There is a general knowledge in the scientific community that there have been two recognized geniuses in human history: Leonardo da Vinci and Nikola Tesla. Tesla's achievements are almost as great as those of Einstein and Edison combined. He is the spiritual idol of "technology geek" Elon Musk, and the Tesla electric car that is now popular around the world is named after him!

Who is Tesla?

A person who relies solely on imagination, without any need for models, drawings or experiments, can perfectly depict all the details in his mind and actually make the object There is no difference in the inventive genius.

He was Edison's most powerful opponent and a scientific madman who independently developed and patented 700 products throughout his life and collaborated on more than 1,000 products.

Yes, Tesla is not only a high-end electric car brand, but also a physical unit: 1 Tesla (TESLA) = 10,000 Gauss (GAUSS), or A name worthy of being remembered by all.

The following quote is a video specially produced by "Old Pipe Smoking Ghost Stories" to commemorate the birth of Nikola Tesla. Friends who do not have wifi can skip and read the article directly, but the video is more enjoyable to watch. .

Let’s take a look at the video introduction——

The Pioneer of the Electric Age

When you turn on the lights, blow on the air conditioner, and lie on the sofa to watch While watching the TV, have you ever wondered where the electricity that supports these daily appliances comes from?

More than 100 years ago, in an era when most people were still using candles for lighting, a type of electricity called alternating current The system was invented and is still in use today.

And its inventor is Nikola Tesla. His alternating current brought mankind into the second industrial revolution.

If you ask, isn't Edison the "Father of the Electrical Age"?

Then the following story will give you a new understanding.

In 1884, a young man hurriedly boarded a ship bound for the American gold rush with a letter of introduction from his former employer. He was going to find his idol, Thomas Edison, hoping that he could help him complete the invention of the alternating current system.

Thomas Edison

The letter read:

"Dear Edison: I know two great men, one is you, and the other is this young man. People."

At that time, Edison was selling his direct current system to the world and was not optimistic about alternating current at all. But with this letter, Tesla still entered Edison's team as he wished. Edison promised him a bonus equivalent to one million dollars in today's money if he solved "the DC generator and electric motor problem."

But when Tesla repaired Edison's machine and asked, "Where is the promised one million?"

Edison actually laughed and said: "Tesla, You don’t understand our American humor.”

Tesla’s idol character collapsed and he left in anger after being teased and started his own business. From then on, he concentrated on making his alternating current system.

Tesla and the AC Motor

At that time, Edison’s DC system required a power station per square mile, and because of the excessive losses in the transmission process, the transmission The distance is also very limited, and Tesla's AC system uses thinner wires, higher voltage, small transmission loss, and long transmission distance. It is obvious that alternating current is more advantageous.

What did the disadvantaged Edison do?

In order to "hack" alternating current, Edison had a lot of imagination. Bribed Communist Party officials to change the death penalty from hanging to electrocution with alternating current.

Alternating current electrocution chair

They even hired elementary school students to electrocute stray cats and dogs with alternating current to promote the idea that alternating current is "very dangerous."

Fortunately, Tesla firmly believed that "whether you are black or not, alternating current is there." Through the lighting project of the Columbian Exposition, he demonstrated the reliability and safety of alternating current, and finally won the "World of Electricity" award. "Fight" and clear up his innocence.

Bird's-eye view of the World's Columbian Exposition

Since then, alternating current has been recognized, replacing direct current and becoming the mainstream power supply.

You know, at that time, Tesla could get a royalty of $2.50 for every piece of electricity people used. Someone has calculated that this can bring Tesla at least 300 billion US dollars in revenue! Tesla has long been as rich as the country.

But he never expected that he would tear up the patent contract and make this invention free for the whole world to use. (If he hadn't done this, we would still have to pay him now)

Therefore, it is well deserved to call Tesla the "Father of the Electric Age".

A man who will make you question the Nobel Prize

Question: Who discovered X-rays?

Answer: Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen?

No! Yes

According to historical records, Roentgen discovered X-rays on November 8, 1895, paving the way for the creation of medical imaging technology, and was awarded the first Nobel Prize in 1901. Physics Prize.

But in fact, Tesla discovered X-rays before Roentgen, warned that this thing was dangerous, and refused to conduct medical experiments.

Tesla used his own body to test X-rays

This is the image of his feet

Question: Who invented the radio?

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Answer: Guglielmo Marconi?

No! Yes

Many people still think that the inventor of radio is Marconi, and he still thinks that he is the inventor of radio. He won the 1909 Nobel Prize in Physics and is known as the "Father of Radio."

But in fact, Tesla had already obtained a patent for radio technology in 1897. It was Edison's intervention that led the U.S. Patent Office to revoke Tesla's patent and grant it to Marconi instead.

In 1943, the U.S. Supreme Court reaffirmed the validity of Nikola Tesla's patent and declared Marconi's radio patent invalid.

On Tesla’s 75th birthday, *** received letters of thanks from eight Nobel Prize winners in physics.

In 1943, at Tesla’s funeral, three Nobel Prize winners in physics also delivered speeches on behalf of the Nobel team. Over the years, Nobel Prize winners in physics have expressed their gratitude and respect to Nikola Tesla.

It is said that 27% of those who studied Tesla’s inventions were directly inspired and won the Nobel Prize in Physics, and more than 65% were indirectly inspired.

Tesla himself was nominated for the Nobel Prize 11 times, gave up the prize 9 times, and refused to accept it 2 times.

Every prediction he makes,

can make the world fast forward at least 100 years

In the "War of Currents", Tesla once said : "Alternating current is the wave of the future." Today, a hundred years later, his invention of alternating current is still lighting up the world.

During an experiment, he heard a strange and rhythmic sound from the receiver. At that time, he believed that humans could receive messages from another world. In 1899, he discovered cosmic radio waves, which were not confirmed by scientists until 1932. Today, we can also receive the signals that Tesla received through radio telescopes.

The FAST radio telescope, known as the "China's Sky Eye"

In addition, "remote automation" was also invented by Tesla. The futuristic autonomous driving that we have only recently become popular was able to do it more than 100 years ago.

Original diagram of Tesla's wireless remote control boat

Even the "wireless charging technology" of some current mobile phones is actually leftover from Tesla.

Tesla’s wireless power transmission lights up the light bulb

The Tesla coil is Tesla’s most advanced and most controversial invention in his life. It is also one of his greatest achievements to mankind. The invention that made the greatest contribution. Because this is a free energy technology that can provide electricity without ***.

More than 100 years later, when we hear "free energy", "inexhaustible electricity" or "free electricity", we will still think it is fantasy. But more than 100 years ago, Tesla coils could already achieve this.

Tesla Coil

Such a scientific giant,

Why don’t we know about it?

Tesla has more than 1,000 inventions patent. The scientific invention system in today's world is still based on the legacy left by Tesla.

But the inventions that we can recognize and adopt now are only those he invented before he was 40 years old. All inventions he made after the age of 40 have been blocked.

It is said that before his death, Tesla was still doing research on super particle weapons and also proposed the concept of "beam weapons". But it wasn't until March 1983 that President Reagan proposed the "Star Wars Project." In order to deal with the devastating nuclear threat, Tesla's beam weapon concept was finally taken seriously by the US government.

Tesla described this in his own manuscript - his own special particle emitters can produce huge amounts of energy in the end. Simply put, they (referring to his own inventions) can be used as Excellent prevention and control equipment can easily and quickly land 10,000 enemy planes or even crash them 200 miles away!

From his own description, you can easily know how powerful his weapon is. sharp.

However, unfortunately, due to the lack of supporters and certain basic materials, some things could only be shelved. In the end, there was little progress until Tesla's death!

If this technology had been developed from then on Research so far has reached a sophisticated level. Do you dare to say that nuclear weapons are the absolute overlord in the weapons industry?

After Tesla’s death, the Department of War contacted the FBI, and the FBI collected all his design drawings and experimental works. Confiscated and classified as a top secret, the U.S. military has not stopped studying his thesis to this day.

There is a document recording: "(He) has 80 suitcases distributed in different places, which contain his research manuscripts and experimental plans..."

Of course, Tes Tesla was forgotten, in addition to the "ban" by ***, there are other reasons:

Tesla was a man ahead of the times. He saw too far, and his inventions were too advanced. At the time, he was often regarded as a scientific heretic and even considered a Martian.

Tesla writes in his diary under ultra-high voltage artificial lightning

It is one thing to have great inventions, but it is another thing to have people recognize them. In that era, there were too few visionaries and too little tolerance for innovation.

However, for this scientific giant who has been nominated for the Nobel Prize 11 times, accepted it 9 times, and rejected it 2 times, what does it mean to be forgotten by the world?

Just like standing tall He famously said this under the Tesla statue in Silicon Valley: "The present is theirs, and the future I am working on is mine.

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