The War of Currents

"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"- Nikola Tesla.Youd think you know his name every time you switch on a light or turn on a radio; his contribution is as far reaching as of Albert Einstein or Isaac Newton. This mysterious tall dark Serbian invented AC current, wireless communication, the modern day electric motor, basic laser and radar technology, x-rays, neon, robotics, remote control and cellular technology and even star wars tactical warfare. Yet today, who has ever heard of Nikole Tesla. How could history overlook such an incredible legacy! No wonder, during his last moments on earth he asked himself the same question!

Born on 10th July, 1856 in modern day Croatia to Serbian Parents, Nikola Tesla was an inquisitive child. He was deeply influenced by the world around him and had the innovative streak in him. Known to have jumped off the roof of his barn with an umbrella in hand to see whether he could fly, he was not the one to limit his imagination. He moved to the shores of America in the summer of 1884 his eyes blazing with visions and with a background of electrical engineering. He was employed by none other than Thomas Alva Edison.Thomas Alva Edison, born on February 11, 1847, immortalized in history books as the Wizard of Menlo Park, who had been already credited to have invented the Electric Lamp and the Phonograph was impressed by this tall, handsome Serbian. He hired Tesla in his company, Edison Machine Woks, to work on the DC Generators and Motors he had designed (imperfectly) and reportedly promised him a sum which would amount to a million dollars in modern day valuation. Tesla took up the challenge and completely redesigned Edison's Models an when he asked for the money promised to him, Edison rubbished him with "Tesla, you don't understand our American humour" (No one does yet). A gentleman and a humble inventor Tesla resigned from Edison's Company and set up his own. This ignited a feud between them which would continue till their deaths. It was the time of the war of the currents- AC vs. DC. At that time the electrification of the world was at stake. The AC power systems had its advantages in the fact that it could be transmitted over long distances with minimum loss of power. In 1888, Tesla joined the Westinghouse Electrical and Manufacturing Company of George Wesinghouse as a consultant. Nikola had the kind of electricity system that would allow Edisons incandescent bulbs to glow brighter. Thomas Edison fought against it and electrocuted stray animals to elevate public fear against AC.In a grand effort to slam Tesla's work,Edison sponsored the development of an Electric chair which would use alternating current. When the chair was first used, on August 6, 1890, the technicians on hand misjudged the voltage needed to kill the condemned prisoner, William Kemmler. The first jolt of electricity was not enough to kill Kemmler, and only left him badly injured. The procedure had to be repeated and a reporter on hand described it as "an awful spectacle, far worse than hanging." George Westinghouse had later commented: "They would have done better using an axe".Tesla would ultimately triumph as the Chicago world fair of 1893 where the Westinghouse Companys demonstration of AC Power and its generation was a smashing success. Tesla went on to build the world's first Hydroelectric Plant on the Niagara Falls thus proving that this form of energy was viable.Tesla lived in a time when the world demanded results that were practical and profitable. We didnt want radio astronomy; we wanted light bulbs and toaster ovens. Teslas contributions were not incremental; they were revolutionary. In his own words, Society tolerates only one change at a time. A reclusive man by nature, he devoted his life to his work. Reported to have an eidetic memory (popularised by Sheldon Cooper folks), he would visualise entire projects and machines in his mind. Though popular among the ladies he refused to date anyone as that would disturb his work (again Sheldon Cooper anyone?). One of Teslas final gifts to the world was a tower near New York City that would have provided free wireless energy to the entire planet. The man who financed the construction of the tower shut it down when he learnt that there would not be any way to regulate the energy and it wouldnt make money. At this point the idea of transmitting radio waves sparked off in his geeky mind. But then Marconi had already based his ideas on it and after Marconi became world famous for sending his transmitted messages Tesla responded- Marconi is a good fellow. Let him continue. Hes using seventeen of my patents. This acquisitiveness and greed plagued most of Teslas career and he spent the majority of it being broken.

This article is about a man whose powerful ideas live on and his work is still classified in the most advanced projects imaginable today. Nikole Tesla single-handedly changed the world for the benefit of mankind, yet has been rewarded with obscurity. Its time to bring his story out of the shadows and into the light.