Lecture Notes: The Story of Nikola Tesla

Introduction to Nikola Tesla

• Often overshadowed by inventors like Henry Ford, the Wright brothers, and Thomas Edison.
• Tesla's contributions are crucial to modern electrical systems.
• Died on January 7, 1943, at the New Yorker Hotel, alone and penniless.

Early Life of Nikola Tesla

• Born on July 10, 1856, in Smiljan, Croatia during a lightning storm.
• Experienced visions and flashes of light from a young age, which spurred his inventiveness.
• Father was a priest; his mother, Đuka Mandić, invented small household appliances and had an eidetic memory.

Education and Early Career

• Attended Technical College of Graz in Austria.
• Dropped out due to gambling addiction.
• Worked in Budapest, where he conceptualized alternating current (AC).

Tesla's Career in Europe and Move to America

• Worked for Thomas Edison's company in Paris, then moved to New York in 1884 to work for Edison.
• Initially had a good relationship with Edison, later became rivals over AC vs. DC electricity.

Alternating Current vs. Direct Current

• Tesla championed AC, which allows electricity to flow in multiple directions, suitable for long-distance transmission.
• Edison favored DC, which flows in one direction and was less efficient over long distances.

Rivalry with Edison

• Edison attempted to discredit Tesla's AC—financed the electric chair and tortured animals to show AC's danger.
• Despite such attempts, Tesla and George Westinghouse successfully promoted AC.

Westinghouse Collaboration

• Tesla licensed AC motor patents to Westinghouse in 1888.
• Competed with Edison's General Electric, won bids to illuminate Chicago's World's Fair in 1893 and build Niagara Falls power plant.
• Tesla tore up his royalty contract to save Westinghouse from financial ruin.

Later Inventions and Challenges

• Held over 300 patents, invented the induction motor, Tesla coil, early neon lighting, and more.
• Lost his lab to a fire in 1895, which was a major turning point.
• Failed to patent the radio first, resulting in Italian Marconi's success and Nobel Prize.

Wardenclyffe Tower and Later Life

• Attempted to develop wireless communication at Wardenclyffe Tower, venture failed due to lack of funding.
• Lived last decade in New Yorker Hotel, supported by Westinghouse as a consultant.

Conclusion: Tesla's Legacy

• Not a capitalist; more interested in scientific pursuit than financial gain.
• His ideas eventually powered modern society, gaining renewed recognition in part due to Elon Musk's Tesla, Inc.
• Known as a 'child of light,' his contributions are fundamental to today's electrical systems.