Sunday, January 17, 2010

WSJ Article, Nikola TESLA

This article appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Jan.14th, 2010. 
We  subscribe to this newspaper and I usually cover the main headlines . This caught my interest because TESLA  was a Serbian emigre (as Mitch's parents),  but came in  1884. Mitch and I  had walked past his Memorial House in Croatia and  had often spoken of him with some pride. 

Most likely, many of you  have read about Tesla and Thomas Edison and  aware of their association, feud and separation. The WSJ article is about  the rediscovery of Tesla and what is happening NOW. It is not about Thomas Edison.!

The headline," Long Dead Inventor Tesla Electrifies Hip Techies."
The first paragraph states," Decades after he died penniless, Nikcola Tesla is elbowing aside his old adversary Thomas Edison in the pantheon of geek gods.."   Then they mentioned that the stand out name to call the new electric  $100,000  sports car was TESLA.

Next, they credited Tesla as an inventor and scientist who achieved fame and fortune in the 1880s for figuring out how to make alternating current work on a grand scale electrifying the world. It said that he created the first major hydroelectric dam at Niagra Falls. Then   it mentioned  the rivalry with Edison when Edison bet on direct current, but that Tesla won the contest when his AC equipment powered  the grand display of electric light at the 1893 World's Fair.
"After selling his AC patents to Westinghouse and harnessing Niagre Falls-Tesla hobnobbed with Mark Twain  J.P. Morgan, and Sarah Barnhardt. 
Then  his troubles started with a fire.  Later, he stumbled upon xrays and lasers, but did not pursue them.  He sketched out robotics and a death ray to end all wars."
" Larry Page of GOOGLE Inc. cites him as an early inspiration. Teslamania is going increasingly mainstream."
The article goes on and on, " Tesla, in short is cool." so states the WSJ,
MBPB

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