14

Nikola Tesla: Experiments and Discoveries

Posted by ObjectiveAnalyst 8 years, 5 months ago to Books
44 comments | Share | Best of... | Flag

Nikola Tesla: Experiments and Discoveries
Book Review
Author Nikola Tesla, Introduction by W. Bernard Carlson with a brief biography and other un-credited notes, 133 pages
ISBN 978-1-4351-6037-8

Dear Reader,

In his time, Nikola Tesla was the man that created the motor! He was born in 1856 in Smiljan, Croatia in what was then the Austrian Empire. He emigrated to the United States in 1884 to work for Thomas Edison. Before dying in New York in 1943, he discovered, invented and created the foundation necessary for many of the electric devices we take for granted today. His list of patents is purported to be in the hundreds.

Though an enigmatic figure, with eccentricities and even a nervous breakdown in 1905, this book only briefly goes into his personal story. It is primarily composed of a lengthy lecture and some illustrations of his experiments with alternate currents of high potential and high frequency as well as a shorter examination of the transmission of electric energy without wires. The bulk of the writing is that of Nikola himself. The language can be a bit odd, but if you are interested in the mechanics of his inventions and his discoveries, like basic electronics and the phenomena that electricity is capable of then you may enjoy this book.

If not, then this book may be dull reading for you. I find this kind of information fascinating, but it still assisted me in a nap or two.

Happy Reading,
O.A.


All Comments


Previous comments...   You are currently on page 2.
  • Posted by ProfChuck 8 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    It was the invention of high voltage semiconductors that made DC transmission lines possible. This technology was at least 50 years in Edison's future. Transformers don't work with DC so there was no practical way to generate the million volts necessary for long distance power transmission. There are two important mechanisms for power loss in long distance transmission lines; electrical resistance and induction loss. High voltage solves the first and DC solves the second.
    Tesla's invention of the high frequency high voltage transformer (Tesla coil) powered TV sets for over 70 years. It wasn't until the development of solid state flat screen displays that his invention stopped being used.
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by term2 8 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Interestingly enough, Edison wanted to preserve his investment in DC, and used the fact that at the time, the transformer had not been invented yet for AC, making the transmission advantages of AC dependent on using very high voltages from generator to the end user. When the transformer was invented, transmission could be done at high voltages but the end user could reduce the voltage right before using it, making AC just as safe as DC. Edison should have kept Tesla on as an employee and adopted AC when the transformer was invented.
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by $ allosaur 8 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Edison tried to make Ac look bad by publicly zapping animals, including a condemned for being dangerous elephant named Topsy.
    (That one person cruel and stupid enough to feed Topsy a lit cigarette deserved what he got).
    https://www.wired.com/2008/01/dayinte...
    Me dino decided not to bring here what Edison filmed. It's in YouTube.
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by DrZarkov99 8 years, 4 months ago
    What's a little ironic is that while Tesla created the alternating current technology that made long range transmission of electric power possible, the high power lines today use Edison's direct current. What has been discovered is that DC transmission carries the power over the external surfaces of the transmission lines, with much fewer losses than AC. Edison's original lines were of small diameter unsuited to reduced loss and unable to carry high power, so with a little more thought, he might have won the battle over AC.
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by ohiocrossroads 8 years, 4 months ago
    Tesla's biggest success was the invention of the alternating current power system. He sold the technology to George Westinghouse for a huge amount of money, then spent it pursuing his other ideas. He mostly spent it on wireless power transmission.
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by Blanco 8 years, 4 months ago
    Tesla, Edison, Ford, Rockefeller, Vanderbilt - all among my pantheon of American wealth creators.
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by term2 8 years, 4 months ago
    Tesla was a smart dude. Made Edison look like a fool for sticking with DC over AC.
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by 8 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Indeed. His Galt like attributes are not all encompassing. It is only his creative genius that really qualifies. He did create not only motors, but a means of extracting power without wires from the surrounding atmosphere, albeit from a source also of his creation.
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by Dobrien 8 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I think that his mysticism would disqualify him as an objectivist's hero. I am a big fan of Tesla and have posted this quote and received many down votes in Galts gulch online previously.
    "If you only knew the magnificence of 3,6 and 9 then you would have the key to the universe "
    Tesla
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by Dobrien 8 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    It would be astonishing if his papers and notes and technology was not weaponized and didn't help make smart bombs and guidance systems.
    When someone dies and the govt combs through his home and extracts all his written work with in hours that is certainly looting but it wasn't cash they wanted.
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by $ Olduglycarl 8 years, 4 months ago
    It's amazing progressive history ignores Tesla but promotes Edison, whom was a vial, evil man and did not (personally) "Create" many of the inventions they give him credit for.
    However, looking back, I think some sort of Local DC system, maybe made better by Tesla...would have been a better choice.
    (I don't think transmitting high voltage AC through the air would of been very healthy for life nor earth.)
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by Technocracy 8 years, 4 months ago
    Thanks for posting this.

    Nickola Tesla was absolutely one of the most fascinating people of the era.
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by 8 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    My pleasure DB.
    Thank's for all you do around here too.
    I like that you keep things challenging...and edgy! :)
    Regards,
    O.A.
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by 8 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Hello Dobrien,
    Thank's. I try to post reviews here that I believe may interest our members and/or that are at least tangentially related to Rand's philosophy or stories. I also post reviews of books written by our members. In a few days I will be posting another review of a book written by one of our members.
    Happy reading,
    O.A.
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by 8 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Hello mminnick,
    I have no doubt that the lost contents of the Great Library of Alexandria contained information and discoveries that we have yet to rediscover. As far as the Tesla papers go, I suspect our government has made use of his work in ways we would both be aghast and astounded by. More often than not our government seems to look for ways to weaponize new discoveries.
    Respectfully,
    O.A.
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by Dobrien 8 years, 4 months ago
    Hi OA,
    This is a great book recommendation. Tesla a brilliant mind who had an incredible life story.
    His contributions are widely adopted today.
    Wireless ,check, sound and resonance, check,
    AC , check.
    The most under rated and unknown genius of the electrical revolution. 3-6-9
    Regards,
    Dobrien
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by mminnick 8 years, 4 months ago
    Tesla was a true genius. A large amount of his notebooks papers etc were taken by the government when he died (it is reported) and never seen again.One wonders what was in that collection of information that could have changed the world then and might still change it if known.
    It is something like the Great Library of Alexandria. If the manuscripts stored there had been saved from the fire, what we we know now with that treasure of information to build on. The lost opportunities of humanity are staggering and unknowable.
    Reply | Permalink  

  • Comment hidden. Undo