[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Tesla vs Edison (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 11/17/2008 8:29:38 PM EDT
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Who was more had more influence on the modern world we live in today? Nikola Tesla or Thomas Edison?
My vote is for Tesla, firstly he was the one who actually invented the light bulb, and Edison stole it and took credit for it. Telsa turned around and made an even BETTER and longer last light bulb. And Tesla made it possible to carry electricity over long distances and not lose any power. Where as Edison's idea would have forced a power plant for every mile the wire traveled. Also, Tesla envisioned wireless electricity, which actually worked, and is right now as we speak is going to be a reality not too far into the future. |
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Also, Tesla envisioned wireless electricity, which actually worked, and is right now as we speak is going to be a reality not too far into the future. Links? If there are actually people making this work, you've got my interest. http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2007/wireless-0607.html MIT is working on it, and some military contractors are working on a version for the US military as well. And this is a good article on it as well. http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2008-01/electricity-air |
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Beta was a superior product, but the world ended up with VHS.
Edison had 1368 patents, he was a much more successful and prolific inventor, and his ideas had a much wider reach into the daily lives of people and the future. 1868 * Invented the electrical vote recorder. 1869 * Invented the universal stock ticker and the unison stop. 1872 * Invented the motograph. * Invented the automatic telegraph system. * Invented duplex, quadruplex, sextuplex, and multiplex telegraph systems. * Invented paraffin paper. * Invented the carbon rheostat. 1875 * Discovered "Etheric Force," an electric phenomenon that is the foundation of wireless telegraphy. 1876 * Invented the electric pen used for the first mimeographs. 1877 * Invented the carbon telephone transmitter, making telephony commercially practical. This included the microphone used in radio. 1877 * Invented the phonograph. This was Edison's favorite invention. He sponsored the Edison Phonograph Polka to help popularize the new device. 1879 * Discovered incandescent light. * Radically improved dynamos and generators. * Discovered a system of distribution, regulation, and measurement of electric current-switches, fuses, sockets, and meters. 1880 * Invented the magnetic ore separator. 1880 * Discovered the "Edison Effect," the fundamental principle of electronics. 1885 * Discovered a system of wireless induction telegraph between moving trains and stations. He also patented similar systems for ship-to-shore use. 1891 * Invented the motion picture camera. 1896 * Invented the fluoroscope. * Invented the fluorescent electric lamp. 1900 * Invented the nickel-iron-alkaline storage battery. 1914 * Invented the electric safety miner's lamp. * Discovered the process for manufacturing synthetic carbolic acid. 1915 * Conducted special experiments on more than 40 major war problems for the Navy Department. Edison served as Chairman of the Naval Consulting Board and did much other work on National Defense. 1927-1931 * Tested 17,000 plants for rubber content as a source of rubber in war emergencies. A piece of vulcanized rubber was made from a Goldenrod strain he developed. |
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Right now, Edison. But, only because he stole NT's ideas and used his influence to keep NT out of the game. But in 100 years, I think NT's ideas will supplant Edison's. It's only a matter of time. That is a interesting analysis I would say, but NT I think NT has had more influence on the modern world, and in fact, it is thanks to NT that we have remote controls for our tv, remote controlled cars, boats and such, and even UAVs are possible because of him. |
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Edison was a better businessman, and probably had more influence on the modern world. He knew Tesla was a threat to his business and ran him out of the country.
Tesla was just smarter. If Edison would have worked with him instead of holding him back, who knows what they would have come up with. |
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Tesla actually worked for Edison building electric motors for a few years dramatically improving Edison's products.
Tesla's AC induction motor changed the world in ways most people don't think about. Such motors would run for decades with virtually no maintenence. (compare to a DC or AC brush motor) Also Tesla invented Radio - Even the blowhards at the Smithsonian have there display incorrectly giving that credit to Marconi - But The Supreme Court decided ( the year after Tesla died) That Tesla's Patents predated Marconi and Marconi based his designs on Tesla's prior published work. To bad he was lousy at making notes. |
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Edison isn't even in the same ballpark as Tesla, Tesla is hands down the greatest Electrical Engineer ever to have walked the planet probably also the most eccentric also. Our entire electrical energy grid would not be possible without Tesla.
He burnt out the AC generators at a powerplant in Colorado Springs when he was testing his gigantic Tesla Coil (think 14 to 20 foot electrical arcs). He tore them down, he did not take any notes, and rebuilt then reassembled the AC generators from memory. The generators were about 20% more efficient than the originals after he rebuilt them. |
| Just because Edison owned the patents didn't mean he invented it. Edison ran a think tank that invented many things, all of which Edison got credit for. That doesn't mean they should automatically be credited to him. Tesla invented everything himself and much of his work greatly influenced other inventors. (and he made a death ray) |
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Will Graham: I thought you might enjoy the challenge. Find out if you're smarter than the person I'm looking for.
Hannibal Lecter: Then, by implication, you think you're smarter than I am, since it was you who caught me. Will Graham: No, I know I'm not smarter than you. Hannibal Lecter: Then how did you catch me? Will Graham: You had... disadvantages. Hannibal Lecter: What disadvantages? Will Graham: You're insane. |
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I would say Edison for number of devices. When it comes to electricity, Tesla is the obvious king. http://www.pbs.org/tesla/ll/index.html And F you Marconi, Tesla did it first! |
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Just because Edison owned the patents didn't mean he invented it. Edison ran a think tank that invented many things, all of which Edison got credit for. That doesn't mean they should automatically be credited to him. Tesla invented everything himself and much of his work greatly influenced other inventors. (and he made a death ray) This For sure! |
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Beta was a superior product, but the world ended up with VHS. Edison had 1368 patents, he was a much more successful and prolific inventor, and his ideas had a much wider reach into the daily lives of people and the future. 1868 * Invented the electrical vote recorder. 1869 * Invented the universal stock ticker and the unison stop. 1872 * Invented the motograph. * Invented the automatic telegraph system. * Invented duplex, quadruplex, sextuplex, and multiplex telegraph systems. * Invented paraffin paper. * Invented the carbon rheostat. 1875 * Discovered "Etheric Force," an electric phenomenon that is the foundation of wireless telegraphy. 1876 * Invented the electric pen used for the first mimeographs. 1877 * Invented the carbon telephone transmitter, making telephony commercially practical. This included the microphone used in radio. 1877 * Invented the phonograph. This was Edison's favorite invention. He sponsored the Edison Phonograph Polka to help popularize the new device. 1879 * Discovered incandescent light. * Radically improved dynamos and generators. * Discovered a system of distribution, regulation, and measurement of electric current-switches, fuses, sockets, and meters. 1880 * Invented the magnetic ore separator. 1880 * Discovered the "Edison Effect," the fundamental principle of electronics. 1885 * Discovered a system of wireless induction telegraph between moving trains and stations. He also patented similar systems for ship-to-shore use. 1891 * Invented the motion picture camera. 1896 * Invented the fluoroscope. * Invented the fluorescent electric lamp. 1900 * Invented the nickel-iron-alkaline storage battery. 1914 * Invented the electric safety miner's lamp. * Discovered the process for manufacturing synthetic carbolic acid. 1915 * Conducted special experiments on more than 40 major war problems for the Navy Department. Edison served as Chairman of the Naval Consulting Board and did much other work on National Defense. 1927-1931 * Tested 17,000 plants for rubber content as a source of rubber in war emergencies. A piece of vulcanized rubber was made from a Goldenrod strain he developed. This Tesla might have had a better technical line, but Edison got his products to the people. Between you me and the fencepost, I would prefer NOT to have ridiculously high power EMF bouncing around. We already know it burns and sterilizes things. |
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No contest at all, Tesla was WAY ahead of his time. He was very passionate about his work and didn't care about making a ton of money.
So much of what we use today was inspired by Tesla and so many of the people you read about in your history books stood on Tesla's shoulders to get there (Marconi and Edison to name a few). Not to mention that Tesla kicked Edison's ass in a bid to light the first Worlds Fair. Tesla also wins on "coolness factor". One of his experiments was accused of being a death ray that caused the Tunguska explosion and it is written that he created and successfully tested an "earthquake machine". |
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The greatest PC game of all time! Tesla coils for the win! 
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This Tesla might have had a better technical line, but Edison got his products to the people. Between you me and the fencepost, I would prefer NOT to have ridiculously high power EMF bouncing around. We already know it burns and sterilizes things. Tesla basically made Westinghouse when he turned over his patents to them. Tesla invented AC power, floro lighting, radio (yes, he beat Marconi), remote control and a ton of other things that we all use in our day to day life. Hell, all these years later and Tesla's light bulb is superior to Edison's. As an inventor and scientist there is no comparison between the two. The biggest difference was Edison was a good businessman while Tesla was an eccentric mad scientist (People of his time really thought he was batshit crazy). |
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Also, Tesla envisioned wireless electricity, which actually worked, and is right now as we speak is going to be a reality not too far into the future. Links? If there are actually people making this work, you've got my interest. http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2007/wireless-0607.html MIT is working on it, and some military contractors are working on a version for the US military as well. And this is a good article on it as well. http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2008-01/electricity-air Many of my professors have discussed this in class and have all come to the conclusion that it is why to ineffecient for everyday use. However, It call as shit to see a light bulb light up when you just hold it. |
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Tesla actually worked for Edison building electric motors for a few years dramatically improving Edison's products. Tesla's AC induction motor changed the world in ways most people don't think about. Such motors would run for decades with virtually no maintenence. (compare to a DC or AC brush motor) Also Tesla invented Radio - Even the blowhards at the Smithsonian have there display incorrectly giving that credit to Marconi - But The Supreme Court decided ( the year after Tesla died) That Tesla's Patents predated Marconi and Marconi based his designs on Tesla's prior published work. To bad he was lousy at making notes. Radar as well. |
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Beta ended up dying because Sony is a idiotic proprietary company. Hi-8, minidisc also come to mind.... Kinda like Tesla, brilliant scientist, bad businessman. Yep. Minidisc could have been BADASS. We could have had minidisc drives in all our computers... minidisc players in our cars... But Sony kept it proprietary AND limited it's application scope to ONLY replacing cassette tapes for recording. What a bunch of fucking morons. |
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No contest at all, Tesla was WAY ahead of his time. He was very passionate about his work and didn't care about making a ton of money. So much of what we use today was inspired by Tesla and so many of the people you read about in your history books stood on Tesla's shoulders to get there (Marconi and Edison to name a few). Not to mention that Tesla kicked Edison's ass in a bid to light the first Worlds Fair. Tesla also wins on "coolness factor". One of his experiments was accused of being a death ray that caused the Tunguska explosion and it is written that he created and successfully tested an "earthquake machine". Yeah, I heard the story, I forgot what city, but the whole city started to shake, and it is said someone ran to his room and there he was with hammer trying to destroy his machine that was somehow creating the earth quake. Even if it is or isn't true, it's a neat story. |
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Edison's DC power was a technological dead end whereas Tesla's AC system runs the world today. There is no comparison. Exactly. Edison didn't care that his DC power was technologically inferior to that of Tesla's AC power. And he was a hard-headed ass about it. AC power was cheaper, more efficient, didn't require as many or as large power lines as DC power did. Tesla. Accept no substitute. |