Nikola Tesla

A portrait of Tesla (Google pics)

 In a letter of recommendation to be given to Thomas Edison, Charles Batchelor wrote, “I know two great men, one is you and the other is this young man” (Vujovic). The “young man” Charles Batchelor referred to as great was Nikola Tesla, and deservedly so. Nikola Tesla was the inventor of many notable mechanisms including the Tesla coil and the basic design of the radio. Perhaps his most important invention was the polyphase alternating current (AC) system, which is still used today all over the world. Not only was he an important inventor, but he was also a man of great influence. Scientists such as 1978 Nobel Prize winner Pyotr Kapitsa, “acknowledged Tesla’s work as a model for his own research” on magnetism (“Tesla, Nikola (1856-1943)” DISCovering U.S. History). Of course, without his perseverance, he would not have been able to give the world the efficient AC systems. Though he created inventions and ideas that were unique and revolutionary for their time, certain devices such as the radio-controlled model boats he created were too far ahead of their time, baffling many including the United States Navy and causing them to deem the devices impractical (“Tesla, Nikola (1856-1943)” World of Invention). Despite such ignorance, Tesla continued to work on technologies that proved to be advanced, exploring new ideas to improve the world’s technology at the time. On a technological standpoint, Tesla broke many barriers that others were just reaching or never even touched. Throughout his life, Tesla’s perseverance, inventiveness, and breaking of barriers helped revolutionize the world and many of its technologies we know today.

Tesla induction motor (Google pics- Tesla Memorial Society)

 Nikola’s perseverance played an important role in revolutionizing the world we know today. As Tesla worked in Europe, he tried to convince his employers of using the more efficient AC systems instead of DC systems: “Though Tesla was convinced that a system of AC using his motors should be used to supply power, he could not persuade his employers to consider his system, and he decided to leave for the United States to try his luck there” (Tesla, Nikola (1856-1943)” World of Invention”). Despite his unsuccessfulness, Tesla’s perseverance in trying to show the superiority of AC over DC systems drove Tesla to pursue his goal. He refused to give up trying to find someone who would use AC systems even when he knew that others failed to recognize the benefits of using his innovation. Additionally, in order to end war, Tesla sent out his plans for a charged particle beam to other individuals: Tesla gave his plans to certain powerful people such as the Prime Minister of Great Britain, but was not able to convince them to use it. When Europe was on the verge of war, Tesla once again sent his plans to various countries in hopes of them deciding to fund the project (PBS). Despite previous refusals on using his plans for a charged particle beam, Tesla’s hatred of war drove him to continue searching for at least one country that was willing to use his device. He wanted to prevent the violence and destruction created by the struggle of two opposing forces by using his device to defend an area from enemy attack, and he was intent on successfully reaching that goal. It was Nikola’s perseverance that represented one of his most heroic traits.

Tesla's ashes at Tesla Museum in Belgrade (Google pics)

 Nikola Tesla was born on July 10, 1856 in Smiljan, Croatia; which was part of what used to be the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Throughout his school years, Tesla excelled in math and science (“Tesla, Nikola (1856-1943)” DISCovering U.S. History). After his time at the University of Prague, Tesla moved to Budapest in 1881 to work at a telephone company as an electrical engineer (Vujovic). There, Tesla suddenly realized the answer to the rotating magnetic field, which became the basis for almost all machinery using alternating current (Vujovic). Following his days of working in areas such as France and Germany, Tesla left for the United States to work under Thomas Edison in his laboratory. After many disputes over AC systems vs. direct-current (DC) systems as well as “an argument over wages, Tesla quit in 1885” (“Tesla, Nikola (1856-1943)” World of Invention). Later on, “Tesla was approached by a group of promoters and formed his first company, the Tesla Electric Light Company” (“Tesla, Nikola (1856-1943)” World of Invention). Eventually, the financiers deceived Tesla and left him with close to nothing, forcing him to work as a ditch-digger (“Tesla, Nikola (1856-1943)” World of Invention). During this time, “Tesla continued to work on his innovations” (“Tesla, Nikola (1856-1943)” DISCovering U.S. History). His luck was about to change when “Mr. A.K. Brown of the Western Union Company, agreed to invest in Tesla’s idea for an AC motor” (PBS). In 1887, the Tesla Electric Company was formed (“Tesla, Nikola (1856-1943)” DISCovering U.S. History). The inventions Tesla created caught the attention of George Westinghouse. George Westinghouse “offered Tesla a large sum for his patent rights to the polyphase induction motor” and “also gave the inventor a job as a consultant” (Tesla, Nikola (1856-1943)” World of Invention). Together, they provided the Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago with AC systems. This led the way to Tesla creating generators for harnessing the power of Niagara Falls and converting it into electricity. From 1901 to 1905, J. Pierpont Morgan financially supported Tesla resulting in the building of Wardenclyffe laboratory and a 187-foot transmitting tower in Shoreham, Long Island (Vujovic). The tower “was planned to be the first broadcast system, transmitting both signals and power without wires to any point on the globe” (Vujovic). Due to Morgan withdrawing his funds, Tesla was unable to complete the tower. In 1917, the tower was destroyed for security reasons during WWI. On January 8, 1943, Nikola Tesla was found dead in his room at the Hotel New Yorker (“Tesla, Nikola (1856-1943)” DISCovering U.S. History).

Nikola in lab with Tesla Coil (Google pics)

 Tesla’s inventiveness was the most important factor in revolutionizing the world’s technology. While living in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Tesla discovered terrestrial stationary waves: “By this discovery he proved that the Earth could be used as a conductor and would be as responsive as a tuning fork to electrical vibrations of a certain frequency” (Vujovic). Tesla provided a unique way of distributing electrical energy around the world. He wanted to provide the human population with electrical energy beyond the limitations of wires, so it could be distributed to almost any location. Another notable achievement was that he created a multitude of advancements in engineering: “Tesla patented more than 700 inventions in his lifetime” (“Tesla, Nikola (1856-1943)” World of Invention). Nikola has created many original and revolutionary technologies. Many of those played an important role in the evolution of today’s most advanced machinery. Through his vast and innovative use of technology to help people in their daily lives, Tesla showed that he was a hero in the scientific world.

The Tesla Monument in Niagara Falls, New York (Google pics)

 By breaking barriers set at the time, Tesla played a major role in revolutionizing the world’s technologies. In 1898, Nikola demonstrated one of his more advanced means of engineering of the time: Around the same time Marconi was just starting to send “crude Morse code messages over long distances, Tesla was demonstrating a radio-controlled model boat at Madison Square Garden” (“Tesla, Nikola (1856-1943)” World of Invention). While others were just starting to make and use devices with radio signals, Tesla used radio signals in a more advanced way than other devices at the time. He paved the way for future scientists in that field. Secondly, Tesla brought a new and revolutionary improvement to the distribution of electricity to the table: The use of DC systems was limited to distributing currents over short distances. His use of AC systems allowed for electrical currents to be distributed across long distances, and was proven by the Niagara Falls power plant Tesla designed. This distributed electrical currents from 23 miles away to Buffalo, NY (“Tesla, Nikola (1856-1943)” DISCovering U.S. History). At a time when DC systems were more commonly used, Tesla proved to many that AC systems were more efficient than DC systems. Nikola provided new opportunities in the field of electrical engineering for the world to experiment with. Nikola’s work broke barriers set at the time and gave the inspiration necessary for future scientists’ work.

Nikola’s perseverance, inventiveness, and barrier-breaking were essential to the success of revolutionizing the world and its technologies. Through his perseverance, Tesla remained steadfast in trying to bring about improvements on the world’s technology at the time. His inventiveness provided new ways of distributing energy as well as providing new ideas, many of which later grew to be widely accepted. Lastly, Nikola’s breaking of barriers advanced the technology at the time, some of which provided the basis for the mechanisms that we have today. Tesla and some of his ideas and innovations were not always accepted during his time, but as he had said, “Let the future tell the truth, and evaluate each one according to his work and accomplishments. The present is theirs; the future, for which I have really worked, is mine” (brainyquote.com). The results of Tesla’s work have proven this to be true.

Like many other young men during his time, Tesla has inspired me to become interested in the field of electrical engineering. Many of his inventions such as the charged particle beam have baffled me, and caused me to become curious of how the mechanisms work. More importantly however, he has inspired me to remain committed to the goals I hope to achieve even when others may be against me or do not believe in me.

Works Consulted

“Nikola Tesla.” BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2010. 16 May. 2010. [http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/n/nikola_tesla.html].

“Tesla-Master of Lighting Life and Legacy.” PBS, n.d. Web. 16 May 2010. [http://www.pbs.org/tesla/ll/].

“Tesla, Nikola (1856-1943).” DISCovering U.S. History. Online ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student Resource Center- Gold. Gale. DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL. 16 May. 2010.

“Tesla, Nikola (1856-1943).” World of Invention. Ed. Kimberely A. McGrath. Online ed. Detroit: Thomson Gale, 2006. Student Resource Center- Gold. Gale. DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL. 16 May. 2010.

Vujovic, Dr. Ljubo. “Nikola Tesla The Genius Who Lit the World.” Tesla Memorial Society of New York. 1998. Web. 16 May 2010. [http://www.teslasociety.com/biography.htm].