, a simple page-and-a-half web article from Forbes waters down Tesla's achievements ad mediocre at best and conveniently skins over many of the claims. There are plenty of documentaries and biographies both in English and Czech as well as newspapers of that era and a laundry list of patents that show he was a juggernaut. He also ran with a group of well-connected socialites and there are plenty of things written about Feels by his friends like Mark Twain. You have to be pretty spectacular as an engineer or scientist to win the hearts of the general public.

Of course, like I mentioned, the guy was also certifiably nuts and apeshit insane. For some reason, that draws all the conspiracy theorists and alien magic crystal hippies today who obscure his accomplishments with claims that he created earthquake machines and a death ray that cause a several megaton explosion over the Siberian forest of Tunguska.

[Waylander]

One important point was left out. During the current wars between Edison, promoting DC, and Westinghouse, promoting AC, not only did Edison electrocute animals but two of his employees developed the electric chair and Edison pushed for AC to be used to show how dangerous it is. The first electrocution of William Kemmler took eight minutes during which 1,000 volts were passed through his body rendering him unconscious. The generator needed time to recharge to 2,000 volts and the charge caused blood vessels under his skin to burst before he finally died painfully. The term electrocution was coined from combining 'electrical' and 'execution.'

Westinghouse refused to sell his generators for this purpose and fought the electrocutions by funding Kemmler's appeals citing cruel and unusual punishment. Ironically, for a long time people referred to death by the electric chair as being "Westinghoused." Edison eventually admitted he should have listened to Tesla.

[Mjolnir]

Tesla is one of the few historical figures that I actually look up to. He's on my short list of historical persons that I'd like to sit and talk with.