CNN: Revisiting Tesla

[Gene Steinberg]

Also take a look at the comments for a possible correction to the theory that Tesla, in the early 1900s, worked on a Wi-Fi concept.

Then again, there was a TV show, "Sanctuary," which depicted Tesla as a vampire.

Backers raise cash for Tesla museum honoring 'cult hero' - CNN.com

 

[Wade]

I'm actually shocked that there isn't a museum already outside the serbian one, and i couldn't think of a more fitting site. What with development and all it could very well be that the previous tenent, in a ironic way, helped save the site from being turned into some hedge fund manager's monument to himself.

 

[pong]

I think it's very possible that Nikola Tesla was plugged into--no pun intended--a high source of knowledge that simply eludes the rest of us that are "normal." He was far ahead of his time and ahead of his one-time employer, Thomas Edison. The case of Srinivasa Ramanujan comes to mind. The self-taught math genius of India said, on at least one occasion, that he was in contact with a Hindu goddess who encouraged him and furnished him with information. Was Tesla tapped into a goddess of his own? Was he drawing on some "akashic records" as he napped in his laboratory, ala Edgar Cayce? Gene, it might be terribly interesting to bring a genius savant onto the Paracast stage. Or, to interview someone who claims to obtain knowledge in a paranormal way. Robbert van den Broeke, perhaps, has failed to convince. There are others, though, who might impress. We should look for them.

 

[Snidely Whiplash]

Tesla is one of my heros and this is well over due.

 

[wowarning]

Heard about this effort on another podcast a few weeks ago and was amazed to find that the location was one town east of where I live. I was driving on a main road through town and noticed a side street named Tesla Street or Drive - don't remember. Spun around and found that the abandoned building was set back a little bit in the woods. It was a very cool feeling to stand there and think about the genius that occurred just 50 yards away behind a fence.

 

[Snidely Whiplash]

@wowarning, very cool. Sounded a little spooky as I was reading what you wrote.

 

[Solarion]

The only thing I'd noticed about the comments was the "Who's the better inventor? Thomas Edison or Nicolas Tesla?"
Still It's nice to see us finally going back to honoring inventors.

 

[Wade]

The only thing I'd noticed about the comments was the "Who's the better inventor? Thomas Edison or Nicolas Tesla?"
Still It's nice to see us finally going back to honoring inventors.

Well my answer to that is did edison make mark twain almost fill his pants

This incident was also mentioned also in margaret cheney's excellent "man out of time"

"... Tesla's good friend Mark Twain, a regular visitor to the laboratory,
standing on the vibrating platform to his great surprise and pleasure,
extoling its theraputic effects while
repeatedly ignoring the inventor's
warnings to get down. Before long he was made aware of its laxative effectsand ran stiffly to the water closet..."

Also worth checking out is "empires of light" by jill jonnes.

My opinion is that both men had some shortcomings when it came to advancing science. Edison took up the ball on a couple of things already in development elsewhere by others and ran with it and probably gave himself more credit than he deserved, he was a tireless self-promoter. Tesla was a idealistic visionary man with no business sense and arguably lacked the commitment to carry through on his ideas. It seems he couldn't focus on one thing.and was was always chasing rainbows. In his quest for constant funding he himself may have been less than honest with j.p. morgan.

It's too bad that edison was constantly screwing and taking advantage of tesla when nikola was in thomas's employ, they would have made a good team, playing off each others strengths and negating each others weakness, although I am glad teslas ac won over edisons dc otherwise we would have mini power stations every few blocks.

Now let us take time to remember all the unfortunate stray dogs and cats (and topsy) that gave their lives to "prove" edisons point about the "dangers" of team westinghouse/tesla's ac mode in a process edison dubbed as "westinghoused". I always thought it would have been a good piece of poetic justice if thomas alva was asked to take a publicity shot next to the doomed killer elephant only to have the pachyderm topple over on edison when the switch got thrown.

 

[wowarning]

Saw a show that detailed the war over ac vs dc - so interesting. Edison was electrocuting stuff left and right to show how dangerous it was. The first death penalty by electrocution was performed with Edison at the helm and went horribly wrong. I believe that had an extremely detrimental effect on Edison personally and professionally for the remainder of his life.