Nikola Tesla-Inventor & Genius
BeBoB
TESLA
Few people recognize his name today, and even among those who do, the words
Nikola Tesla are likely to summon up the image of a crackpot rather than an
authentic scientific genius. This truly eccentric genius with an incredible
photographic memory and whose adherence to strict vegetarianism and intense
sleep deprivation drove him to the edge of insanity on many occasions is without
peer among inventors. His prodigious scientific output was a result of a mind
filled with the plans for a myriad of devices, theories, and inventions that
haunted him to his death.
Tesla was responsible for:
* The Alternating Current Dynamo upon which American electricity is based.
This AC system, which won out over Edisons DC system at the first major
hydroelectric plant at Niagara Falls. And was the source of a lasting enmity
between Tesla and Edison.
* The science of Radio, as well as the first interplanetary listening
device.
* The first Solar Cell, the first radio controlled robots, the electric
clock, the speedometer...
Tad Wises compelling novel resurrects one of the most fascinating fathers of
the modern world -- a new Prometheus who toyed with natures mightiest forces, a
wizard who harnessed the awesome power of Niagara Falls and learned to hurl
lightning bolts like a demigod.
For more information on this novel and for a chance to win a free copy of TESLA,
eMail t...@netcom.com.
John E. Lundgren
BeBoB <bob...@delphi.com> writes:
>
> TESLA
>
> Few people recognize his name today, and even among those who do, the words
> Nikola Tesla are likely to summon up the image of a crackpot rather than an
> authentic scientific genius. This truly eccentric genius with an incredible
[deleted]
> Tad Wises compelling novel resurrects one of the most fascinating fathers of
> the modern world -- a new Prometheus who toyed with natures mightiest forces, a
> wizard who harnessed the awesome power of Niagara Falls and learned to hurl
> lightning bolts like a demigod.
>
> For more information on this novel and for a chance to win a free copy of TESLA,
> eMail t...@netcom.com.
I read a full length book on Tesla a few years ago, and I was surprised at
what he had done. The book might have been called Irascible Genius.
Also, I read the Edison biography, which mentioned little of his rival.
I remember something about Tesla getting nothing for some of his
inventions, and less than due credit for them.
He was, indeed, a strange dude.
--
John Nagle
Well, no. How about Hertz, Maxwell, and Marconi?
Tesla had a bogus idea of how radio propagation worked. He
thought the ionosphere was conductive, and that long-range radio worked
by conduction in the ionosphere. His giant Wardencliffe tower was
supposed to work by using UV lamps to blast a path through the
lower insulating layers of the atmosphere so his megawatt transmitter
could get a conductive path and reach across the Atlantic.
As it turned out, real research on radio focused on receivers,
not transmitters. When Marconi finally did get radio traffic across the
Atlantic, it was with a few kilowatts of power.
Incidentally, the classic picture of Tesla reading with giant
sparks around him is a fake. The sparks and Tesla were photographed
separately.
John Nagle
mgah...@vt.edu
> Well, no. How about Hertz, Maxwell, and Marconi?
> Tesla had a bogus idea of how radio propagation worked. He
>thought the ionosphere was conductive, and that long-range radio worked
>by conduction in the ionosphere. His giant Wardencliffe tower was
>supposed to work by using UV lamps to blast a path through the
>lower insulating layers of the atmosphere so his megawatt transmitter
>could get a conductive path and reach across the Atlantic.
> As it turned out, real research on radio focused on receivers,
>not transmitters. When Marconi finally did get radio traffic across the
>Atlantic, it was with a few kilowatts of power.
Marconi got a lot of his radio ideas from Tesla though, Tesla never got
acknowledged for his contribution toward radio until years after his death
although some of theroies of RF propagation were wrong.
Jim Buchanan
In article <317olb$s...@eis.calstate.edu>, jlu...@eis.calstate.edu (John E. Lundgren) writes:
> I read a full length book on Tesla a few years ago, and I was surprised at
> what he had done. The book might have been called Irascible Genius.
"Prodigal Son" I think.
I read this book many years ago. It was very interesting.
From Webster's:
prodigal adj. 1, lavish; wasteful. 2, bountiful -n. a spendthrift
This would seem to describe what I know of his career quite well. Brilliant
achievement, sell it to Westinghouse, let them have the credit and then
spend *all* the proceeds on the next experiment, leaving nothing for the
future. I bet he had fun though!
--
Jim Buchanan I have a 'C' compiler,
c22...@kopt0017.delcoelect.com and I'm not afraid to use it!
c22...@delphi.com DoD #1385
'73 BMW R75/5 "Frau Bluecher"
dave pierson
c22...@kocrsv01.delcoelect.com (Jim Buchanan) writes...
>In article <317olb$s...@eis.calstate.edu>, jlu...@eis.calstate.edu (John E.
Lundgren) writes:
>> I read a full length book on Tesla a few years ago, and I was surprised at
>> what he had done. The book might have been called Irascible Genius.
>"Prodigal Son" I think.
Prodigal Genius. I have a copy. Written a few years after his death,
it has the advantage of being written while his memory was fresh. It
suffers from lack of some of the papers that have been recovered since.
Reccomended. Its available in reprint.
>I read this book many years ago. It was very interesting.
Yep.
>This would seem to describe what I know of his career quite well. Brilliant
>achievement, sell it to Westinghouse,
Yep. And consult with them. And get a royalty of $1/HP. Not prodigal.
>let them have the credit
Only in the fulness of time, and with the GE (Edison interests) writing
the history. AT the time a "Tesla Motor" or "Tesla Transformer" (Power
frequency) was standard labelling.
>and then spend *all* the proceeds on the next experiment,
Well, not all. It took him a while to go thru it.
>leaving nothing for the future.
During a financial panic in the late '90s, George Westinghouse was in
danger of losing control of his company. He asked Tesla for a
reduction, or suspension of the royalty (above), which would improve
Westinghouse' cash flow. Tesla, had immense respect for Westinghouse
(having been shafted, in his view, in early association with Edison),
for giving him noey and backing and fame. Tesla got out the contract
and tore it up.
>I bet he had fun though!
Yeah...
>'73 BMW R75/5 "Frau Bluecher"
'71 BMW R75/5 Never named....
thanks
dave pierson |the facts, as accurately as i can manage,
Digital Equipment Corporation |the opinions, my own.
200 Forest St |I am the NRA.
Marlboro, Mass 01751 |pie...@msd26.enet.dec.com
"He has read everything, and, to his credit, written nothing." A J Raffles
Jim Buchanan
In article <3305qr$s...@nntpd.lkg.dec.com>, pie...@cimcad.enet.dec.com (dave pierson) writes:
> In article <1994Jul29.1...@kocrsv01.delcoelect.com>,
> c22...@kocrsv01.delcoelect.com (Jim Buchanan) writes...
> >This would seem to describe what I know of his career quite well. Brilliant
> >achievement, sell it to Westinghouse,
> Yep. And consult with them. And get a royalty of $1/HP. Not prodigal.
Not bad, I'll have to re-read the book, and look up some newer ones.
> Westinghouse' cash flow. Tesla, had immense respect for Westinghouse
> (having been shafted, in his view, in early association with Edison),
That would be the "There's $1000 in it for the man who improves the
efficiency by n%" quote? The one where Edison later claimed it was just a
figure of speech?
--
Jim Buchanan
c22...@kopt0017.delcoelect.com "Catch 22"
c22...@delphi.com
dave pierson
>> Westinghouse' cash flow. Tesla, had immense respect for Westinghouse
>> (having been shafted, in his view, in early association with Edison),
>That would be the "There's $1000 in it for the man who improves the
>efficiency by n%" quote? The one where Edison later claimed it was just a
>figure of speech?
Yup. Tho i recall it as Edison saying:
You don't understand American Humor.