Nikola Tesla, the Greatest Mind ever?

Who was Nikola Tesla? 🧠

Nikola Tesla was a scientist, physicist, engineer and inventor, but none of these words sufficiently describe the life and genius of Nikola Tesla. He has been named by many as the greatest mind in history.

Well known for designing the alternating-current (AC) electric system, which is the predominant electrical system used across the world today. He also created the ‘Tesla coil’, which is still used in radio technology. His work also included free energy solutions and his work is helping people create different technologies to this day. Saying he was ahead of his time is an understatement.

Born in modern-day Croatia, Tesla moved to the United States in 1884 and briefly worked with Thomas Edison before the two parted ways. Disagreements over compensation and differing opinions on the use of direct current (DC) versus alternating current (AC) for electrical power transmission led to Tesla parting ways with Edison. They were far apart in background and methods.

Edison had a bias to his own DC system and so favored promoting that more and he launched a campaign against AC, claiming it was dangerous and could kill people. Tesla countered this by publicly subjecting himself to 250,000-volt shocks to demonstrate AC’s safety. A bit of a nutty professor! Tesla sold several patent rights, including those to his AC machinery, to George Westinghouse in 1888 for $1 million (which was worth a lot in more than $1 million is in modern day).

Nikola Tesla’s Free Energy (the ‘Tesla Tower’)⚡

He allegedly faced authorities hiding his work and it’s even said that on his death, authorities took his work in fear that it is harder to make money off free energy and it would leave large unsustainable energy companies in jeopardy.

When Tesla was alive, J. Pierpont Morgan withdrew his financial backing to Tesla, as he felt he couldn’t profit from Tesla’s wireless electricity concept. The ‘Tesla Tower’ (also know as the’ Wardenclyffe Tower’) was a 185-foot high structure with a 65-foot copper dome transmitter on the top that was active from 1901-1917. Tesla’s vision was to use the tower to transmit signals and free, unlimited wireless electricity all over the world. Thanks to Tesla’s early work, wireless transfer of energy is finally being realized today, from wireless chargers for smartphones, to wireless electric vehicle charging. Here is a picture of the tower:

Nikola Tesla’s Inventions and Technologies we Use Today 📱

There are a number of technologies that we use today thanks to Tesla:

Wireless energy (‘Tesla Tower’) – Wireless chargers for toothbrushes, phones and vehicles (and the full potential of this is yet to be fulfilled).
Electrical circuits (‘Tesla Coils’) – Used in radios, televisions and other electronics, and can be used for wireless transmission (a type of electrical circuit used to generate low-current, high-voltage electricity).
Modern technology – Remote controls, neon and fluorescent lights, wireless transmission, computers, smartphones, laser beams, x-rays, robotics and as mentioned, alternating current, the basis of our present-day electrical system. Tesla invented, predicted or contributed to development of hundreds of technologies that play big parts in our daily lives.

Other interesting facts include that Tesla designed the first hydroelectric power plant in Niagara Falls and the units used to measure the strength of magnetic fields were named after him ‘Teslas’.