If you don’t know who Nikola Tesla is, then that is understandable, as he was robbed of the limelight his entire life. It is only now (some 100 years later) that he is finally being recognised for his work. The Serbian American inventor’s work contributed so much to the world that we live in, it is just a shame no one took any real notice at the time.
Tesla was hired by fellow inventor, Thomas Edison to fix issues he had been having with his DC motors and generators under the promise that he would be paid the modern equivalent of $1,000,000. When it came round to it, Tesla received nothing for his work. Tesla also played a massive part in pioneering the light bulb. Its invention has, however, generally been attributed solely to Edison, who claimed the credit for himself and figured out how to make as much money from it as possible.
It doesn’t end at the light bulb, there are a lot of other things you’ll be familiar with that we have Nikola Tesla to thank for. Guglielmo Marconi sent out the world’s first transatlantic radio signal, however he was only able to do this using seventeen of Tesla’s patents – Teslar was happy for Marconi’s achievement, which was built off his own ideas.
Then there is radar, the technology used on submarines and other military equipment to detect incoming objects such as torpedoes. This idea was credited to an English scientist called Robert A. Watson-Watt, however Tesla introduced the concept to the U.S. Navy way back in 1917 as a way to detect the infamous German U-boats. Thomas Edison managed to convince the Navy that this technology would be useless in war, so they didn’t go for it.
Tesla also discovered X-rays but refused to carry out experiments with them, as he knew it could be dangerous. Instead, a man named Wilhelm Roentgen developed this idea and was able to put it into use. Along with George Westinghouse, Tesla went on to build the world’s first hydroelectric plant at Niagara Falls, beginning the electrification of the world. He also held patents which were used to develop the transistor, a device used in countless amounts of modern technology.
Continuing his accomplishments, Tesla was also the first person to record radio waves from outer space. He was a powerful driving force behind remote control, neon lighting, the electric motor and wireless communication. There were also other ideas that didn’t get used, such as the tower near NYC which had the potential to provide free wireless energy to the world. Problems with funding developed when the man behind the operation discovered that it wouldn’t make him any money and so shut it down.
So, there you have it, one of the greatest minds the world has ever seen, yet almost no one knew who he was. At least now Nikola Tesla is being credited for his achievements and remembered for the strides he made towards the creation of the modern age.