The secrets of Nikola Tesla

On 7 January 1943, exactly 81 years ago, Nikola Tesla, perhaps the greatest inventor of all time, died in New York. Did he die or was he murdered? And if he was murdered, by whom and why? January 1943 was a defining moment of the Second World War. The battle of Stalingrad. In addition to all his inventions, didn't Tesla additionally invent the greatest weapon of all time, more powerful than the atom, which has remained hidden to this day? Who might have had an interest in Tesla's assassination, the Germans or the Americans, or perhaps the Soviets? Or is it just a simple conspiracy theory?

What is certain is that just as Newton and Einstein created today's science, Edison and Tesla created today's technology.

Nikola Tesla was born in 1856 in the village of Smiljan in what was then Austria-Hungary, present-day Croatia, into the Serbian family of an Orthodox priest. His teacher convinced Nikola's father that the future inventor should not follow his father's example into the clergy, but should apply for a scholarship to the Graz University of Technology. His studies did not go well for Nikola, but this was probably because he was absorbed in one subject - alternating current. In any case, he did not finish his studies and returned to his family home. Tesla's father, Father Milutin, had great faith in his son and succeeded through family contacts (Tesla's uncle was a high officer of the Hungarian hussars) in getting him a job in Budapest at the Hungarian Telegraph Office. Tesla's mentor was Ferenc Puskas, a regimental colleague of his uncle Pavle. Ferenc's brother, on the other hand, was Tivadar Puskas - an outstanding inventor and probably the first inventor of the telephone.

The telegraph office was unfortunately close to bankruptcy and the Hungarian government decided to sell it, today we would say privatise it. The Puskas brothers offered Tesla a trip to Paris to work for Thomas Edison's consortium. Tivadar had previously met Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, during a trip to the USA.

Tesla accepted the offer and, during his time working for Edison's companies in Paris, saved the latter's reputation by repairing the lighting system of Strasbourg station, something no one else could do. He was promised a huge reward for this, unfortunately verbally, so the company did not pay it. This was not the first time Tesla had been cheated in this way. But probably because he was not a money-minded man. Unlike his competitors.

Instead, he benefited from a 'consolation prize'. The director of Edison's companies in Europe, Charles Batchelor, wrote him an enthusiastic recommendation to Edison: "Please meet him. The two greatest inventors today are you and this young man" (paradoxically, the age difference between Edison and Tesla is only nine years).

So Tesla sailed to America. On the way he was circumscribed, so he arrived in the New World with only a few cents in his pocket. However, Master Edison accepted the apprentice and immediately employed him.

And here comes perhaps the most significant stage in Tesla's intellectual development. Tesla, at least from his Parisian days, and probably earlier, was fascinated by and convinced of alternating current-that is, of varying voltages. Edison was a strong advocate of direct current- with constant voltage. According to Edison's concept, today we would have (tens (?) of millions?) of thousands of tiny power stations, which would be able to transmit electricity over very short distances- up to 2km.

Tesla believed that the extensive use of alternating current would allow transmission over long distances-hundreds of kilometres. And it turned out that he was absolutely saved.

In addition, he is the author of an induction electric motor based on a rotating electromagnetic field. We have such motors not only in our laptops or smartphones. We also have them today primarily in our industrial machines. The history of the electric motor is the story of the struggle of many technologists for the palm of invention and for a patent. In the end, however, the invention went to Tesla, which was sanctioned by the American courts.

A similar story applies to the radio. At school I was taught that the radio was invented by Marconi. Ultimately, this did not turn out to be true. Again (unfortunately after his death), the American courts (the absolutely dominant economic power at the time) decided that Tesla was the inventor of the radio.

Tesla was a great inventor but a hopeless businessman. Edison promised Tesla $50,000 for one of his inventions. When Tesla claimed the prize (rightly so), Edison cynically replied that Tesla "does not understand the American sense of humour". Read: everything must be in writing.

Offended by the honour, the proud Serb walked away from Edison. He found himself in a very bad financial situation. There were times in New York when he was digging public ditches for a living. When he came to ask for work, the guy in the expensive suit and varnished shoes caused hilarity among the workers. However, when he immediately showed his diligence and perseverance, the laughter fell silent and the respect increased exponentially.

Another Tesla protector turned out to be the well-known investor and entrepreneur George Westinghouse. He believed in Tesla's concepts of the induction motor and alternating current. Then the 'war for electricity' with Edison began.

Thomas Alva Edison showed his dark side. Over the following years he tried to depreciate the idea of alternating current. He even used hucksters to do so, who tried to show how dangerous alternating current was. They tried to link the idea of alternating current to the improvement of electric chairs and the mass killing of animals.

Tesla and Westinghouse proved that alternating current was the future and intellectually defeated Edison. After which Westinghouse got rid of Tesla. While still with Westinghouse, Tesla designed a hydroelectric turbine that provided the impetus to build up to the world's largest hydroelectric power station at Niagara Falls.

Tesla's subsequent life was a time of ups and downs. More like pits. In the meantime, the brilliant inventor still invented remote controls (how would your television work today without Tesla?).

And what about that mysterious death ray we started with? Many (including ChatGPT) whom I asked about it say it's a fairy tale. Others (a few) claim that Tesla created an ingenious relay of electricity allowing millions of watts of energy to be released into space.

This certainly demonstrates Tesla's lifelong fascination and main idea- transmitting energy over long distances, to which the inventor dedicated his life.

Tesla's death was unlikely to appear natural. Although it was covered up as natural.

Earlier, in the Tunguska region in 1908, there had been an unusual event-an asteroid hit the ground knocking down trees in a 40km radius. Tesla justified his theories with this. And it seems that he was right. Who and why and whether he ever acquired the secrets of the death ray remains a mystery.

However, it should be mentioned that Tesla was feared by both Hitler and the Anglo-Saxons.

Today, Tesla is nevertheless quite forgotten. And although he is named after the unit of magnetic induction in the SI system, he has an airport in the Serbian capital Belgrade and a beautiful monument on Niagara Falls.

If you throw Tesla into Google (without the first name Nikola) you will see Elon Musk's brand of electric cars. While Elon poses as the Tesla of the 21st century, there is a key difference. Tesla worked for ideas and others cynically deprived him of profits. Many of Musk's critics will say that Elon is 180 degrees different. Tesla's big idea was transferring energy into long distances. Does Elon have a big idea? Or at least a strategy?

Tesla suffered from a strange illness from the age of 20. He had flashes of light in his head that almost made him faint. His grandmother was a renowned local quack who had paranormal abilities.

Worlds intermingling?

#creativity #technology #innovation