Tesla [OT]

[orev_saara]

Just thought I'd mention a few interesting facts about Nicola Tesla.

1. Tesla was extremely neurotic. His derangements included phobias of germs and round objects. He also believed he had enhanced senses. Not ESP, mind you, just exceptional hearing.

2. Tesla designed the power plant at Niagara Falls. There is a statue of him there.

3. His most successful invention was the polyphase process for generating alternating current. This process is now used to generate more than 90% of the world's juice. When he first licensed it to Westinghouse, they offered him money based on the total wattage produced with it. A few years later, they had to ask him nicely if he would renegotiate, as it would have bankrupted the company to keep paying him. I wish I could quote the exact figures, but it's been some time since I read his biography. Fascinating reading, by the way. When Edison, who was pushing DC generation, learned of the polyphase process, he sent people around the country electrocuting cats to show how dangerous AC was. I am not making this up. Then again, when Edison first met Tesla and heard he was Croatian, he asked him if he was a cannibal.

4. Tesla was a friend of Mark Twain's.

5. Later in his career, Tesla did indeed try to contact extra-terrestrial intelligences. But like I said, he was a little whacky. This does not detract from his genius, and may indeed have been related to it.

6. In the 1980's, an engineering team sought patents for two principles based on particle colliders. They were informed that both patents were already held by Nicola Tesla, dating from the twenties, for something that he called a "carburandum lamp". Again, the particulars have escaped me, and I certainly don't pretend to understand the principles involved.

There's a lot of room for debate about just what Tesla knew and just what he invented, but it cannot be denied that he had something going on. It's a great topic for reading. I'm always finding out more fascinating things about this man.

[raynor]

I found this cool website dedicated to the memory of Tesla. The link below describes:

"Tesla "Death Ray" to protect USA in WWII"

http://www.teslasociety.com/deathray.htm

[Taera]

just wondering, is the famous Tesla Coil is related to Tesla? Did he ever design/try to design something of the kind? and did it work? (if it did it'd be a good reason NOT to implement it -- thinking of C&C)

[Fyron]

Tesla Coils are used in power converters at various intervals along power lines to keep the AC going strong over long distances. I think they are used in most power plants too. The Tesla Coils of C&C aren't all that accurate, really.

[Wardad]

Originally posted by orev_saara:
... When Edison, who was pushing DC generation, learned of the polyphase process, he sent people around the country electrocuting cats to show how dangerous AC was....

Yea, I remember hearing about that. Westinghouse first major contract in New Jersey was won when both DC and AC killed dogs placed on a wire mesh grid. That swayed the public.
The business men were more impressed that you could easily meter AC. The DC meter consisted of a metal bar in a vat of acid.