Nikola Tesla Research Paper
Ryan Gemmell
ENG201 – 12pm
Nikola Tesla (1856 - 1943) Growing up in America, most children will learn about the history of electricity, telephones, engines, and other mechanical inventions. Almost everybody has heard of Benjamin Franklin and his discovery using lightening and a kite, Thomas Edison manufacturing the first plausible indoor light bulb, and other revolutionary discoveries. Unfortunately, here in the US, a Belgian mastermind that helped to shape the modern technological world is quite staggeringly less heard of. Nikola Tesla made some of the most ground breaking discoveries in scientific history, his findings and patents are still being researched today and have recently been proven useful and innovative for even the most …show more content…
modern technologies. Nikola Tesla should be more popularly known as the greatest, most important contributor to the present and future electronic age. In Smijilan, Austria-Hungary (now Croatia) in 1856, the mastermind Nikola Tesla was born. He grew up very poor but possessed a unique knack for innovation, some believe he could have even suffered from slight obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Although disadvantaged, Tesla’s father promised to help him attain the finest education, he went on to attend the Technology University at Graz, Austria, and the University of Prague (“Nikola” 230).
In 1881, at the age of 25, Tesla grasped opportunity to make a living and moved to Budapest to work in a Hungarian Telegraph office. During his short time working there, he was able to invent current intensifiers which amplified telephone signals (Roguin 369). The following year, the Continental Edison Company in Paris employed Tesla. Thomas Edison (1847-1931) had always been a great inspiration to young Tesla. Working in these prestigious, sophisticated, laboratories helped him invent the first induction motor in 1883 (Roguin 231).
All of these accomplishments lead Nikola Tesla to what had been his childhood motivation, working with Edison himself, he traveled to New York in 1884 to begin researching with the world renown genius, leading to the first advances in prototypes for alternating current induction (AC) motors. Unfortunately, Edison became greedy and refused to pay Tesla, he had no choice but to leave. Luckily enough, scientist George Westinghouse (1846-1914) knew of the young genius Tesla and tracked him down to work together, this partnership lead to an incredible amount of discoveries; including things varying from the fluorescent light bulb, to the first patents in remote control (Yabroff 69). Three years later, in 1887, Nikola Tesla really initiated his scientific career by attaining his own laboratory building in southern Manhattan where he was able to conduct any sort of experiment he could imagine (Baily 52). These new possibilities quickly lead to more discoveries and accomplishments by Tesla. The first patent for an AC induction motor was established in 1888, this design is still being used today by the car company, Toyota (“Difference” 13). Initial prototypes of the infamous “Tesla Coil” were built in 1891, which was the very first wireless conduction of electric energy. These new technologies were used by Westinghouse to light the World’s Columbian Exposition at Chicago in 1993 (“Nikola” 231).
One of the worst tragedies that impeded on Tesla’s career was a fire in 1995. Years were spent preparing to send a radio signal the longest distance yet, 50 miles. When finally ready, the fire destroyed a huge amount of Tesla’s instruments and technologies, leaving him grief-stricken (Roguin 372). Fortunately, for the two years after the Columbian Exposition, Westinghouse had been promoting Tesla’s technologies he used at the event and got them both a contract to build power generators run by the Niagara Falls. This project was completed in 1896, and was used to power the city of Buffalo (Nikola 232).
Over the next ten years, despite determination, wealthy friends, and clear potential for revolution, Nikola Tesla ran out of money and suffered from depression in 1905.
Some believe the financial struggle and emotional breakdowns could have been due to the slight OCD he may have had (Bailey 56). However, then ten years prior were still long enough for Tesla to develop a significant legacy which helped him continue his studies in later years. The end of the 19th century consisted of developments like the first remote controlled toy boat (Marshal 523), and a magical display of 200 lights in Colorado Springs light up wirelessly for the first time (McCray 563). In the beginning of the 1900’s before the temporary failure, Guglielmo Marconi (1874-1937) celebrated a temporary victory in the radio transmission world by sending a signal all the way across the Atlantic Ocean. Meanwhile, Tesla was busy building the famous WardenClyffe tower to be the first with a home completely powered by wireless transmission, John Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) stopping his funding to the project was what really initiated the breakdown of Tesla (Bailey …show more content…
56).
In the final years of Tesla’s career, he became more and more appreciated to the world, even after his death. In 1917 he was awarded the highest honor at the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, the Edison Medal (Berardinis 6). In the same year, at the age of 61, Tesla made one last attempt at his dreams by beginning work at a German wireless transmission company on Long Island called Telefunken. Following the unfortunate trend, US marines showed up and took all of the company’s equipment in fear of them being German spies. Running out of options Tesla published the research they had been working on, a “death ray” that was used to detect and locate ships far away at sea. Tesla was ignored by most, and his career began to slow down. Eleven years later, in 1928, Tesla was able to patent a DaVinci-inspired, helicopter-like flying machine named the “tiltrotor”. In 1934 the former death ray information was used by French scientist Emile Girardeau(1882-1970) and helped lead to the invention of the first radar.
The final years of Nikola Tesla’s life were shortened in 1937 when he was hit by a taxi.
In the last year on his life, Tesla unveiled a secret “teleforce” weapon to the government that was ignored at the time, and in 1993 the United States actually began researching the project. Shortly after dying in his sleep in 1943, it was proved that Marconi even used Tesla’s designs in his transmission of the signal across the Atlantic Ocean. Now, in the 21st century, we do celebrate Tesla’s life more than in the past. The unit of measure magnetic field strength is known as the Tesla (T), and the Nikola Tesla Museum of Science was built in Belgrade, Serbia (Berardinis 7). Although his success is becoming more known, everything Tesla believed should be researched much more closely, and children growing up should be taught more of his findings. Many credible scientists today believe that the financial failure of Tesla could have halted the potential for a complete revolution in electronics, magnetics, and radio transmission. It is very possible that with the technologies of the 21st century and the proper funding, Tesla’s research could lead to such a
revolution.
Works Cited Bailey, Ronald H. "Tesla: The Wizard Who Electrified the World." American History
45, no. 2 (2010): 52-56.
Berardinis, Larry. "Waverunner--The Conclusion American Inventor (1856-1943)."
Motion System Design 48, no. 4 (2006): 6.
"Difference Engine Nikola Tesla 's Revenge." The Economist 399, no. 8736 (2011):
13.
McCray, W. Patrick. "Physics: The Mind Electric." Nature 497 (2013): 562-563.
"Nikola Tesla (1856-1943)." In Britannica Guide to 100 Most Influencial Scientists.
Chicago, IL: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2008. 230-232.
O 'Neill, John J. Prodigal Genius. Albuquerque, NM: Brotherhood of Life, Inc., 1994
Roguin, Ariel. "Nikola Tesla: The Man Behind the Magnetic Field Unit." Journal of
Magnetic Resonance Imaging 19 (2004): 369-374.
Yabroff, Jennie. "The Cult of the Volt." Newsweek 151, no. 12 (2008): 69.
ENG201 – 12pm
Nikola Tesla (1856 - 1943) Growing up in America, most children will learn about the history of electricity, telephones, engines, and other mechanical inventions. Almost everybody has heard of Benjamin Franklin and his discovery using lightening and a kite, Thomas Edison manufacturing the first plausible indoor light bulb, and other revolutionary discoveries. Unfortunately, here in the US, a Belgian mastermind that helped to shape the modern technological world is quite staggeringly less heard of. Nikola Tesla made some of the most ground breaking discoveries in scientific history, his findings and patents are still being researched today and have recently been proven useful and innovative for even the most …show more content…
modern technologies. Nikola Tesla should be more popularly known as the greatest, most important contributor to the present and future electronic age. In Smijilan, Austria-Hungary (now Croatia) in 1856, the mastermind Nikola Tesla was born. He grew up very poor but possessed a unique knack for innovation, some believe he could have even suffered from slight obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Although disadvantaged, Tesla’s father promised to help him attain the finest education, he went on to attend the Technology University at Graz, Austria, and the University of Prague (“Nikola” 230).
In 1881, at the age of 25, Tesla grasped opportunity to make a living and moved to Budapest to work in a Hungarian Telegraph office. During his short time working there, he was able to invent current intensifiers which amplified telephone signals (Roguin 369). The following year, the Continental Edison Company in Paris employed Tesla. Thomas Edison (1847-1931) had always been a great inspiration to young Tesla. Working in these prestigious, sophisticated, laboratories helped him invent the first induction motor in 1883 (Roguin 231).
All of these accomplishments lead Nikola Tesla to what had been his childhood motivation, working with Edison himself, he traveled to New York in 1884 to begin researching with the world renown genius, leading to the first advances in prototypes for alternating current induction (AC) motors. Unfortunately, Edison became greedy and refused to pay Tesla, he had no choice but to leave. Luckily enough, scientist George Westinghouse (1846-1914) knew of the young genius Tesla and tracked him down to work together, this partnership lead to an incredible amount of discoveries; including things varying from the fluorescent light bulb, to the first patents in remote control (Yabroff 69). Three years later, in 1887, Nikola Tesla really initiated his scientific career by attaining his own laboratory building in southern Manhattan where he was able to conduct any sort of experiment he could imagine (Baily 52). These new possibilities quickly lead to more discoveries and accomplishments by Tesla. The first patent for an AC induction motor was established in 1888, this design is still being used today by the car company, Toyota (“Difference” 13). Initial prototypes of the infamous “Tesla Coil” were built in 1891, which was the very first wireless conduction of electric energy. These new technologies were used by Westinghouse to light the World’s Columbian Exposition at Chicago in 1993 (“Nikola” 231).
One of the worst tragedies that impeded on Tesla’s career was a fire in 1995. Years were spent preparing to send a radio signal the longest distance yet, 50 miles. When finally ready, the fire destroyed a huge amount of Tesla’s instruments and technologies, leaving him grief-stricken (Roguin 372). Fortunately, for the two years after the Columbian Exposition, Westinghouse had been promoting Tesla’s technologies he used at the event and got them both a contract to build power generators run by the Niagara Falls. This project was completed in 1896, and was used to power the city of Buffalo (Nikola 232).
Over the next ten years, despite determination, wealthy friends, and clear potential for revolution, Nikola Tesla ran out of money and suffered from depression in 1905.
Some believe the financial struggle and emotional breakdowns could have been due to the slight OCD he may have had (Bailey 56). However, then ten years prior were still long enough for Tesla to develop a significant legacy which helped him continue his studies in later years. The end of the 19th century consisted of developments like the first remote controlled toy boat (Marshal 523), and a magical display of 200 lights in Colorado Springs light up wirelessly for the first time (McCray 563). In the beginning of the 1900’s before the temporary failure, Guglielmo Marconi (1874-1937) celebrated a temporary victory in the radio transmission world by sending a signal all the way across the Atlantic Ocean. Meanwhile, Tesla was busy building the famous WardenClyffe tower to be the first with a home completely powered by wireless transmission, John Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) stopping his funding to the project was what really initiated the breakdown of Tesla (Bailey …show more content…
56).
In the final years of Tesla’s career, he became more and more appreciated to the world, even after his death. In 1917 he was awarded the highest honor at the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, the Edison Medal (Berardinis 6). In the same year, at the age of 61, Tesla made one last attempt at his dreams by beginning work at a German wireless transmission company on Long Island called Telefunken. Following the unfortunate trend, US marines showed up and took all of the company’s equipment in fear of them being German spies. Running out of options Tesla published the research they had been working on, a “death ray” that was used to detect and locate ships far away at sea. Tesla was ignored by most, and his career began to slow down. Eleven years later, in 1928, Tesla was able to patent a DaVinci-inspired, helicopter-like flying machine named the “tiltrotor”. In 1934 the former death ray information was used by French scientist Emile Girardeau(1882-1970) and helped lead to the invention of the first radar.
The final years of Nikola Tesla’s life were shortened in 1937 when he was hit by a taxi.
In the last year on his life, Tesla unveiled a secret “teleforce” weapon to the government that was ignored at the time, and in 1993 the United States actually began researching the project. Shortly after dying in his sleep in 1943, it was proved that Marconi even used Tesla’s designs in his transmission of the signal across the Atlantic Ocean. Now, in the 21st century, we do celebrate Tesla’s life more than in the past. The unit of measure magnetic field strength is known as the Tesla (T), and the Nikola Tesla Museum of Science was built in Belgrade, Serbia (Berardinis 7). Although his success is becoming more known, everything Tesla believed should be researched much more closely, and children growing up should be taught more of his findings. Many credible scientists today believe that the financial failure of Tesla could have halted the potential for a complete revolution in electronics, magnetics, and radio transmission. It is very possible that with the technologies of the 21st century and the proper funding, Tesla’s research could lead to such a
revolution.
Works Cited Bailey, Ronald H. "Tesla: The Wizard Who Electrified the World." American History
45, no. 2 (2010): 52-56.
Berardinis, Larry. "Waverunner--The Conclusion American Inventor (1856-1943)."
Motion System Design 48, no. 4 (2006): 6.
"Difference Engine Nikola Tesla 's Revenge." The Economist 399, no. 8736 (2011):
13.
McCray, W. Patrick. "Physics: The Mind Electric." Nature 497 (2013): 562-563.
"Nikola Tesla (1856-1943)." In Britannica Guide to 100 Most Influencial Scientists.
Chicago, IL: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2008. 230-232.
O 'Neill, John J. Prodigal Genius. Albuquerque, NM: Brotherhood of Life, Inc., 1994
Roguin, Ariel. "Nikola Tesla: The Man Behind the Magnetic Field Unit." Journal of
Magnetic Resonance Imaging 19 (2004): 369-374.
Yabroff, Jennie. "The Cult of the Volt." Newsweek 151, no. 12 (2008): 69.