TESLA: A FUTURE CREATED IN THE PAST
An underrated genius and visionary
The dictionary meaning of the word ‘visionary’ is ‘(a person) who can think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom’. What would you choose to call a person whose inventions and achievements remained largely underappreciated during his lifetime, not because they were not worthy or lacked potential, but because the humankind of his era did not possess the mental wherewithal to comprehend his ideas and inventions, let alone appreciating them? Such a genius would undoubtedly be called the personification of the word ‘visionary’, wouldn’t he?
Inventing the Alternating Current, constructing the world’s first hydro-electric power plant, discovering the X-Rays, inventing the Induction Motor, and conceptualizing the wireless transmission of data and energy – if you were to be told that all these accomplishments are credited to one person, would you then nod your head in approval to call him ‘an absolute visionary’? In the awe of his genius, you sure would. Well, that’s Tesla for you – Nikola Tesla.
Tesla and his unclaimed inventions
When one talks of all the accomplishments Tesla made during his lifetime, the only thought permeating one’s mind would be of the man being hundreds of years ahead of his time. Born on the 10th of July, 1856, in Austria, Nikola Tesla was one of the most fascinating minds in human history. Based on the vast spectrum of inventions, conceptualizations, and ideas that Nikola Tesla brought to the table, some call him an inventor, while others scientist. It would, however, be best to call him a pioneer and a thinker par excellence.
Here are some of the most noteworthy inventions and contributions of Tesla in shaping our world and moulding our lives the way we live today-
- Alternating Current – The feud between Edison and Tesla was finally put to rest once and for all in 1893 at the World’s Expo in Chicago. While the former was an advocate of Direct Current, the latter, Tesla, was a proponent of implementing Alternating Current for the power grid. Although the pros of the Alternating Current clearly outweighed those of the Direct Current, still Tesla had to demonstrate the safety of A.C. by sending electricity through himself to produce light using a Tesla coil. Tesla emerged victorious in the battle of currents. It is all thanks to Nikola Tesla that we are today using the A.C. to power almost every appliance in our households.
- Wireless transmission of energy – Perhaps the greatest and the most significant invention Tesla made was the wireless transmission of data and energy. Although initially over small distances, Tesla demonstrated the wireless transmission of electrical energy with the help of the Tesla coils in 1891. Having developed the first laser, wireless communication and the wireless transmission of energy, Tesla proved himself to be the “Father of Wireless”. All thanks to Nikola Tesla and his revolutionary ideas in this field that we are today using smartphones which work on the principle of wireless data transfer.
- World’s very first hydroelectric power plant – Together with George Westinghouse, Nikola Tesla constructed the world’s first hydroelectric power plant at the base of Niagara Falls. Hailed as being one of the first energy generation locations, this power plant started the process of electrifying the world and has now been transformed into a museum.
- X -Rays – W Röntgen, a German physicist, is credited as being the discoverer of X-rays in 1895. However, the implementation of X-rays in the medical field is considered to be a consequence of the experiments conducted by Nikola Tesla with X-ray imaging. It is these very experiments of Tesla that brought to light the inherent dangers associated with the use of this radiation on human flesh.
Nikola Tesla; The inventor of the 21st century
It would certainly require the pure genius of Nikola Tesla to be the author of more than 700 patents and innovations. It would require the talent of Nikola Tesla to be able to speak 8 languages. And, it would require the creative imagination of Nikola’s mind to conceive things that were ahead of that time.
Nikola Tesla was an exceptionally gifted yet enigmatic personality who could see far into the future. Spending his last days in depravity, he died with a passion for science that changed the 20th century and shaped the future of the 21st.