Nikola Tesla: a commentary

[Skywave]

From The BBC News Web Site, September 11th. I think that this could be of interest to some of us here . . . . .

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19503846

Al.

[pwdrive]

Thanks Al, one of my all time hero's was Tesla, we owe so much to him.

Lawrence.

[Skywave]

Yes, Lawrence, indeed we do. And thereby hangs the rub: why is his 'profile' in the general 'History of Science' so low? In my school days - and not just limited to Science - I heard and learnt about Edison, Bell, Faraday, Ohm, Volta, Ampere, Joule, Leclanche, Einstein, Gilbert, Hartley, etc. and later on, having taken up radio / electronics for employment, Maxwell, Armstrong, Vackar, Merz, Price, Watson-Watt and countless others, including Butler (whom I was privileged to have spent several months working with). It was only in the last 10 years or so that Nikola Tesla's name came fully to my attention - well, apart from his name being associated with 'magnetics', that is.
Although I ask my question, I do have my own assorted pet theories as to why he is not celebrated in the way other engineers have been - and some of those, IMHO, did not contribute so significantly to Electrical Science as he did.

Al.

[pwdrive]

Hi Al, my take on history is this, history = "his story" when one of our daughters graduated the ceremony was not far from Westminster Cathederal so decided to take her in there for a peak around, noting all the histories of "the great and the good" interned within, to be honest most of them were thugs, murderers, bully boys and surf muggers....says it all for me....

Lawrence

[Skywave]

My take on history is this: 'history' = 'his story'.
Lawrence

Quite; as has been said many times, "History is written by the victors".

Al.

[Yorkie]

There's a wonderful book about Tesla, which I bought when in print (sadly out of print now, and used ones command high prices), fittingly entitled 'The man who invented the 20th Century' (It's available cheaply for Kindle):

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Man-Invented...0747262659

Basically, no Tesla, no electric induction motors and no AC distribution systems, so the title is no idle boast. And what about those scary Tesla coils!? I've got a PE Mag design to make a simple one, which has been on my to do list for more years than I care to remember. Well at least I've got as far as getting a car ignition coil for it, so that's a start!

[Joe]

Am I the only one thinking about bopping leaky UL41s?

- Joe

[Skywave]

My take on history is this: 'history' = 'his story'.
Lawrence

Just had a further thought on that: 'history' → 'his story': we also have 'hearsay' → 'her say'.
Just co-incidence? A mere alliteration? Maybe, maybe not: the English Language has some strange and sometimes some very long and entwining roots . .

Al.

[Tedzed1]

A few interesting articles relating to Tesla, including the files held by the FBI.
Just the thing for a little bedtime reading.

[pwdrive]

My take on history is this: 'history' = 'his story'.
Lawrence

Just had a further thought on that: 'history' → 'his story': we also have 'hearsay' → 'her say'.
Just co-incidence? A mere alliteration? Maybe, maybe not: the English Language has some strange and sometimes some very long and entwining roots . .

Al.

When I did history at secondary school it was 1066 and we won the war and that was about it and most of the things they taught us I since found out they weren't true.

Lawrence (sceptic in chief)