When you think of the word "genius," you typically
associate it with Albert Einstein. You may
even think of Steven Hawking or Thomas Edison.
People do not think of Nikola Tesla as one
of the most genius men to ever walk this planet.
In fact, you may not even know who he.
Tesla laid the groundwork for most of today's
technology -- including technology which General
Motors, Thomas Edison and Westinghouse Electric
are typically given the credit for (and when
I say 'typically' I mean almost always).
Nikola Tesla was an Inventor, electrical engineer
and mechanical engineer. He is best known
for his contributions to the design of the
modern alternating current electricity supply
system. He envisioned new technologies far
before their time and claimed to have had
contact with extraterrestrial beings.
If Tesla hadn’t invented and researched
everything he did in his time, our technology
today would be considerably worse.
Since an early age, Nikola Tesla showed a
superior mind, inventing things as a child,
showing tremendous potential. As a child,
Tesla was fascinated with Thunderstorms and
lightning. At the day he was born, in Yugoslavia,
a thunderstorm raged chaos across the land.
Because of that event, Tesla became fascinated
with electricity. He was determined that one
day he would harness the power of the Universe
in benefit of all living creatures.
Today Tesla is the forgotten scientist. But,
why? It all boils down to one thing: money.
In 1882, Tesla began working for the Continental
Edison Company in Paris. By 1884, Tesla was
asked to move to America and work for Edison
Machine Works. He only worked there for six
months before quitting. Yet somehow, Edison
is given most of the credit for Tesla's major
inventions.
The difference between Edison and Tesla? Edison
had money, and was a business man.
After leaving Edison Machine Works, he met
with an attorney to obtain help with submitting
patents for an arc lighting system.
With help of investors, Tesla started his
own electric utility and manufacturing company.
Tesla's new system got a lot of attention
in technical press, who all commented on his
"advanced features."
Unfortunately, Tesla's investors had little
interest in his inventions and the manufacturing
side of his company. They quickly opted out,
and began only being an electricity utility
service. Taking his technology and hard work
with them, patents in hand.
For awhile, Tesla had to work at various electrical
repair jobs and as a ditch digger for just
$2 per day. Whatever he had to do to put food
on the table and get by.
Tesla’s inventions went far beyond electricity.
He made groundbreaking discoveries such as
wireless radio communications, turbine engines,
fluorescent and neon lights, torpedoes and
the X-ray among others. By the time of his
death, Tesla held nearly 700 worldwide patents.
While many would give up, Tesla continued
to look for any investors willing to take
a chance on him and his inventions.
In late 1886, Tesla met with a Western Union
superintendent and a man by the name of Charles
Peck. The two were experienced in business
start-ups and agreed to back Tesla, and handle
his patents.
Together, they formed Tesla Electric Company
in April of 1887. Tesla developed an induction
motor that ran on alternating current. That
was a power system format that was rapidly
expanding in Europe and the United States
because of its advantages in long-distance,
high-voltage transmission. The induction motor
was preferred over its competitors because
it was efficient. Also it required less maintenance
and was self-starting.
Tesla was able to earn some money by selling
his patents. Then he went on to pursue his
true passion -- science. Tesla set up laboratories
in New York City and hired staff to help him
conduct experiments. Some of Tesla's best
work was done here.
Tesla had began experimenting with electromagnetic
radiation, and created the famous Tesla Coil.
In 1893 he began building the world's first
power station at Niagara Falls, which when
fired up, launched grid electricity on a wire.
But for the third time, Edison and related
companies took credit for Tesla's work.
In the early morning hours of March 13, 1895,
Tesla's lab in New York was burnt down in
a fire. It set him back a great deal on his
on-going projects at the time, as well as
causing him to lose collections of notes,
models, demonstrations, etc. going all the
way back to his early years.
Still, Tesla did not let this stop him. His
curiosity and and passion for science kept
him going. In 1894, Tesla began experimenting
with what he called, "radiant energy of invisible
kinds." He began his quest for answers after
he accidentally damaged film of previous experiments
and accidentally took, what we now know as,
an X-Ray.
While Wilhelm Rontgen is the 'official' father
of radiology and the X-Ray, Tesla inadvertently
beat him to punch by a year.
In 1898, Tesla went to Madison Square Garden
and demonstrated a boat that was controlled
through a wireless remote. The crowd had never
seen such a thing at the time and accused
Tesla of even using magic or telepathy to
control the boat.
Tesla tried to sell his idea to the U.S. Military
in the form of a wireless controlled torpedo,
but they had no interest at the time, for
whatever reason.
Tesla continued to push for wireless power
-- he knew it was the future of electricity
and engineering as we knew it.
From the 1890s to early 1900s, he spent most
of his time (and fortune) on experimenting
with wireless power and communications. He
envisioned a world which ran on wireless energy,
where everyone would have a personal, hand-sized
device that could be used for communication
off of the wireless electricity networks.
Sound familiar?
Basically, Tesla was a man living before his
time -- imagining and designing a world years
decades in the future.
In fact, Hertz and others were still experimenting
with 'radio waves' just to produce light.
It was Tesla who began using them for radio
and controlling things wirelessly. Tesla,
with the help of JP Morgan, built a tower
that used the natural frequencies of our universe
to transmit data, including a wide range of
information communicated through images, voice
messages and text.
The tower would also provide free wireless
electricity to anyone in the area, simply
by sticking a rod in the ground – or at
least that was the idea.
Tesla never got to fully complete the project,
but according to his notes and documents,
he was 'very close.'
All in all, during Tesla's 86 years on this
planet, he contributed and is essentially
to thank for wireless controls, wireless communication,
radio waves, X-Rays, electricity, and so much
more.
According to myths, he may have even invented
a 'death ray' and an 'earthquake machine.'
He even had patents on wireless, military-grade,
flying torpedos.
Some believe he created a land vehicle that
ran on nothing but Earth's gravity, and that
the U.S. government hide the invention, because
there was no long term money to be made on
it.
How would the government make money on a vehicle
that did not run on oil or electricity?
He was a strange man, with extreme Obsessive
Compulsive Disorder. He had to wash his hands
three times, or walk around a building three
times before entering it. He refused to speak
to women who wore pearls, and was obsessed
with fashion and his appearance. He thought
sex would hinder all scientists' work, and
refused to get married. He thought time alone
was needed for people with intelligence. Although,
he did fall in love with a pigeon once.
Tesla was indeed intelligent, though. He could
memorize any book he read, and start reciting
it at a moment's request. He spoke eight languages
-- Serbian, English, Czech, German, French,
Hungarian, Italian, and Latin. He could visualize
devices in his head and build them without
ever writing a thing down (another reason
why verifying some of his findings is so difficult).
He was a brilliant man. A genius who lost
most of his patents and work to money-hungry
monopolies. He paved the way to technical
advances we have today, and the world as we
know it.
It's time Tesla starts getting the recognition
he deserves.
