Nikola Tesla’s Greatest Inventions
Intro:
Hey there, curious minds! This 19th-century inventor is the reason we can light up our lives using alternating current. It is the Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla, but his life story is a rollercoaster of innovation coupled with bad fortune. In this video, we will take you on an EXPRESS JOURNEY where we'll demystify Tesla's groundbreaking contributions to science, his quirky inventions, and the controversies that fueled his journey. So, let's have a look at his life and everything that made him what he is.
Main Content:
Early life
If you've ever seen a brilliant mind suffer due to lack of resources, wait till you hear the life story of Nikola Tesla.
This brilliant man was born in 1856 in present-day Croatia. His mother's genetics gifted him with an eidetic memory and extraordinary creativity, which would later be of great use in scientific breakthroughs.
At a young age, Tesla's fascination with electricity grew, and his mathematical talents astounded teachers, who wrongly suspected that he was cheating. But they only had a genius enrolled, that's all.
Tesla's journey led him to the Imperial-Royal Technical College in Graz, where his passion for electricity blossomed. You would think a prodigy like him would flourish in college, right? But was this the case? Unfortunately, no.
Tesla left the college in 1878 at age 22, and some sources suggest he may have been expelled due to his gambling habits that led to losing all his tuition money. His life also lacked any romance. you know why?Well, according to him, any relationship would distract him from his work, and even claimed that he was not worthy of women. If only women knew how important this man is going to be in the coming century!
Anyways, later in life, he became fascinated by pigeons. That's right, folks. Pigeons! According to some sources, he may even have spent thousands of dollars for caring for an injured white female pigeon, stating that he loved her as a man loves a woman. He even called it the purpose of his life! Strange, but true!
Work-life:
Tesla was fascinated by the thought of electromagnetic fields and alternate-current motor. He got a job at the Budapest Telephone Exchange in 1881, working under Tivadar Puskás, the inventor of the telephone exchange. Later, he relocated to Paris in 1882, impressed the Continental Edison Company with his skills, and was assigned to troubleshoot engineering challenges across France and Germany. In 1884, he emigrated to the United States, joining the Edison Machine Works in Manhattan, New York. However, just six months later, he abruptly quit his job. But Why?
The exact reasons remain unclear, but it could have been due to an unpaid bonus or a shelved project. Some versions of the story even claim that Thomas Edison himself backed out of a deal with him. Eyup, the same inventor of the light Bulb. In fact, Edison is known to be a solid contender to Tesla, and he will remain one later in the story, too.
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Brilliant visions hindered by financial hurdles
Coming back to the video now.
Tesla went on to establish the Tesla Electric Light and Manufacturing Company with the backing of investors but couldn't hold onto them. In 1886, they abandoned him in financial ruin and without control over his own patents. Yes, having brains doesn't guarantee you a stable life, friends!
Still, he kept on working on an Alternating Current motor and, in 1888, sold his patent to industrialist George Westinghouse, whose Westinghouse Electric Company had quickly become an Edison competitor, a supporter of DC current.
In another attempt at his vision of wireless power transmission, Tesla's plan to build the Wardenclyffe Tower grew more ambitious, aiming to surpass Guglielmo Marconi's radio system. He sought investors in New York, securing $150,000 from J. P. Morgan against a 51% share of any generated wireless patents. He kept approaching Morgan for additional funds but was denied, leading to the project's eventual collapse in 1905. He even faced a mental breakdown at that moment. Sad.
War of the Currents
Let me tell you a little-known fact about Tesla's rivalry with Thomas Edison.
Edison waged a propaganda war against Tesla's AC to make his DC current the standard electricity system by electrocuting animals publicly with AC and proposing its use for life sentences. But guess what? His methods backfired. George Westinghouse snatched the contract to power the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, leaving Edison's General Electric in the dust. The expo became a dazzling stage for Tesla's AC system, proving that flashy campaigns don't always work!
Fun fact: Elon Musk's groundbreaking automobile company, Tesla, is, in fact, a tribute to Nikola Tesla and his pioneering work in electrical engineering. So, every time you see a Tesla on the road, you're witnessing a nod to the past!
His greatest Inventions
Let's have a look at some of Tesla’s most important inventions.
AC Power
Tesla is most credited with creating the first-ever Alternating Current motor. AC is fantastic for long-distance transmission, and it's the same current that we get through the power outlets in our homes. Thanks to Tesla's innovations, AC power can be sent over hundreds of miles with minimal loss.
Tesla Coil
In 1891, he invented this two-coil system called Tesla Coil that generates high-voltage, low-current electricity. Beyond its flashy appearances in science fiction, the Tesla coil was practically used in early radio transmission systems and played a role in powering early fluorescent lights.
Magnifying Transmitter
To transmit electrical energy across great distances without wires, he made an advanced version of his Tesla coil that could produce millions of volts of electricity called magnifying transmitter. Tesla even reported being able to light a field of bulbs at a distance of a kilometer using the device. Do you remember the Wardenclyffe Tower we talked about? That project did include elements of his magnifying transmitter design.
Tesla Turbine
Tesla turbine is a special kind of turbine that doesn't have traditional spinning blades like a piston engine. It is bladeless and uses smooth disks that spin in a chamber using combusted fuel that enters the chamber. It's quite a simple yet effective design, often used in different areas like generating power or propelling things forward.
Shadowgraph
Now we all know about X-rays, right, and that Wilhelm Röntgen was the man behind their discovery? But hold onto your hats because it is said that our man Tesla knew about them already before Röntgen publicly identified them in 1895. Tesla called these rays radiant energy. After learning about Röntgen's discovery, he did his own experiments and generated an X-ray photograph of a shoe, which he called shadowgraph, using his own vacuum tube.
Radio
What? Wasn’t Guglielmo Marconi the inventor? Well, not exactly; the inventor title of the Radio is a bit disputed. You see, in the late 19th century, both Tesla and Marconi were racing to develop radio technology. However, Tesla's lab fire tragically destroyed critical research papers, stalling his progress. Meanwhile, Marconi, with strong financial backing and support from aristocrats and Thomas Edison, made a breakthrough in 1904 using some of Tesla's patents and successfully sent a signal across the Atlantic Ocean. His patent approval for the radio marked him as its inventor. Although Tesla attempted to sue Marconi's company, he lacked the resources to battle a major corporation in court.
Neon Lamp
Tesla figured out how to bend and mold neon tubes into words and shapes, turning them into the eye-catching signs we know today. When he first presented everyone with his neon signs at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, it was an instant hit.
Hydroelectric Power
Niagara Falls may be a beautiful natural sight, but it was more than that for Tesla, who saw the great potential for energy generation here. So, along with George Westinghouse, they created the world's first hydroelectric power plant at Niagara Falls. Guess who they beat in the 1893 contest organized by the International Niagara Falls Commission? Eyup, Thomas Edison
Induction Motor
In 1887, Tesla introduced the induction motor, which is another groundbreaking invention of his that still serves as the foundation for the motors we use today, like in vacuums, blow dryers, and power tools. Modern motors incorporate advanced materials, better manufacturing techniques, and improved efficiency, but the basic principle of generating a rotating magnetic field with polyphase current, as conceived by Tesla, remains the same.
Radio Controlled Boat
In 1898, Nikola Tesla presented his radio-controlled boat at an electrical exhibition at Madison Square Garden, which was a first at that time, and he called it 'teleautomation.' His exhibition proved that you can control things using radio waves without needing to be near them.
Outro:
So, while Nikola Tesla's life may be full of achievements, he was poor, depressed, and abandoned towards the end of his life. He spent the last few years of his life in hotels just because he had spent all his money chasing after his great scientific endeavors. For that, we are truly thankful to him.
Which of his inventions do you think is the most important one for the world today? Tell us in the comments. Share the video with others, and if you haven't already, do consider liking and subscribing to our channel.
Thanks for watching, everyone, and we will see you in another video very soon!
Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snQl_rmpavg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-rise-and-fall-of-nikola-tesla-and-his-tower-11074324/
https://www.history.com/news/what-was-the-war-of-the-currents
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_coil
https://electrical-engineering-portal.com/magnifying-transmitter-nikola-tesla
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