THESIS:Although Thomas Edison is considered the father of electric power, competing inventor Nikola Tesla EXPLORED even more futuristic ways of thinking about electricity. Tesla ENCOUNTERED many monetary and personal setbacks while he EXCHANGED ideas for financial backing with industrialists like J. P. Morgan and George Westinghouse. Ultimately, his genius was not enough to overcome mental health issues and lack of business knowledge that led to decades of being out of the spotlight. Despite this, his legacy of exploring the boundaries of science provides the backbone for most of our modern-day technologies, such as the alternating current motor, the components for radio, and hydroelectric power and transmission. |
Above: Nikola Tesla " The New Wizard of the West" holding in his hands balls of flame.
Source: Pearson's Magazine, May, 1899 |
'Spectacular' is a mild word for describing the strange experiences with life that comprise the story of Nikola Tesla, and 'amazing' fails to do adequate justice to the results that burst from his experiences like an exploding rocket. It is the story of the dazzling scintillations of a superman who created a new world; ... he was unquestionably one of the world's greatest geniuses." —John J. O'Neill in his book, Prodigal Genius: The life of Nikola Tesla. 1944
Besides his inventions, Tesla (or at least our modern persona of him) is a role model for young engineers and scientists: Brilliant, an extremely successful inventor, a cultural hero, and an engineer who worked tirelessly for the benefit of society. We could use more young people who want to emulate Tesla." — Personal interview with Stephen Frank, PhD,
Commercial Building Systems Integration National Renewable Energy Laboratory Tesla is important today as the inventor of the modern age. Most of the commercial energy supplied to the word today is transmitted via Tesla’s alternating current. His formative work in radio, remote control, and robotics are the basis for a lot of the world’s industrial development." — Personal Student interview with Jane Alcorn, President of the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe.
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By Drake Bolt | Junior Division | Individual Website | 2016
Website Word Count: 1176 Process Paper Word Count: 481